Contend
Sign up

What Are the New Tenancy Laws in the UK?

Kathryn Strachan
27 May 2026

[updated_date prefix=”Updated: “]

Table of Contents

If you rent privately in England, 2026 has brought the most significant changes to tenancy law in a generation. 

The new tenancy laws in the UK, introduced through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, came into force on 1 May 2026 and affect every private renter in England with an assured or assured shorthold tenancy. This guide explains what has changed, what it means for you, and how the new rules reshape the relationship between tenants and landlords.

What Are the New Tenancy Laws in the UK?

The new tenancy laws in the UK for private renters in England are contained in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. This Act was passed by Parliament and came into force on 1 May 2026. It builds on and significantly strengthens earlier legislation including the Housing Act 1988, the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. You can read the full Renters’ Rights Act on the UK legislation website.

It is worth noting that tenancy law is a devolved matter in the UK. The Renters’ Rights Act applies to England only. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own separate housing legislation and their own frameworks for private renting, which differ in important ways from the English system. This article focuses entirely on the new tenancy laws as they apply in England.

The new tenancy laws introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 apply automatically to all private assured tenancies in England from 1 May 2026, whether or not your landlord has updated your tenancy agreement.

The End of No-Fault Eviction

The most headline-grabbing of the new tenancy laws in the UK is the abolition of Section 21, the provision of the Housing Act 1988 that allowed landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. This was known as a no-fault eviction, and it had been a defining feature of private renting in England since 1988.

For nearly four decades, tenants lived with the knowledge that their landlord could serve a Section 21 notice at almost any time, giving them two months to leave with no explanation required. This created a fundamental power imbalance. Tenants who reported repairs, challenged rent increases, or simply became inconvenient could find themselves facing eviction with no legal recourse. Charities and housing experts consistently identified Section 21 as one of the primary drivers of homelessness in England.

From 1 May 2026, Section 21 is abolished. Any Section 21 notice served on or after this date is legally invalid. Landlords who wish to end a tenancy must now serve a Section 8 notice citing at least one of the legally recognised grounds for possession set out in the Housing Act 1988. Full details of all grounds are available on GOV.UK.

If a tenant disputes an eviction, the landlord must apply to the court for a possession order and must prove their ground is valid at a hearing. The tenant has the right to attend and challenge the eviction. This judicial oversight of the eviction process is one of the most important protections the new tenancy laws provide.

Rolling Tenancies Replace Fixed-Term Contracts

The second major change in the new tenancy laws is the abolition of fixed-term tenancy agreements. Under the old system, most private renters signed contracts with a defined end date, typically six or twelve months. At the end of that period, the tenancy could be renewed, renegotiated, or the landlord could choose not to continue, often using a Section 21 notice to end things cleanly.

The new tenancy laws remove fixed terms entirely from private rental law in England. From 1 May 2026, all private assured tenancies are rolling periodic tenancies. This means your tenancy has no set end date and continues automatically from one rent period to the next. It can only be ended by you giving your landlord at least two months’ written notice, by mutual agreement, or by your landlord obtaining a court possession order on valid legal grounds.

For tenants, this is a significant practical improvement. There is no longer a moment every six or twelve months when the future of your tenancy is up for review. You are not on a countdown to an end date that your landlord controls. Your home is your home for as long as you want it, provided you meet your obligations as a tenant.

If your tenancy agreement still contains an end date, that date has no legal effect from 1 May 2026. Your tenancy is now a rolling contract. More information is available on GOV.UK.

New Rules on Rent Increases

The new tenancy laws also introduce important restrictions on how landlords can increase rent. Before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, landlords could use rent review clauses written into tenancy agreements to raise rents at fixed intervals or by predetermined amounts. They could also use the threat of a Section 21 notice as leverage to persuade tenants to accept above-market increases.

Both of those routes are now closed. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements cannot be used to justify an increase from 1 May 2026. All rent increases on private tenancies in England must now follow the statutory process set out in Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Under this process, a landlord can only increase rent once in any twelve-month period and must give the tenant at least two months’ written notice using the official Form 4A.

Any proposed increase must not exceed the open market rent for a comparable property in the same area. There is no fixed percentage cap, but the open market rate acts as a ceiling. If you believe a proposed increase is above market rate, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal free of charge. The tribunal will assess the evidence and set a fair rent, and its decision is legally binding on both parties.

You can find Form 4A and guidance on challenging rent increases on GOV.UK.

The Right to Request a Pet

Among the new tenancy laws that have attracted significant public interest is the right for tenants to formally request permission to keep a pet. Before this change, blanket no-pets clauses were standard in many tenancy agreements, leaving tenants with little recourse even if they were willing to take full responsibility for any animal they kept.

