- Since 1 May 2026, private landlords in England can't use section 21 to evict without a reason.
- Tenancies roll on with no end date, and tenants can leave with no more than two months' notice.
- Rent can only go up once a year, and landlords can't accept offers above the advertised rent.
- Landlords can't ask for more than one month's rent in advance, and can't turn you down just because you receive benefits or have children.
What changed on 1 May 2026 (England)
The government's announcement of 30 April 2026 lists the protections that came into force the next day:
- No more section 21 evictions. A landlord now needs a legally valid reason — a 'possession ground' — to end your tenancy.
- Rolling tenancies. Fixed terms ended; tenancies run month to month (or week to week). You can end your tenancy with no more than two months' notice.
- Rent rises once a year. Landlords can only increase rent once a year and must give at least two months' notice using the official form. You can challenge an increase that's above the market rate.
- No bidding wars. It's illegal for landlords or agents to encourage or accept offers above the advertised rent.
- Rent in advance capped. Landlords can't ask for rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and can then ask for no more than one month's rent before the tenancy starts.
- Pets. You can ask to keep a pet and your landlord must consider it reasonably; they can only refuse with a valid reason.
- No blanket bans. It's illegal to refuse tenants just because they receive benefits or have children.
Sources: GOV.UK: historic protections for renters and Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords.
When can a landlord end a tenancy now?
Landlords must use a possession ground. GOV.UK's overview for landlords says that if a landlord wants to sell or move into the property, they can't evict for that reason in the first 12 months of the tenancy, and notice periods are typically four months for those grounds. For rent arrears, GOV.UK says the tenant must owe at least three months' rent before a court will grant possession on that ground. Courts also expect deposits to have been protected properly.
If a landlord served a section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, court proceedings under that notice had to be started by 31 July 2026 at the latest — or sooner, if the notice ran out before then. After that, the section 21 route closed.
Deposits and fees
The Tenant Fees Act limits what you can be charged in England. GOV.UK's guidance for tenants (updated July 2026) says:
| Payment | Limit |
|---|---|
| Tenancy deposit | Up to 5 weeks' rent if the annual rent is below £50,000; up to 6 weeks' rent if it's between £50,000 and £100,000 |
| Holding deposit | Up to 1 week's rent |
| Rent in advance | Up to 1 month, paid after signing and before the tenancy starts |
| Changing the tenancy | £50, or more only if the landlord shows higher reasonable costs |
| Late rent | Interest of no more than 3% above the Bank of England base rate |
Your landlord or letting agent must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it. In England and Wales the schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (GOV.UK: tenancy deposit protection).
Before you sign
- Check the EPC. Since 1 April 2020, landlords can't let homes rated below E unless a valid exemption is registered (GOV.UK). A higher rating usually means lower heating bills.
- Ask which bills are included and check the Council Tax band.
- Get the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet or a written agreement — landlords had to give existing tenants the information sheet by 31 May 2026.
- Read the government's How to rent guide.
What's coming next
The government says phase 2 starts from late 2026, including a Private Rented Sector Database of landlords and properties and a free Private Landlord Ombudsman. Longer term, it has said privately rented homes should reach EPC C or better by 2030, and a new Decent Homes Standard should apply to private rentals by 2035 (GOV.UK: when will the Renters' Rights Act come into force?). Dates for later phases may change.
Renting in Wales and Scotland
Wales: since 1 December 2022, the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 has applied. Tenants are called contract-holders and tenancy agreements are occupation contracts; landlords must issue a written statement of the contract within 14 days of the start. See GOV.WALES: Renting Homes.
Scotland: since 1 December 2017 most new private tenancies are private residential tenancies, which have no fixed end date and continue until you or your landlord end them. See mygov.scot.
The Renters' Rights Act changes described above apply to England.