Renters’ Rights Act 2025: What Landlords Need To Do, And By When

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now law and the government has published its implementation roadmap for England. GOV.UK

In earlier blogs we explained what the Act changes:

TL;DR (Quick summary)

Phase one of implementation is 1st May 2026. New tenancies issued from then must be periodic and have no end date. All existing tenancies become periodic on that date.

Tenancies issued after 1st May 2026, landlords will need to include specific wording which is TBC. For existing tenancies, landlords must serve an Information Sheet (TBC), about the legislation to tenants by the 31st May 2026.

Issuing Section 21 or Section 8 Notices?

Practically, this means landlords can still issue section 21 notices to tenants, to secure vacant possession for tenancies ending at the latest 31 July 2026; notices must be served by 30th April 2026. To enforce these S21 notices, applications must be made to the court prior to the end of 31 July 2026, so landlords will need to be really on the ball to enforce these if tenants don’t move out on that date.

For tenancies ending after 31st July 2026, landlords won’t be able to use S21 Notices, instead will only be able to use Section 8 Notices, most notably for student properties, using Ground 4a, which requires 4 months’ notice, so for student tenancies ending 31st August 2026, the Section 8 Notices must be sent prior to 1st May, which is before the actual implementation of the legislation.

Can tenants move out early?

After the implementation of the legislation, tenants can move out at any time by issuing two months notice.

Tenancies ending on or before 30th June 2026

Tenants with fixed term tenancies ending on or before 30th June 2026 will not be able to end their tenancies earlier than 30th June 2026.

Tenancies ending from 1st July 2026

Tenancy end dates after 30th June are now purely theoretical. Even if a landlord serves a section 21 notice on a tenant whose tenancy ends on the 31st July 2026, the tenant could issue their own notice on the 1st May 2026 to end their tenancy on the 30th June, one month earlier than their initially agreed fixed term end date.

1. Key dates at a glance

Straight from the government roadmap: GOV.UK

Already set

27 October 2025 – Act receives Royal Assent

27 December 2025 – new investigatory and enforcement powers for local councils start

November 2025 – landlord guidance for phase 1 goes live

1 May 2026 – phase 1 goes live for the private rented sector

From late 2026 – roll out of the PRS Database starts

2027 – core tenancy reforms extend to the social rented sector

2028 – mandatory membership of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman for private landlords

Longer-term, subject to consultation

By 2030 – government proposal for EPC C in the PRS

2035 or 2037 – proposed dates for bringing the new Decent Homes Standard into force in the PRS GOV.UK

2. Phase 1 from 1 May 2026: what actually switches on

From 1 May 2026, the first wave of changes hits the private rented sector. GOV.UK

The full details are in our previous blog, this is a summary of the parts which are to be implemented on 1st May 2026.

From 1 May 2026 in the PRS:

No more section 21 notices
Landlords must use section 8 grounds and follow the new possession regime.
Assured Periodic Tenancies replace fixed terms in the PRS
Most new and existing PRS tenancies move to assured periodic status. Tenants gain a rolling tenancy and can leave with 2 months’ notice. GOV.UK
Reformed possession grounds
Extended grounds for serious rent arrears and anti-social behaviour, plus a wider set of reasons to recover property.
Rent increases limited to once per year
Increases must follow the new section 13 process, with at least 2 months’ notice.
No rental bidding and limited rent in advance
No inviting or accepting offers above the advertised rent. No more than one month’s rent in advance.
Protection for families and benefit recipients
It becomes unlawful to refuse or deter renters because they have children or receive benefits.
Pet requests must be considered properly
Landlords have 28 days to respond, with a valid reason for any refusal.
Stronger enforcement and rent repayment orders
Higher penalties, wider use of rent repayment orders, and stronger duties on councils. GOV.UK

These all take effect on the same day, 1 May 2026.

3. Existing tenancies vs new tenancies: paperwork deadlines

The roadmap draws an important line between tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026 and those already in place.

New PRS tenancies from 1 May 2026

For any new tenancy starting on or after 1 May 2026: GOV.UK

You must give tenants certain information in writing
This will usually sit inside a written tenancy agreement
The precise list of required information will arrive in secondary legislation

The government plans to publish a draft of the required terms in January 2026, so you will have time to update your templates before May. GOV.UK

Existing PRS tenancies before 1 May 2026

If a tenancy already exists before 1 May 2026: GOV.UK

You do not need to issue a fresh tenancy agreement, if a written one already exists
You must give each tenant a copy of the official Information Sheet about the reforms on or before 31 May 2026
The Information Sheet will be published in March 2026

If a tenancy is verbal only at the moment:

You must give the tenant a written summary of the main terms
This must also happen on or before 31 May 2026

4. Phase 2 from late 2026: PRS Database and Ombudsman

Phase 2 focuses on registration and redress. GOV.UK

PRS Database

From late 2026, the government starts a regional roll out of the PRS Database. Registration will be:

Mandatory for all private landlords
Subject to an annual fee (level to follow)

For each property, you will need to provide at least:

Landlord contact details, including joint landlords
Full property address, type, bedroom numbers, number of residents, and whether occupied and furnished
Key safety details, including gas, electrical, and EPC information GOV.UK

Public access and data sharing will switch on after landlord registration has started.

PRS Landlord Ombudsman

During Phase 2, the government introduces a PRS Landlord Ombudsman, a mandatory redress scheme for PRS landlords. GOV.UK

There will be a staged build-up
A scheme administrator will be appointed 12–18 months before launch
Membership for landlords is expected to be mandatory from 2028

Fees and processes will come later, but every landlord should assume:

Membership will sit alongside database registration
Ombudsman decisions and complaints history will feed into the wider regulatory picture

5. Phase 3: Higher standards and Awaab’s Law

Phase 3 targets property standards and safety. GOV.UK

Planned elements:

Decent Homes Standard in the PRS
First time a formal Decent Homes Standard applies to private renting.
Government consulted in 2025 and suggested a start date of 2035 or 2037.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)
Proposal for all domestic PRS properties to reach EPC C or equivalent by 2030, unless an exemption applies.
Extension of Awaab’s Law to the PRS
Legally enforceable timeframes for dealing with serious hazards, including dangerous damp and mould. GOV.UK

Exact dates for Phase 3 remain subject to consultation, but landlords should treat this as a long-term upgrade requirement rather than a distant idea.

6. Enforcement and the courts: what sits behind all this

The roadmap is clear that the reforms sit on top of stronger enforcement and updated court systems. GOV.UK

Key points:

From 27 December 2025, councils gain new investigatory powers, including easier access to properties, documents, and some third-party data
Councils receive £18.2m in 2025/26 to build enforcement capacity, with further funding expected for 2026/27
A cross-council training programme, “Operation Jigsaw”, supports enforcement teams, with Shelter delivering PRS training

On the justice side:

HMCTS is building a new digital end-to-end possession service for County Courts in England and Wales
First release is due in 2026, with a full service in place 18 months after Royal Assent GOV.UK

For landlords, that means:

Expect stronger, better-resourced enforcement from councils
Expect possession work to move to digital processes, with less tolerance for technical errors in notices and procedure

7. Action plan for landlords: what to do and when

Now to April 2026

Map your portfolio
List every tenancy, with start date, current fixed-term end date, and whether the agreement is written or verbal, and work out when you would need to issue a section 21 or section 8 notice if you can.
Review your standard tenancy templates
Prepare to drop in the new required terms once the draft appears in January 2026.
Audit compliance evidence
Check gas, electrical, EPC records, licence status, and repair logs. These will feed into the PRS Database and any future inspection.
Watch for landlord guidance and Information Sheet
Government landlord guidance on phase 1 goes live in November 2025; the Information Sheet arrives in March 2026. GOV.UK

April to 31 May 2026

For new tenancies starting from 1 May 2026
Use updated periodic tenancy agreements and include the required written information.
For existing tenancies
Deliver the official Information Sheet (and, for verbal tenancies, the written summary of terms) no later than 31 May 2026.

Late 2026 to 2028

Register on the PRS Database when roll out reaches your region and pay the annual fee
Prepare for public visibility of key property data
Join the PRS Landlord Ombudsman ahead of the expected mandatory date in 2028

Longer term to 2030–2037

Plan for EPC C across the portfolio by 2030, or secure valid exemptions
Budget for Decent Homes Standard compliance on a 2035–2037 horizon
Tighten repair response times, especially for damp, mould, and other hazards, in anticipation of Awaab’s Law in the PRS

8. How Purple Frog will support you

We will:

Track each statutory instrument and update our documents and processes
Refresh our tenancy templates for the new periodic regime and prescribed forms
Prepare bulk delivery of the Information Sheet for existing tenants in May 2026
Plan database registration and ombudsman membership on your behalf where we manage your property
Help you build a phased upgrade plan for standards, EPCs, and any works needed for the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law

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