The Renters Rights Act 2025 has strengthened the rights of tenants in the private rental sector. This guide aims to help you understand the changes that came in on 1 May 2026 and how they will affect you.

• when you are looking to rent a property or take on a tenancy, the rent must be stated in writing
• you should never pay more than the advertised rental amount. Landlords and letting agents are no longer allowed to encourage or accept a higher rental rate than advertised
• you should never pay any rent before you have signed a tenancy agreement and the tenancy has started
• you should never be asked to pay for more than one month’s rent in advance
• if you are taking on a new tenancy, your landlord must give you a written tenancy agreement before you move in. If you are an existing tenant your landlord must give you a written tenancy agreement by 31 May 2026 if you don’t already have one
• your landlord or letting agent must give you information about the new rules brought in under the Renters Rights Act by 31 May 2026

• all assured shorthold tenancies (AST's) tenancies are now assured periodic tenancies on a rolling contract with no end date. This means that there is no fixed term and that you can no longer be evicted without a specific reason
• where a landlord or letting agent serves notice, possession will only be granted under legally defined grounds such as selling the property, the landlord or close family member moving in, rent arrears or antisocial behaviour

• your rent can only be increased once a year and your landlord must give you at least two months’ notice
• you can challenge unfair (above market rate) rent increases through a residential property tribunal

• you cannot be discriminated against by your landlord for being on benefits or having children
• when landlords select a tenant for their property, their decision must be fair and transparent and only based on financial suitability

• you have the right to request a pet and your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse

If your landlord or letting agent has broken one of the rules above, you can report this to us to investigate. You will need to provide evidence of what they have done, and you may be called to provide a formal written statement if legal proceedings are to be taken. You can fill in the eform below: