Rent rises affect one in three tenants since rental reforms

Nearly a third of tenants in England have experienced rent rises since the Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent six months ago, according to a new report.

Data from SpareRoom shows that 30% of tenants who have stayed in the same rental property during that period have had their rent increased.

The findings come as the Renters’ Rights Act is due to come fully into force on 1 May, when Section 21 evictions will be abolished and fixed-term tenancies will end.

Being a landlord requires work

According to SpareRoom, 28% of tenants in London said their rent had increased since the Act received Royal Assent.

Of those who experienced a rise, 39% said it was due to increased costs for landlords, while 11% said it was because mortgage rates had gone up.

Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said: “Given the rental market is supposed to be made fairer by these reforms, it isn’t fair tenants have been at the receiving end of all the upheaval since the 1 May hard deadline was announced.

“On the upside, what we may find is landlords who treat their rentals as a passive income may decide enough is enough, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Being a landlord requires work and good landlords know that.

“But there will also be good landlords who’ve decided compliance isn’t worth the hassle and it will be a great shame to lose them.”

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords will only be able to raise rents once a year using a Section 13 notice.

Not all landlords will be prepared

The data also reveals that 11% of tenants in England have received an eviction notice or been evicted since the Act received Royal Assent, with the main reason for eviction (43%) being landlords selling the property.

Mr Hutchinson adds that, although evictions have remained relatively stable, there could still be a delayed impact.

He said: “It would be an exaggeration to say supply in the flatshare market has been immune to the Renters’ Rights Act, but it’s been surprisingly resilient when you consider the response from landlords, many of whom said they planned to quit the market or reduce their portfolios.

“There’s still the risk of a delayed reaction after 1 May. Not all landlords will be as prepared as they should be, and they may be a flight risk.

“However, there are some signs that flatshare supply may now be under threat. Although supply has grown for the past three consecutive years, supply growth in the year to January 2026 slowed considerably.

“The Renters’ Rights Act will give tenants much greater security. The end of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and fixed-term tenancies, and stopping landlords asking for several months’ rent in advance are truly game changing for tenants. What it’s unlikely to do, in the short term at least, is significantly reduce rents, but it is a huge step forward in correcting the power imbalance.”