Renters' Rights Act 2025: The Landlord Compliance Checklist

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 28 October 2025. The government confirmed a phased implementation, with the most significant changes — the abolition of Section 21, the end of fixed-term tenancies, and new rent rules — coming into force on 1 May 2026.

That gives landlords roughly twelve months from the Act receiving assent to the biggest change in England's private rented sector since the Housing Act 1988.

This checklist is organised by action type, with deadlines and priority levels. If you do nothing else, work through the three items in Phase 1 before May 2026.

Phase 1: Must Complete Before 1 May 2026

1. Remove Section 21 from Your Toolset

What changed: Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are abolished from 1 May 2026. You can no longer serve a Section 21 notice to regain possession of your property without a specific reason.

What you must do:

• Stop issuing Section 21 notices for tenancies starting after 1 May 2026
• If you have existing fixed-term tenancies, they automatically convert to periodic assured tenancies from 1 May 2026 — no action needed to convert, but review the tenancy terms
• Any Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 can still be used in court proceedings until 31 July 2026. After that date, no Section 21 claim can be issued regardless of when the notice was served.
• From 1 May 2026, you must use Section 8 grounds to recover possession. Key grounds include:
  • Ground 8 (rent arrears): 3 months+ arrears at date of hearing → tribunal must grant possession
  • Ground 2 (landlord occupation): property wanted for owner occupation — after 12 months' occupation, landlord must have used property as only or principal home
  • Ground 6 (sale): landlord has sold the property
  • Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour): demonstrated tenant conduct

Priority: Critical. If you have a pending or planned possession case, you need to switch to Section 8 immediately. Courts will not accept new Section 21 claims from 1 May 2026.

2. Review Every Tenancy Agreement

What changed: All new tenancies from 1 May 2026 must be periodic assured tenancies. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) are abolished. Existing fixed-term tenancies convert automatically.

What you must do:

• Remove all references to Section 21 and "no-fault eviction" clauses from new tenancy agreements
• Stop using fixed-term AST formats — all new tenancies are periodic by default
• Update any clause that assumes the landlord can regain possession at the end of a fixed term
• Ensure rent review clauses comply with the new once-per-year limit
• Add a clause for pet requests (see below)
• Provide the required Tenant Information Sheet — this is a mandatory document under the Act, separate from the How to Rent Guide

Priority: High. Update your template agreements now so they're ready for tenancies starting from 1 May 2026.

3. Comply with Rent Increase Rules

What changed: From 1 May 2026:

• Rent can only be increased once per calendar year
• Increases must be served via a Section 13 notice with two months' notice to the tenant
• Tenants can challenge increases at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe they're above market rate
• Rental bidding is banned — you cannot invite or accept offers above the advertised rent
• Rent in advance is limited to one month's rent

What you must do:

• Audit your current rent review cycle — if you currently review more than once a year, stop
• Set a calendar reminder for annual rent reviews with a 2-month lead time
• Document the local market evidence you used to justify each increase (this matters if a tenant challenges at tribunal)
• Update any clause in tenancy agreements that allows more than one rent increase per year
• Remove any clause or practice that invites tenants to bid above asking rent

Priority: High. Non-compliant rent increase notices can be challenged and invalidated, and using them as part of a possession claim can undermine your case.

Phase 2: PRS Database Registration — Late 2026

4. Register on the Private Rented Sector Database

What changed: The PRS Database launches in late 2026 (exact date TBC). All landlords will be required to register properties and provide compliance documentation. Properties cannot be marketed or let without a valid registration.

What you must register:

• Every residential property you let or intend to let in England
• Landlord identification and contact details
• Property address, type, and bedroom count
• Valid gas safety certificate (annual)
• Valid electrical condition report (EICR, every 5 years)
• Valid EPC
• Tenancy start date, rent amount, and notice period

Penalties for non-registration:

• First offence: £7,000 civil penalty
• Repeat offence: up to £40,000 civil penalty
• Unregistered properties cannot be marketed or let

Additional consequence: From Phase 2, registration may be a prerequisite for using certain Section 8 possession grounds. If you're not registered, you may not be able to legally evict through certain routes.

What you must do now:

• Gather all current safety certificates and EPCs — check expiry dates
• Create a property register with all addresses, tenant start dates, and current rent
• Set up renewal calendar alerts for gas safety (annual) and EICR (every 5 years)
• Confirm with your property software or agent that they can integrate with the PRS Database when it launches

Priority: High (prepare now; register when system opens).

Phase 2: Tenant Rights

5. Pet Requests — Respond Within 28 Days

What changed: Landlords can no longer issue blanket bans on pets. Tenants have the right to request a pet, and landlords must respond within 28 days. Refusal is only permissible if there is a valid reason — for example, the property has a lease restriction that prohibits pets, or keeping a pet would cause genuine and irremediable damage.

What you must do:

• Update your tenancy agreement to include a pet request procedure
• Remove any "no pets" clause — it will be unenforceable
• Create a process to assess pet requests within 28 days and document your response
• Review your property's insurance policy — some insurers have restrictions on pet-related claims

Note: You can still require the tenant to pay a higher deposit (up to the 5-week limit) as a condition of keeping a pet, to cover potential damage.

Priority: Medium — this applies from Phase 1 (1 May 2026).

6. No Discrimination Against Children or Benefit Recipients

What changed: It is unlawful to directly or indirectly discriminate against potential tenants because they have children or receive housing benefit or universal credit.

What this means in practice:

• You can still assess income affordability — but you cannot use benefits status as a blanket exclusion
• You cannot advertise "no DSS" or "no children" in listings
• If you use referencing criteria, they must apply equally regardless of family status or benefit receipt

Priority: Medium — this applies from Phase 1 (1 May 2026).

Phase 3: 2028 — Ombudsman Membership

7. Join the PRS Landlord Ombudsman

What changed: A mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will be established by 2028. All landlords must join.

What you must do:

• Prepare your complaints handling procedures
• Budget for membership fees (fees TBC when scheme details are published)
• Note: non-membership after the mandatory date can attract fines of up to £5,000 and may affect your ability to use certain possession grounds

Priority: Low for now (2028 deadline) — but begin reviewing your processes.

Decent Homes Standard: 2035–2037

8. Plan for the Decent Homes Standard Extension

What changed: The Decent Homes Standard — currently applied to social housing — will be extended to the private rented sector, expected between 2035 and 2037. Awaab's Law (strict timeframes for addressing damp and mould) will also be extended.

What this means: Properties will need to meet minimum standards for thermal comfort, repair, and hazard-free living. Landlords with poor-quality stock face significant retrofit costs.

What you must do:

• Commission a condition survey of your portfolio now — identify properties that would fail a Decent Homes Standard assessment
• Budget for necessary upgrades (insulation, heating, damp remediation)
• Prioritise properties with Category 1 hazards under HHSRS — these will be the first to fail

Priority: Low (2035+ deadline) — but start surveying now to spread costs over time.

Your Pre-May 2026 Priority Summary

How SchemeCheck Fits In

SchemeCheck's coverage tool helps you verify which properties are in active licensing zones — a key input to your PRS Database registration compliance. Check your postcode in 10 seconds →

For landlords managing mixed portfolios across multiple councils, understanding which properties need selective or HMO licences alongside the new RRA obligations is increasingly complex. The combination of council licensing schemes and the national RRA reform makes 2026 the year to get your compliance infrastructure in place.