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(495 words)
Renters’ Rights Bill - What’s Coming and When
The private rental market is heading for one of its biggest shake-ups in decades. The Renters’ Rights Bill is moving through Parliament and, while not yet in force, it is edging towards Royal Assent. For tenants and landlords alike, the changes ahead will touch almost every part of the rental relationship.
What matters now is timing. This won’t switch on overnight. It is a staged rollout, which makes sense given the scale of reform - from ending “no-fault” evictions to launching an Ombudsman and a central landlord database.
The earliest impacts are likely in spring 2026. Section 21 evictions are set to be abolished. Assured shorthold tenancies will move to periodic arrangements. Tenants will be able to leave with two months’ notice. Rent rises will be limited to once a year and must reflect the market.
Other parts will take longer. The Decent Homes Standard is expected to extend to private rentals later in 2026, as will bans on blanket restrictions like “no DSS” or “no children”. Tenants will also gain the right to request pets, with refusals needing clear reasons.
The bigger machinery - the PRS database and the Ombudsman - will take time. They are pencilled in for 2027 and beyond. The database should make the sector more transparent by requiring landlord registration. The Ombudsman is expected to become the main route for resolving disputes, reducing costly and drawn-out court action. The key question is capacity: will it handle the traffic?
All told, this points to a steady transformation. Some landlords are weighing whether to stay in the market, concerned about compliance and reduced flexibility. For tenants, there is hope of more stability and fairness, although the central issue remains supply. Added costs and new regulation risk tightening it further.
Regionally, effects will vary. In hotter markets, any landlord exits could push affordability further out of reach. A more balanced system, with fair redress and proper enforcement, could still lift standards across the board.
That’s why timing matters. The phased approach may help landlords and councils adapt, yet it risks leaving tenants in limbo until the system is fully in place. Royal Assent is expected later this year, with the first reforms arriving in early 2026. The real test is how smoothly this rollout delivers on its promises.
Join us on Property Quorum this Thursday at 10am, with Gareth Wax in the chair, myself, Hamish McLay, plus Juliet Baboolal, experienced property lawyer and partner at gunnercooke, and Silas J Lees, author of Homebuyers Secrets and founder of WiggyWam. Together we’ll explore what these changes mean in practice, how landlords and tenants can prepare, and where the pinch points may appear.
Never miss an episode - subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch live or catch up: https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
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What matters now is timing. This won’t switch on overnight. It is a staged rollout, which makes sense given the scale of reform - from ending “no-fault” evictions to launching an Ombudsman and a central landlord database.
The earliest impacts are likely in spring 2026. Section 21 evictions are set to be abolished. Assured shorthold tenancies will move to periodic arrangements. Tenants will be able to leave with two months’ notice. Rent rises will be limited to once a year and must reflect the market.
Other parts will take longer. The Decent Homes Standard is expected to extend to private rentals later in 2026, as will bans on blanket restrictions like “no DSS” or “no children”. Tenants will also gain the right to request pets, with refusals needing clear reasons.
The bigger machinery - the PRS database and the Ombudsman - will take time. They are pencilled in for 2027 and beyond. The database should make the sector more transparent by requiring landlord registration. The Ombudsman is expected to become the main route for resolving disputes, reducing costly and drawn-out court action. The key question is capacity: will it handle the traffic?
All told, this points to a steady transformation. Some landlords are weighing whether to stay in the market, concerned about compliance and reduced flexibility. For tenants, there is hope of more stability and fairness, although the central issue remains supply. Added costs and new regulation risk tightening it further.
Regionally, effects will vary. In hotter markets, any landlord exits could push affordability further out of reach. A more balanced system, with fair redress and proper enforcement, could still lift standards across the board.
That’s why timing matters. The phased approach may help landlords and councils adapt, yet it risks leaving tenants in limbo until the system is fully in place. Royal Assent is expected later this year, with the first reforms arriving in early 2026. The real test is how smoothly this rollout delivers on its promises.
Join us on Property Quorum this Thursday at 10am, with Gareth Wax in the chair, myself, Hamish McLay, plus Juliet Baboolal, experienced property lawyer and partner at gunnercooke, and Silas J Lees, author of Homebuyers Secrets and founder of WiggyWam. Together we’ll explore what these changes mean in practice, how landlords and tenants can prepare, and where the pinch points may appear.
Never miss an episode - subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch live or catch up: https://www.youtube.com/@SpillingTheProper-Tea
For content enquiries:
For podcast/media info:
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