What the Renters' Rights Act Means for Your Tenancy Agreements

If you're a private landlord in England, your current tenancy agreement almost certainly contains provisions that no longer apply. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect on 1 May 2026 and fundamentally changed how tenancies work — your paperwork needs to reflect that.

This guide explains what changed, what it means for your existing agreements, and what you still need to do.

What actually changed?

The Renters' Rights Act made several major changes to how assured shorthold tenancies work in England. The ones that directly affect your tenancy agreement are:

Fixed-term tenancies are gone. Every AST converted to a periodic (rolling monthly) tenancy — now known as an assured periodic tenancy (APT). The conversion was automatic on 1 May 2026. You can no longer offer a six-month or twelve-month fixed term. Any fixed-term clause in your current agreement is void.

Section 21 is abolished. The "no-fault eviction" route no longer exists. Every reference to Section 21 in your tenancy agreement is now meaningless. If you need possession, you must use Section 8 with specific grounds — and the grounds have been restructured and expanded.

Rent review clauses are void. You can no longer include a contractual rent review mechanism in the tenancy agreement. The only way to increase rent is through Section 13 using the new Form 4A. Any rent review clause in your agreement is unenforceable.

Blanket pet bans are gone. You cannot include a clause that prohibits pets outright. Tenants have the right to request a pet, and you must respond within 28 days with reasonable grounds if you want to refuse. You cannot require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance — that provision was removed from the Bill at Lords Report Stage and pet insurance is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. The 5-week deposit cap remains the only protection.

A written statement of terms is required. New tenancies must include prescribed terms set out by the government.

What about existing tenancies?

If you have tenants in place right now with a pre-RRA tenancy agreement, the law changes apply automatically. You don't legally need to issue a new agreement — the void clauses simply stopped having effect on 1 May 2026.

However, there's a strong practical reason to issue an updated agreement anyway. Your tenants will still have a copy of the old agreement with fixed-term dates, Section 21 references, and rent review clauses that no longer apply. If a dispute arises, having two versions of the agreement — one the tenant holds and one that reflects the actual law — creates confusion and weakens your position.

Issuing an updated agreement also demonstrates to any future tribunal or court that you understood and complied with the new rules from the start.

What needs to change in your agreement?

At minimum, you need to remove or update:

Fixed-term clauses. Remove any start and end date that implies a fixed term. The tenancy should be described as periodic from the outset, with the tenant's right to give two months' notice to leave at any time.

Section 21 references. Remove any clause that mentions Section 21 or "no-fault" possession. Replace with references to the Section 8 grounds available under the new framework.

Rent review clauses. Remove any mechanism for contractual rent increases. If you want to reference rent increases at all, note that increases will be handled through the statutory Section 13 process.

Pet prohibition clauses. Remove any blanket "no pets" clause. Replace with a clause explaining the pet request process: the tenant may request permission to keep a pet, the landlord will respond within 28 days with reasonable grounds if refusing, and the landlord cannot require pet damage insurance (the provision was removed from the Act).

Break clauses. These become redundant since the tenancy is already periodic. The tenant can give two months' notice at any time. Remove any break clause that references a fixed term.

Deposit and prescribed information. Under the RRA, failure to protect the deposit and serve prescribed information blocks you from using almost all Section 8 possession grounds. Make sure your agreement accurately describes the deposit protection arrangements and references the correct scheme.

What's the deadline?

1 May 2026 was the in-force date. All new tenancies from that date forward are APTs. Existing fixed-term and statutory periodic tenancies converted automatically on the same date.

Existing tenancies had to be given the new Government Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. That deadline has passed. If you missed it, give the sheet now and keep proof of when and how. See our Information Sheet compliance guide.

Section 21 notices served before 1 May could still be used, but only if the court claim was issued by 31 July 2026. If a notice lapsed without a claim, the tenancy became an assured periodic tenancy at that point, and you had one month to give the Information Sheet.

What should you do now?

If you're between tenants or about to start a new tenancy: Use an agreement drafted for the post-RRA framework. Don't sign a new tenant on an old AST template — its key clauses are already void.

If you have tenants in place: Consider issuing an updated agreement as a variation or replacement. This isn't legally required but protects you in disputes and demonstrates compliance.

If you're not sure what needs changing: Review your current agreement against the five areas above. If any of those clauses are present, your agreement needs updating.

The Renters' Rights Act is the biggest change to English tenancy law in decades. Getting your tenancy agreement right is the foundation — everything else (possession notices, rent increases, deposit handling) flows from having a solid, compliant agreement in place.