Renters Right Act comes into force

The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, the Ministry of Justice said in its mortgage and landlord possession statistics for April to June 2026, published on 19 August 2026. The quarter covers two months of activity following the Act's implementation¹. The Act received Royal Assent on 27th October 2025, and the majority of its provisions took effect on 1 May 2026, with the Private Rented Sector Database and the Private Landlord Ombudsman due from late 2026².

The Ministry of Justice said it is not clear whether the overall fall in landlord possession claims or changes in other types of claims can be attributed to commencement of the Act, and that it will continue to monitor trends over the next quarters¹.

Landlord possession claims rose 6% to 23,635 in April to June 2026 compared with the same quarter in 2025, while orders were stable, warrants fell 6% to 9,715 and repossessions fell 3% to 6,560¹. Within claims, accelerated claims were up 16%, private landlord claims up 5% and social landlord claims down 3%¹. Of all landlord claims, 32% (7,449) were social landlord claims, 32% (7,617) private landlord claims and 36% (8,569) accelerated claims¹. London courts accounted for 7,793 landlord claims and 5,440 landlord orders, 33% and 31% of the respective totals¹. The median time from landlord claim to repossession fell to 27.1 weeks from 27.9 weeks a year earlier¹.

Mortgage possession claims fell 20% to 5,232, orders fell 17% to 3,651, warrants fell 18% to 3,101 and repossessions by county court bailiffs fell 14% to 1,008¹. The median time from mortgage claim to repossession rose to 49.1 weeks from 42.9 weeks, which the Ministry said is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2023¹.

On tenancy terms, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said that from 1 May 2026 a landlord cannot ask a tenant to pay rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and can ask for a maximum of one month's rent in advance after signing and before the start date³. Deposits are capped at five weeks' rent where annual rent is below £50,000, and six weeks where it is between £50,000 and £100,000³. The guidance applies in England only and does not cover social housing assured tenancies, shared ownership leases, short term holiday lets, excluded licences or properties with annual rent above £100,000³.

Shelter said that from 1 May 2026 landlords can only increase a periodic assured tenant's rent by serving a valid section 13 notice, which a tenant can challenge through the First-tier Tribunal, and that the notice period becomes two months⁴. It said the tribunal cannot set rent above the landlord's proposal, cannot backdate an increase, and can delay one by up to two months where it would cause undue hardship⁴. Rent review clauses can no longer be used, and all fixed-term tenancies become periodic⁴. Between 2024 and 2025, 1,532 tenants applied to the tribunal for a rental determination, and in 2023-2024 tenants waited an average of 24 weeks for a hearing⁴.

Shelter also said landlords had to issue a government factsheet to tenants moving from assured shorthold to assured tenancies by 31 May 2026, and a statement of terms by the same date where no written agreement existed, with local authority fines of up to £7,000 for non-compliance⁵. Tenants ending a periodic tenancy must give two months' notice to quit, or no less than four weeks if the landlord agrees in writing⁵. There are no changes to tenancy deposit protection rules⁵.

Why it matters for households

Private renters in England moved onto periodic assured tenancies on 1 May 2026, meaning tenancies roll on rather than running to a fixed end date, and landlords can only end them using grounds set in law². Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished, and the 'sell' and 'move in' grounds cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy². The mandatory rent arrears threshold for eviction rose from two to three months' arrears, with notice extended from two weeks to four².

For renters facing a rent increase, the route changed: increases must come through a section 13 notice with two months' notice, and a challenge at the tribunal no longer carries the risk of a higher award or backdated arrears⁴. Renters who signed agreements before 1 May 2026 with genuine rent-in-advance clauses can still have those enforced, and a landlord can still ask for rent in advance after a tenancy starts, though cannot force payment if the tenant refuses⁵.

Landlords and letting agents face penalties for prohibited payments: up to £5,000 for a first breach, up to £30,000 for a second or subsequent breach within five years, and an unlimited fine on prosecution³. Rental bidding is banned, with landlords and agents required to publish an asking rent and barred from accepting offers above it, and discrimination against prospective tenants on benefits or with children is prohibited².

What happens next

The Ministry of Justice said it will monitor possession trends over the next quarters, and that it is not yet known whether the fall in mortgage claims will continue¹. The Private Rented Sector Database and the Private Landlord Ombudsman are due to come into effect from late 2026, with the database rolled out gradually by area².