The new tenancy rules in practice: What's changed since May
The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026. More than four months on, the practical experience of operating under the new framework is becoming clearer. Most of the feared immediate disruptions have not materialised, but the structural changes to how tenancies work are real, several procedural deadlines have passed that required action, and the habits of long-term landlord management need adjusting in ways that are not always obvious until they come up in practice. Here is what the new rules have meant on the ground.
Fixed terms have gone and most landlords have barely noticed
The conversion of all assured shorthold tenancies to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026 was the change that generated the most concern in advance. In practice, for the vast majority of landlords with well-managed tenancies and reliable tenants, the day-to-day experience has not changed materially. Tenancies continue. Rent is paid. The property is maintained. The absence of a fixed end date has not caused the disruption that some anticipated.
What has changed is the absence of the renewal cycle. There is no approaching end date to plan around, no decision to make about whether to offer a new fixed term, and no paperwork to prepare when that date arrives. For landlords who managed their portfolios around the rhythm of annual renewals, the adjustment is primarily one of removing a task rather than adding one. The risk for some has been assuming that nothing else changed alongside it, which is where the practical gaps tend to appear.
The 31 May deadline: who missed it and what it means
Landlords with existing tenancies were required to provide every named tenant with the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. That deadline has passed. For landlords who distributed it to all named tenants and retained evidence of doing so, this obligation is met. For those who did not, the position is not without remedy but it is not without risk either. The civil penalty for failing to comply is up to £7,000 for a first offence, rising to £40,000 for continuing non-compliance. Serving the Information Sheet as soon as possible remains the appropriate response for anyone who has not yet done so, and keeping a clear record of service matters as much as the service itself.
For new tenancies entered into from 1 May 2026, written terms must be provided to tenants before the agreement is signed. This is a new procedural requirement that has caught some landlords using older template agreements that were prepared before the Act came into force. Any agreement signed without written terms being provided first is non-compliant.
Section 13 in use for the first time
For many landlords, the first real encounter with the operational changes of the Act has come at rent review time. Rent review clauses that existed in tenancy agreements before 1 May 2026 are void. Only the Section 13 process, using Form 4A from gov.uk, is lawful from that date. The most frequently reported practical error has been landlords attempting to use a letter, email, or self-drafted document rather than the prescribed form. These do not satisfy the requirement. The notice is invalid, the increase does not take effect, and the process must begin again, which pushes the effective date back and loses income that cannot be recovered.
The form itself is straightforward and free to download. Two months' written notice, served on every named tenant individually, with the effective date falling on the first day of a new rental period. One increase permitted per twelve-month period. Getting this right from the first use matters because the twelve-month clock running from the effective date determines when the next review can happen.
The August court deadline
From 1 August 2026, it became impossible to apply to court using a Section 8 or Section 21 notice that had been served before the Act came into force. Any possession proceedings not concluded before that date had to be restarted under the new framework. For landlords in that position, seeking legal advice promptly was and remains the appropriate response. The available Section 8 grounds are clearly defined, the notice periods are set, and the evidence requirements are specific to each ground.
What is coming before the year ends
The PRS Database launches in late 2026, rolling out region by region. West Midlands landlords have until 14 March 2027 to register. Other regions follow monthly through to November 2027. Annual registration costs £65 per property. An unregistered landlord cannot use most Section 8 grounds for possession. The preparation required is largely compliance documentation that well-managed landlords should already hold: current gas safety certificates, EICRs, and EPCs for every property.
The rental market itself continues to function. Underlying demand for rental homes remains strong, supply is still below pre-pandemic levels, and rental growth is running at around 2% annually. The legislative framework has changed significantly. The market fundamentals have not.
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