Millions of landlords and tenants will be impacted by significant new regulations taking effect today. The Renters’ Rights Act, initiated on May 1, prohibits “no fault” evictions and mandates landlords to consider allowing tenants to have pets. The Mirror interviewed a tenant who shared the distress of facing a Section 21 eviction.
Adrian Fletcher, aged 55, faced a no-fault eviction following complaints about severe damp and mold in his residence. Another tenant was evicted from their nearly decade-long family home. James Coleman emotionally described receiving a Section 21 notice that forced his family to relocate farther from their children’s schools.
Citizens Advice assisted 2,335 individuals with Section 21 matters in March, and aided over 1,800 people with property repairs and safety concerns, along with more than 1,000 cases involving rent hikes.
Amy Hughes, Advice Manager at Citizens Advice, emphasized the significance of the Renters’ Rights Act in rectifying the power imbalance in the private rental sector, ensuring tenants’ housing security. The Act limits evictions to specific reasons like rent arrears, antisocial behavior, or property sale.
Key changes introduced include the ban on Section 21 “no fault” eviction notices. All fixed-term tenancies transition to rolling periodic tenancies, while landlords must furnish tenants with essential details such as rent amounts, contact information, and the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026.
Tenants now need to provide two months’ notice before leaving, with landlords having the option to agree to an earlier departure. Rent increases must be justified based on market rates and can only occur once a year, subject to challenge at a tribunal.
Tenants gain the right to request pet ownership, with landlords allowed a four-week response time. Additionally, landlords cannot demand more than a month’s rent in advance or engage in rent bidding wars. Restrictions on discriminatory rental practices, such as barring children or those on benefits, are also in place, with exceptions for certain circumstances.
