The Renters’ Rights Bill has officially been enacted as the Renters’ Rights Act, marking a significant transformation in the private rental sector in England. This new legislation represents the biggest reform of renting practices in more than 30 years. Our approach prioritizes strengthening tenants’ protections and rights and increasing enforcement measures on landlords.
The Renters’ Rights Act will end insecure rental agreements in England as we know them. It gives renters a broad set of new rights, with the expressed goal of leveling the playing field in the rent economy. Among these provisions, landlords will be required to provide two months’ notice before increasing rent, ensuring that tenants have adequate time to adjust to potential financial changes. In addition, all rent increases must be supported by the local market, which stops landlords from being able to raise rents at will.
The Act contains strong rent regulation that protects tenants. It allows them to choose to give their landlord two months’ notice if they intend to move out of their rental home. This inventive and adaptable model continues to benefit tenants who can’t predict when they’ll need to move and don’t want to be tied down by multi-year agreements.
Another major provision of the Renters’ Rights Act. Specifically, this standard ensures that all rental properties are held to basic quality standards. It encourages walkable, safe, climate-resilient communities and equitable living choices. The Act brings in “Awaab’s Law”. This legislation mandates that landlords actively fix any listed risks as soon they are recognized, so tenants do not have to live in fear.
This time landlords get some new restrictions too, especially when it comes to selling properties and minimizing occupancy. Under the new rules, they are not able to sell a property within the first 12 months of a tenancy. They also no longer can’t move into it during that time. This provision is intended to give tenants more stability and peace of mind in their housing situation.
Moreover, the Act drastically alters rental contracts. It substitutes the previous fixed-term contracts of 12 or 24 months for a much more flexible “periodic” or rolling basis. This policy shift liberates renters from the shackles of decades-long leases. Today, however, they’re able to easily adjust to changing life situations without any tax retributions.
While landlords can request one month’s rent in advance to secure a tenancy, they may request 28 days’ rent in advance for tenancies with rental periods shorter than one month. To mitigate potential damages, landlords are limited in how much they can ask for as a security deposit: a maximum of five weeks’ rent for annual rents under £50,000 and six weeks’ rent for those at £50,000 or more.
Chris Norris with the National Residential Landlords Association warned against a lack of hasty risk assessment for prospective renters. Responsible landlords will want to weigh these risks carefully.
“We’re going to have to look very, very carefully at what the risk is of those new tenants.” – Chris Norris, National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA)
He expanded further by saying factors would have to be tenants’ ability to pay rent, background checks, and past rental history would come into play.
The Renters’ Rights Act has been welcomed by a number of organizations working for tenants’ rights. The St Mungo’s homeless charity described the legislation as a “positive, tangible step towards ensuring everyone has somewhere safe and secure to call home.” Similarly, the Renters’ Reform Coalition has called it a “generational upgrade to renters’ rights,” highlighting its long-term significance for tenants across England.
