Section 21 is gone. Assured Shorthold Tenancies are gone. The biggest change to English landlord law in 30 years came into force on 1 May 2026. Here is what you need to know — and what you need to do.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (RRA 2025) is the most significant piece of residential landlord legislation since the Housing Act 1988. It came fully into force on 1 May 2026, abolishing the Assured Shorthold Tenancy regime that has governed the English private rented sector for nearly four decades.
The Act was designed to shift the balance of power between landlords and tenants — giving renters greater security, clearer rights, and legal protections that simply did not exist before. For landlords, it means adapting to an entirely new legal framework.
The good news: the changes are manageable if you understand them. This guide covers every key change that affects private landlords in England, and the documents you need to comply.
The headline change is the permanent abolition of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions. From 1 May 2026, there is no mechanism by which a landlord can require a tenant to leave simply because the tenancy has ended or because the landlord does not wish to renew it.
To recover possession of a property, landlords must now rely entirely on Section 8 grounds — specific, legally defined reasons set out in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended). If you want your property back for any reason — whether the tenant has breached the agreement, you want to sell, or you want to move a family member in — there is a ground for that. But you must use the correct procedure and serve the correct notice.
If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 and the tenant hasn't left, the notice doesn't simply vanish — but it doesn't last indefinitely either. Under the transitional rules, you must issue court proceedings by the earlier of two dates: six months from when you served the notice, or 31 July 2026, whichever comes first.
For most landlords who served close to the 30 April cutoff, the six-month date falls after 31 July, which makes 31 July the binding deadline in practice. But if you served your notice well before that — say, in late 2025 — your six-month date may already have passed, so don't assume you're automatically covered until July. Check your specific service date.
All 17 current Section 8 grounds post-June 2026, with guidance notes, correct notice periods, and instructions for each ground. The most comprehensive Section 8 pack on the UK market, updated for RRA 2025.
Get the Section 8 Pack — £19.99 →The Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) — the standard tenancy agreement used since 1997 — has been replaced by the Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT). All tenancies created from 1 May 2026 must be APTs. Existing ASTs that were still running on 1 May 2026 automatically converted to APTs on that date.
The most important difference is that APTs have no fixed term. There is no "end date" — the tenancy simply continues until the landlord or tenant ends it. Tenants can give two months' notice to leave at any time. Landlords can only end the tenancy by relying on a Section 8 ground.
Fixed-term tenancies still exist in law, but the standard "6 months then statutory periodic" model is gone. Most new tenancies will simply be periodic from the start.
Landlords must also provide a written statement of tenancy terms within 28 days of the tenancy beginning, under the Assured Tenancies (Prescribed Form of Written Statement) Regulations 2026. This is a new legal obligation — failure to comply can affect your ability to use certain Section 8 grounds.
Fully compliant APT agreement incorporating the Written Statement Regulations 2026. All mandatory terms included. Updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and every change in force from 1 May 2026.
Get the APT Agreement — £19.99 →With Section 21 gone, Section 8 is now the only route to possession. The Act made several important changes to the available grounds:
The well-used rent arrears ground (Ground 8) now requires 3 months' arrears at the date of both notice and hearing, up from 2 months. The notice period for Ground 8 has increased to 4 weeks.
Critically, deposit protection failures now block most Section 8 mandatory grounds until the deposit is properly protected and the prescribed information served. If your deposit is not protected correctly, you will not be able to recover possession even if the tenant is in arrears.
Landlords can still increase rent, but the process has been formalised under the Act.
The correct statutory notice for increasing rent under RRA 2025. Includes guidance on notice periods, how to calculate the correct rent, and how to handle a tribunal challenge.
Get the Rent Increase Notice — £9.99 →Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 (inserted by RRA 2025) gives tenants the right to request permission to keep a pet. Landlords now have specific legal obligations when a pet request is made:
Unreasonably refusing a pet request or failing to respond within 28 days can expose landlords to Tribunal proceedings.
The RRA 2025 makes it unlawful to refuse to let a property to someone, or to treat someone less favourably in a tenancy, on the grounds that they are in receipt of benefits or that they have children.
This is an entirely new category of civil penalty:
| Offence | Maximum Penalty |
|---|---|
| Discrimination against benefits recipients | £40,000 |
| Discrimination against tenants with children | £40,000 |
| Failure to respond to pet request | Tribunal award |
| Serving invalid Section 8 notice | Costs + delay |
| Deposit not protected within 30 days | 1–3× deposit amount |
The Act establishes a new Private Rented Sector (PRS) Landlord Database, which will require all landlords in England to register. This is being phased in during 2026–2027. The exact rollout dates for different areas are still being confirmed by the government.
Registration will be mandatory. Operating as a landlord without registration will be an offence once the database is live in your area. Letting agents will also be required to verify that their landlord clients are registered before marketing a property.
DocPilot will update the Landlord Compliance Checklist as registration requirements become clearer.
Here is what every private landlord in England should do immediately:
A comprehensive 2026 compliance checklist covering every obligation under the RRA 2025, ERA 2025, and existing housing law. Penalty figures, notice periods, and checklist items all updated for June 2026. The most complete landlord compliance document on the UK market.
Get the Compliance Checklist — £14.99 →The RRA 2025 is the biggest change — but it will not be the last. Landlord law in England is evolving rapidly. The PRS database rollout continues through 2026–2027. Section 8 grounds are already being reviewed by legal practitioners. New court procedure rules for possession proceedings will follow.
DocPilot DocPilot Pro gives you access to every property and landlord template — always the latest version — for £19 per month, with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required. When the law changes, your documents update. No manual checking, no outdated templates.
This guide was written and verified in June 2026. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you are unsure about your obligations as a landlord, you should consult a qualified solicitor specialising in residential property law.
The documents referenced throughout this guide, in one place:
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