Renting since May: What's actually changed for tenants

The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, and the conversation about it in the months before that date was dominated by what it would mean for landlords. The changes that matter most to tenants have received considerably less attention, partly because they are structural rather than dramatic, and partly because they require understanding a system that most tenants had never had to think about in detail before. Four months in, here is what has genuinely changed and what it means in practice for anyone renting privately in England right now.

Your tenancy no longer has an end date

The most fundamental change is one that most tenants will not have noticed at all, because it removed something rather than adding anything. Fixed-term tenancies were abolished on 1 May 2026. Every assured shorthold tenancy in England that existed on that date automatically converted to an assured periodic tenancy, a rolling agreement with no end date. New tenancies signed from 1 May 2026 onwards must also be periodic from the outset.

What this means for you is that your home is yours for as long as you choose to stay in it and continue to meet the obligations of your tenancy. There is no approaching end date for a landlord to use as a pressure point, no renewal negotiation, and no risk of simply not being offered a new fixed term when yours runs out. To end your tenancy, you give two months' written notice. That is the only mechanism, and it is in your hands.

Section 21 is gone

Before 1 May 2026, a landlord could serve a Section 21 notice requiring you to leave without having to give a reason. This has been abolished. A landlord who wants to end your tenancy now must use Section 8, which requires a specific legal ground, a proper notice period for that ground, and, if contested, a court order. The most commonly relevant grounds are significant rent arrears, genuine intention to sell the property, or genuine intention for the landlord or a close family member to move in.

The abolition of Section 21 changes the power balance of the tenancy relationship in a meaningful way. Tenants who previously felt unable to report maintenance issues or exercise their rights for fear of receiving a no-fault eviction notice no longer face that risk. A landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice because the notice does not exist anymore.

Rent increases now follow a fixed process

Before the Act, a rent increase could be triggered by a clause in your tenancy agreement, by informal agreement, or by a Section 13 notice. From 1 May 2026, rent review clauses are void. The only lawful mechanism for a rent increase is a Section 13 notice using the government's Form 4A. Your landlord must give you at least two months' written notice, and the increase can only happen once in any twelve-month period.

If you consider a proposed increase to be above the market rate for comparable properties in your area, you can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal free of charge, before the proposed start date in the notice. The tribunal assesses the market rent and sets it accordingly. Critically, it cannot set the rent higher than your landlord originally proposed. There is no financial risk to you in making a referral.

The right to request a pet

You now have a legal right to make a written request to keep a pet in your rented home. Your landlord must respond within 28 days with a specific, documented reason if they refuse. A blanket no-pets policy is no longer a lawful response. Consent once given cannot be withdrawn. Landlords cannot charge extra rent or require you to take out pet insurance as a condition of approval.

Protection from discrimination

Since 1 May 2026, landlords and letting agents cannot refuse to rent to you on the grounds that you have children or that you receive benefits. Advertising a property as unsuitable for either group is also unlawful. These protections apply to the initial application stage, not just to existing tenancies.

What has not changed yet

The Private Rented Sector Database, which will allow tenants to check a landlord's registration and compliance status before committing to a tenancy, launches in late 2026. It is not live yet but is being tested. The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, to which tenants will be able to bring complaints about landlords and agents, is expected to be mandatory for landlords from 2028. Both are coming, and both will add further practical protections when they arrive.

The changes that came into force in May represent the most significant shift in tenant rights in more than three decades. Most of them remove risks and uncertainties that tenants had previously had to manage around. They do not require you to do anything differently. They change what your landlord can and cannot do.

Questions about your tenancy? Talk to our lettings team today