In this guide
The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent in October 2025. The primary implementation date is 1 May 2026 — when Section 21 is permanently abolished, all tenancies become periodic, and new possession grounds come into force. This guide gives landlords a complete timeline, explains every change, and tells you exactly what action is required.
Implementation Timeline
From Royal Assent to full implementation — key dates for every landlord
Royal Assent
The Renters' Rights Act becomes law.
Primary implementation
Section 21 abolished. All assured tenancies become periodic. New possession grounds live. PRS Information Sheet mandatory. New rent increase rules take effect.
PRS database rollout
Mandatory registration for all landlords and properties begins. £7,000 initial penalty, £40,000 for continued non-compliance.
Awaab's Law Phase 2 (private sector)
Extended hazard categories apply to private rented sector — cold, heat, falls, fire, electrical, structural.
Additional possession ground restrictions
Further restrictions on certain possession grounds come into force.
EPC C minimum energy standard
All rental properties must achieve a minimum EPC rating of C. Fine: up to £30,000 per property.
Section 21 Abolition — What Replaces It
Gone permanently from 1 May 2026 — every eviction now requires a valid ground
Section 21 — the no-fault eviction notice — is permanently abolished on 1 May 2026. There is no route back. All existing S21 notices served before 1 May 2026 remain valid, but must be actioned within a 6-month transition window. After that date, every eviction requires a Section 8 ground.
Compliance prerequisites now apply to all evictions
Because every eviction now requires a Section 8 ground, the compliance prerequisites — valid gas certificate, EICR, deposit protected, How to Rent guide served, RRA Information Sheet served — apply to every possession attempt. A single lapsed certificate voids your notice, regardless of how serious the tenant's breach is.
If you have a tenant where a possession case may be needed before the end of 2026, and the ground would not satisfy Section 8 criteria, you must serve a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 and ensure it is actioned within the transition period.
Periodic Tenancies — What Changes
All assured tenancies automatically become periodic from 1 May 2026
From 1 May 2026, all assured shorthold tenancies automatically convert to periodic tenancies. Fixed-term contracts can still be signed, but they automatically become periodic at the end of their fixed term — there is no more rolling assured shorthold with a guaranteed end date.
New and Changed Possession Grounds
Ground 8 threshold raised; two key new grounds introduced
The Renters' Rights Act changes the arrears threshold for Ground 8 and introduces two new mandatory grounds that replace the functionality Section 21 previously provided for sales and occupation.
Serious Rent Arrears
Sale of Property
Personal or Family Occupation
12-month protection period: For all new tenancies, Grounds 1 and 1A cannot be used in the first 12 months. Plan possession timelines accordingly — if a sale or personal occupation is a possibility, consider this before signing.
The PRS Database — Mandatory Landlord Registration
New requirement rolling out late 2026 — fines up to £40,000 for non-compliance
The Renters' Rights Act creates a new Private Rented Sector database — a mandatory public register of all landlords and their properties in England. This is the first comprehensive landlord registration scheme at a national level.
LandlordAssist will pre-populate your PRS database registration with data it already holds for each property — certificates, EPC rating, property specifications — so registration is a single confirmation step rather than a data entry task.
Decent Homes Standard
For the first time, applies to the private rented sector — not just social housing
The Decent Homes Standard was previously a requirement only for social housing. The Renters' Rights Act extends it to the private rented sector. Properties must meet the standard or landlords face enforcement action from local authorities.
Structurally stable
The property must be in a reasonable state of repair and structurally sound.
Free from serious hazards (Category 1 HHSRS)
No Category 1 hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System — damp, excess cold, falls, fire risks, and others.
Reasonably modern facilities
Kitchen and bathroom not excessively old or in disrepair. Adequate insulation.
Effective thermal comfort
Adequate heating and insulation to maintain warmth efficiently.
Enforcement: local authority inspection powers are strengthened under the RRA. Environmental health officers can inspect properties based on tenant complaints or proactive enforcement programmes.
Awaab's Law Extension
Phase 2 extends to private sector in 2026 — same strict timeframes, more hazard categories
Awaab's Law was named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died from mould exposure in a social housing property in 2020. Phase 1 (social housing, October 2025) introduced mandatory repair timeframes. Phase 2 extends the same obligations to private landlords in 2026.
The paper trail is legally required
If a tenant reports a hazard verbally, follow up in writing immediately to create a timestamped record. If you cannot prove when you received the report, you cannot prove you acted in time. LandlordAssist logs all tenant messages automatically via Telegram.
What Landlords Must Do Now
Eight immediate actions — in priority order
Review all tenancies for S21 action
If you have a tenant where you may need to rely on no-fault possession, assess whether a valid Section 21 notice can still be served before 1 May 2026. Once that date passes, S21 is gone permanently.
Ensure deposit is protected for every tenancy
Check that every deposit is protected in an approved scheme and that prescribed information was served within 30 days of receipt. An unprotected deposit removes most of your possession rights.
Verify gas cert, EICR, and EPC are current for every property
Run a certificate audit across your portfolio. Any lapsed certificate will void a Section 8 notice — even for serious rent arrears.
Serve RRA Information Sheet to all tenants from 1 May 2026
This new document must be served to all existing tenants from 1 May 2026 and to new tenants at the start of each tenancy. It is a Section 8 prerequisite from that date.
Prepare for the periodic tenancy model
Update your lease templates to reflect the new periodic structure. Fixed-term contracts can still be used but will automatically become periodic at end of term.
Set up an Awaab's Law logging system
Every tenant maintenance report must be logged with a timestamp from the moment it is received. Set up a system now — either a dedicated tool or a timestamped messaging channel.
Register for the PRS database
Late 2026 rollout — but prepare your data now. You will need contact details, property specifications, all safety certificates, and your EPC for each property.
Assess your Making Tax Digital obligation
If your gross rental income in 2024/25 exceeded £50,000, you must submit quarterly digital returns to HMRC from 6 April 2026. Consult an accountant if you are near the threshold.
LandlordAssist was built for exactly this moment.
The RRA compliance requirements — certificate tracking, Section 8 preflight, Awaab's Law logging, deposit tracking — are all handled automatically via Telegram. One platform, every obligation covered.
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