Under the new rules, tenants can make a formal written request to keep a pet in their rented home. Landlords cannot apply a blanket refusal. Each request must be considered on its individual merits. If a landlord declines, they must do so in writing and must provide their reasons. A refusal that is not grounded in reasonable justification can be challenged in court by the tenant.

This does not guarantee that every pet request will be approved. Landlords may have legitimate reasons to decline, including the terms of their own lease in a leasehold building, insurance conditions, or the type of property and pet involved. But the days of a standard clause in a tenancy agreement being sufficient to shut down any conversation about pets are over.

Protection in the First 12 Months of a Tenancy

The new tenancy laws also introduce a protected period at the start of every new tenancy. During the first twelve months, a landlord cannot evict a tenant on the grounds that they intend to sell the property or that they or a family member wish to move in. These are legitimate grounds under the new Section 8 framework, but they are time-restricted at the start of a tenancy to prevent them being used as a substitute for the old Section 21 process.

This twelve-month protection period is a meaningful safeguard for tenants who have just moved in. It means that the expense and disruption of moving into a new home cannot be quickly followed by the landlord using a technical ground to recover the property before the tenant has had a chance to establish themselves.

Changes to the Name and Type of Tenancy

The new tenancy laws also change the official terminology used to describe private rental agreements in England. Assured Shorthold Tenancies, which have been the dominant form of private rental agreement since 1988, have been abolished as a legal category. From 1 May 2026, all former Assured Shorthold Tenancies automatically became Assured Periodic Tenancies.

This is not merely a cosmetic change. The shift in name reflects the shift in legal character: these are now open-ended rolling tenancies rather than tenancies with a presumed short-term fixed period. The practical consequences of this change flow through everything else the new tenancy laws do, from the rules on eviction to the rules on rent increases and notice periods.

What the New Tenancy Laws Mean for Landlords

The new tenancy laws place significant new obligations on private landlords in England. Landlords who wish to end a tenancy must now identify and prove a valid legal ground for possession, serve a Section 8 notice through the correct process, and if necessary attend a court hearing where the tenant can challenge their case. They can no longer increase rent using tenancy agreement clauses. They cannot apply blanket pet bans. And they must provide written tenancy information to tenants who do not have a written agreement.

For landlords who have managed properties responsibly, these changes need not be alarming. The new framework simply requires that evictions are justified, rent increases are fair, and tenants are treated as people with legal rights rather than as occupants who can be moved on at will. The courts and tribunals provide the mechanism for resolving disputes where the parties cannot agree.

Landlords seeking detailed guidance on their obligations under the new tenancy laws can find comprehensive information on the GOV.UK landlord guidance pages.

What If You Have No Written Tenancy Agreement?

One practical aspect of the new tenancy laws that many renters may not be aware of concerns the position of tenants who have no written tenancy agreement. A verbal tenancy is legally valid in England, but the new rules require landlords to provide certain written information to tenants who do not have a written agreement. Where no written agreement or written record of the tenancy terms exists, the landlord must provide this information by 31 May 2026.

If you are in this position and your landlord has not provided written information about your tenancy terms, you should seek advice from Citizens Advice or Shelter about your options and next steps.

New Tenancy Laws UK: Key Facts at a Glance

  • The new tenancy laws apply to private renters in England with assured or assured shorthold tenancies from 1 May 2026
  • Section 21 no-fault eviction is abolished: landlords must provide a legal reason to evict
  • Fixed-term tenancies are abolished: all tenancies are now rolling periodic tenancies
  • Rent can only be increased once per year using the Section 13 process with 2 months’ formal notice
  • Tenants can request to keep a pet and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse
  • The first 12 months of a new tenancy are protected from eviction for sale or landlord occupation
  • Assured Shorthold Tenancies are renamed Assured Periodic Tenancies
  • The new tenancy laws apply to England only: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate rules

Where to Get Help

If you are unsure how the new tenancy laws affect your specific situation, the following free resources can help:

Final Thoughts

The new tenancy laws in the UK represent a genuine turning point for private renters in England. For the first time, the legal framework prioritises security, fairness and transparency over the flexibility and convenience of landlords. Whether you are renting for the first time or have been a private tenant for years, understanding these changes is the first step to making the most of the rights they give you.

The law has changed in your favour. Make sure you know it.

Want to understand how the new tenancy laws affect you personally?

Contend is an AI-powered legal platform built to help renters in England understand their rights in plain English, with no jargon and no expensive solicitor fees. Whether you want to know if your landlord is following the new tenancy laws, understand what a rolling tenancy means for you, or get guidance on a specific situation you are facing, Contend gives you clear, reliable answers in minutes.

Get free legal guidance today at contend.legal.