Renters’ Rights Bill Receives Royal Assent – What It Means for Your Rental Property

The Renters’ Rights Bill has now received Royal Assent, marking the biggest changes to the private rented sector in a generation. At Your Property Box, we’ve been closely monitoring these developments and are ready to guide private landlords through what this means for their rental properties.

With the Bill now law, its provisions for landlords in England and Wales are set, and the period of debate is over. While the Government will soon announce the implementation timeline – specifying when different parts of the Act come into force – for now, it’s business as usual for property management.

What Is Changing?

The new Act introduces significant reforms affecting tenancy agreements, rental compliance, and letting practices, including:

• A standardised tenancy agreement for private renting.

• A Decent Homes Standard and new rules for responding to property hazards.

• Updates to advertising and letting practices.

• Limits on taking rent in advance.

• Removal of Section 21 “no-fault” possession notices.

• Changes to Section 8 grounds for possession.

• Updates to rent increase rules.

• A new private rented sector database and landlord Ombudsman registration requirement.

• New offences and civil penalties for non-compliance.

What Will Happen First

• Some local authority enforcement powers will come into effect within two months. The first major reforms will focus on tenancies:

• Abolition of Section 21 and introduction of new Section 8 possession grounds.

• Most tenancies (new and existing) will become periodic tenancies by default.

• Written tenancy agreements will now be required.

• Restrictions on rent in advance and rental bidding wars.

• Changes to rent increases.

Ministers have promised private landlords and tenants sufficient notice, and we anticipate at least a six-month preparation period.

What You Need to Do

The best way to prepare is to ensure all landlord obligations are being met, documentation is up to date, rental properties are inspected, and tenant referencing practices are reviewed. If you use a letting agent, confirm they are ready for these changes.

Existing Tenancies

• Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) will automatically convert to periodic tenancies.

• Landlords must issue information about the new rules within the first month of commencement.

• Written tenancy agreements must be provided if they don’t already exist.

• Student landlords should notify tenants within the first month if they intend to rely on the student possession ground.

• Any unexpired Section 21 or Section 8 notices under old grounds will only be valid for possession claims in the first three months after commencement.

New Tenancies

• All new tenancies will require updated tenancy agreements and supporting documents.

• Tenants will benefit from a 12-month protected period at the beginning of a tenancy, during which landlords cannot evict them to move in or sell the property

• To prevent landlords from abusing the moving in and selling grounds, landlords will not be able to market or re-let their property for 12 months after using the moving or selling grounds. There is an exception to this restriction for shared owners when they use the selling ground (Ground 1A) where they can demonstrate they have made a genuine attempt to sell their property.

Once the Government confirms the required content, Your Property Box will provide ready-to-use compliant templates and guidance to ensure rental property compliance.

Later Changes

Some aspects of the Act will require secondary legislation before they come into effect, including:

• Introduction of a landlord Ombudsman.

• A private rented sector database with landlord details.

• Full Decent Homes Standard implementation (early requirements for category 1 hazards).

• Implementation of Awaab’s Law regarding damp and mould, with consultation expected soon.

• All landlords will need to register with the database and Ombudsman once introduced.

New Enforcement Powers

Local authorities will soon be able to request documentary evidence of rental compliance and, in some cases, enter rental properties or business premises without a warrant.

Fifteen new offences can result in civil penalties, with fines up to £40,000.

Six new offences may result in rent repayment orders, with tenants able to claim up to two years’ rent for breaches.

Enforcement is expected to be a high priority for councils, making compliance essential for all private landlords.

How Your Property Box Can Help

This legislation will fundamentally change the private rented sector, but at Your Property Box, we are fully prepared to support landlords every step of the way:

• Updated tenancy templates and a suite of supporting documents for rental compliance.

• Guidance on property inspections, tenant referencing, and documentation.

• Regular updates via our website and social media channels on key letting rules and rental property regulations.

How Student Landlords Are Affected

The abolition of fixed-term tenancies means student landlords will no longer be able to offer Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) with fixed end dates in line with the academic year. Instead, all tenancies will move to open-ended (periodic) agreements.

This change presents challenges for landlords in the student market, where clear tenancy start and end dates are vital to ensure properties are available for incoming students each September.

To address this, the government has introduced a new student possession ground — Ground 4A — which allows landlords to regain possession ahead of the next academic year, but only in specific circumstances.

Using Ground 4A (The Student Possession Ground)

• Student landlords will be able to use Ground 4A to end a tenancy provided the following conditions are met:

• The property is an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) or part of one.

• All tenants are full-time students, or were expected to become full-time students when the tenancy began.

• The landlord intends to re-let the property to full-time students for the following academic year.

• The tenancy was not agreed more than six months before the move-in date (applies to new tenancies only).

• Tenants were given prior notice before the tenancy started that possession may be sought under Ground 4A.

• If these conditions are met, landlords can issue a four-month notice, to ensure the property is available for the next intake.

Important for Existing Student Landlords

For existing tenancies (those that began before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force), landlords can still use Ground 4A even if the tenancy was agreed more than six months in advance. However, they must:

Notify tenants within one month of the Act commencing that they intend to rely on Ground 4A in future.

What This Means for Your Property Box Landlords

At Your Property Box, we’ll be:

• Updating all student tenancy agreements and renewal processes to ensure compliance with the new rules.

• Making sure Ground 4A notices are correctly issued at the start of each tenancy.

• Advising all student landlords on the correct steps to regain possession for the next academic cycle.

• We recommend reviewing your student properties early to ensure all criteria for Ground 4A are met and that notice templates and tenancy agreements are updated before the next academic year.

With careful preparation, private landlords can stay fully compliant and continue to manage their rental properties efficiently under the new Renters’ Rights Act.

Please follow the link below for the latest Govermnent information

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act