The Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on 1 May 2026. These landmark changes provide tenants with greater security, while introducing new legal responsibilities for landlords and enhanced enforcement powers for Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.
Landlords should make sure that they read the Government information on this to be clear about their responsibilities. This can be accessed here.
Key Changes to Tenancies
The following rules apply to all new and existing tenancies as of 1 May 2026:
- Ending 'No-Fault' Evictions: Section 21 has been abolished. Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without a specific, legally valid reason.
- Rolling Tenancies: Fixed-term tenancies are replaced by periodic (rolling) tenancies. Tenants can give two months' notice to leave at any time.
- 12-Month Protection: Tenants now benefit from a protected period during the first year of their tenancy where they cannot be evicted (subject to specific grounds).
- No Rental Bidding: Landlords and agents are prohibited from inviting or accepting bids above the advertised rent.
- Upfront Costs: Landlords may request a maximum of one month’s rent in advance.
- Ending Discrimination: It is now illegal to refuse a tenancy based on the applicant having children or receiving benefits.
- Right to Pets: Tenants have a legal right to request a pet. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse, though they may require insurance to cover potential damage.
- Rent Increase Frequency: Rent increases are strictly limited to once per year.
- Challenging Hikes: Tenants can challenge increases at a tribunal if they believe the new rate exceeds the current market value.
What do landlords need to do?
By 31 May 2026, all landlords and agents must provide their tenants with written information about the terms of their tenancy. Failure to do so may result in a fine of up to £7,000.
The rules are different depending on whether you have a written or verbal tenancy agreement.
- For written tenancies that started before 1 May 2026 you won’t need to change or re-issue any existing written tenancy agreements. Instead, you’ll need to send your tenants a copy of the government-produced Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet, either digitally or on paper. You have until 31 May 2026 to give this to all your tenants. Click here to access the government-produced Information Sheet
- If there’s no written record of the tenancy terms, because the tenancy is based on a verbal agreement, and you made this agreement before 1 May 2026, then you cannot give the Information Sheet. You must instead provide all your tenants with the written information about key terms of the tenancy instead. You have until 31 May 2026 to give this to all your tenants. Further information about the written information that must be given to tenants can be found using the following link: Written information that must be given to tenants: guidance for landlords