The Renters' Rights Act 2026: What Every UK Tenant Needs to Know

The Renters' Rights Act is the biggest change to tenant law in a generation. Coming into force on 1 May 2026, it will affect every private renter in England. Here's what's changing and what it means for you.

The end of Section 21 “no fault” evictions

The most significant change. Under the current system, a landlord can evict a tenant simply by serving a Section 21 notice — no reason required. From 1 May 2026, this is abolished. Landlords will only be able to evict tenants for specific legal reasons, such as rent arrears or wanting to sell the property.

This is a huge win for renters. It means you can no longer be evicted simply for complaining about repairs, asking for a pet, or because your landlord wants to re-let at a higher rent.

Stronger rights to challenge rent increases

The Act gives tenants the right to challenge above-market rent increases at a First-tier Tribunal. If your landlord tries to hike your rent unreasonably, you'll have a formal route to push back.

Awaab's Law extended to the private sector

Named after a two-year-old boy who died from mould exposure in a social housing flat, Awaab's Law originally applied only to social housing. The Renters' Rights Act extends it to private rentals — requiring landlords to investigate and fix hazards like damp and mould within strict timeframes.

The right to keep pets

Landlords will no longer be able to blanket-ban pets. They can still refuse on reasonable grounds, but tenants will have a formal right to request a pet — and landlords must respond within 28 days.

What this means for your tenancy agreement

Even after the Act comes into force, some landlords may include clauses that don't reflect the new law — either accidentally or deliberately. It's still worth checking your agreement carefully. An illegal clause doesn't become legal just because it's written down, but you'd need to know it was there to challenge it.