Labour’s long-awaited Renters’ Rights Act has officially become law – five years and four prime ministers after the first pledge to reform the private rental market.
The legislation, which received Royal Assent on 27 October, replaces the abandoned Tory Renters’ Reform Bill and delivers on Labour’s promise to “level the playing field between landlords and tenants.”
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the Act marks a decisive shift towards fairness – but key measures still depend on when the law comes into effect.
🏠 No-fault evictions banned
The headline reform is a blanket ban on Section 21 no-fault evictions, which have long allowed landlords to remove tenants with two months’ notice without reason.
Campaigners say these evictions have been a major driver of homelessness.
Former prime minister Theresa May and Boris Johnson both promised to scrap them, but the Conservatives delayed and then abandoned the plan.
Labour has now confirmed the ban will apply to all tenancies, new and existing.
“Landlords will no longer be able to arbitrarily evict tenants with a Section 21 notice, including those who complain about damp or mould,” said Pennycook.
Landlords can still evict tenants for legitimate reasons such as rent arrears or antisocial behaviour.
🕒 Fixed-term tenancies scrapped
All tenancies will now become periodic, meaning renters can leave with two months’ notice at any time.
Landlords must give four months’ notice if they want to reclaim their property, and tenants will have a 12-month protected period at the start of a tenancy.
🧱 Awaab’s Law extended to private renters
Awaab’s Law – named after toddler Awaab Ishak, who died from mould exposure in a Rochdale flat – will now apply to private landlords as well as social ones.
Private landlords must:
- Investigate hazards within 14 days
- Fix them within seven days
- Make emergency repairs within 24 hours
Those who fail to comply face fines up to £7,000 and potential prosecution.
A Decent Homes Standard will also apply to the private sector for the first time, with more than 500,000 homes currently classed as unsafe.
🏛️ New ombudsman and crackdown on bad landlords
A Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will be introduced to handle tenant complaints quickly.
Landlords will be required to register on a new national database, ensuring they understand and meet their legal obligations.
💰 Rent increase restrictions
The Act bans mid-tenancy rent hikes, allowing landlords to raise rents only once a year and only at market rate.
Tenants will be able to challenge excessive rent increases through a reformed First Tier Tribunal, which will no longer have the power to set rents higher than a landlord’s original request.
🐕 Rights to pets
Tenants now have a legal right to request a pet, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.
Landlords can ask for pet damage insurance to protect their property.
🚫 Bidding wars and rent in advance limited
Landlords and agents will be banned from encouraging or accepting bids above the advertised rent, closing the door on bidding wars.
They can only request up to one month’s rent in advance after a tenancy is signed.
👶 Ban on benefit and family discrimination
The Act makes it illegal for landlords to refuse tenants who receive benefits or have children, explicitly banning practices already found to breach the Equality Act in court.
Research by Shelter found one in five families have been denied homes for having kids, while 109,000 households were refused because they received benefits.
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