Property sector reacts to the Renters’ Rights Act start date

There has been a strong reaction to the government announcement that England’s rental market will see the Renters’ Rights Act taking effect on 1 May 2026.

The move ends months of speculation and gives the sector a clear countdown to what is the biggest change to letting rules in a generation.

The confirmed date signals the end of Section 21 and a switch to open-ended agreements with every tenancy becoming periodic.

Tenants will also be able to hand in their notice with two months’ notice from their first day.

Households will be able to dispute rent rises and landlords can’t increase rent more than once in a 12-month window.

Rent bidding wars are banned and payments in advance will be capped at one month.

Landlords also won’t be able to refuse a tenancy to someone with children or on benefits and pet requests must be given fair consideration.

Property sector reaction to the RRA’s implementation date

Ben Beadle, the chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The announcement of a commencement date for these important reforms is welcome.

“However, a deadline alone is not enough.

“We have argued consistently that landlords and property businesses need at least six months from the publication of regulations to ensure the sector is properly prepared for the biggest changes it has faced for over 40 years.

“Unless the Government urgently publishes all the guidance documents and written material needed to update tenancy agreements to reflect the changes to come, the plan will prove less a roadmap and more a path to inevitable failure.

“Without this, landlords, tenants, agents, councils and the courts will be left without the information required to adapt, creating utter confusion at the very moment clarity is most needed.

“Ministers also need to explain how the county court will be ready to process legitimate possession cases far more swiftly than at present. As the cross-party Justice Committee has rightly warned, the court is simply dysfunctional. Vague assurances about digitisation, without an idea of what that means in practice, are simply not good enough.”

Timothy Douglas, Propertymark‘s head of policy and campaigns, said: “Now that it has been confirmed that the tenancy reforms contained in the Renters’ Rights Act will commence from 1 May 2026, this will likely bring much relief to letting agents with their ongoing preparation for the switch over to periodic tenancies.

“We pressed the UK Government for enough lead time, and now the date is set, letting agents must prepare accordingly, review internal processes, and work with landlords and tenants.

“Propertymark has a comprehensive Toolkit of resources to support our members alongside roadshow events and our Regional Conferences.

“Now is the time to understand the changes and prepare to get ahead – Propertymark is here to support agents with the transition.”

Phil Turtle, a licensing expert at Landlord Licensing & Defence, said: “What many landlords have not yet grasped is that the legislative overhaul does not stop with tenancy reform.

“We are about to see a far more assertive enforcement landscape, driven by councils armed with stronger powers, bigger penalties and clearer duties.

“From 1 May next year, councils will cease to have discretion as to enforcing housing standards laws. Every council in England will be legally required to police these new rights.

“The first thing government did after Royal Assent was to issue guidance to councils on their new powers! And boy, they now have a strengthened toolkit to do it.

“What should concern landlords even more is the massive expansion of investigatory powers.

“Councils will be able to demand information from landlords, agents, banks and contractors. They will be permitted to enter business premises and, in specific situations, homes to check compliance. They will also have the authority to seize documents and computers if they ‘suspect’ wrongdoing.

“This represents a level of investigatory reach that many landlords have never experienced before.

“Powers in many cases greater than the police and frankly with little or no accountability. Landlords should indeed be afraid.”

Tom Goodman, the managing director at Goodlord Group, said: “Landlords or letting agents shouldn’t have been surprised or panicked by this announcement that the Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1st May.

“It was always likely that these sweeping reforms would be implemented within six months of the Act passing.

“And vast swathes of the industry have been working hard for months to update systems and processes so they are ready – I’ve been really impressed about how proactive many agents have been.

“But the response hasn’t been universal. For those who are yet to get their house in order, time is of the essence.

“There is no longer any ambiguity on timelines: the clock is ticking and there is less than six months to go to get Renters’ Rights ready.”

Isobel Thomson, the chief executive of safeagent, the UK’s largest not-for-profit accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents, said: “We are glad that the Government has confirmed the implementation date of 1 May 2026 for Phase 1 of the measures contained in the Renters’ Rights Act.

“It provides certainty for all, which is what is needed if the pivotal changes the Act brings are to be introduced seamlessly, maintaining the stability of the sector.

“Professional agents play a key role in this process, supporting landlords and tenants. Safeagent will continue to support its agents with the resources they need.”

David Smith, a property litigation partner at London law firm Spector Constant & Williams, said: “This will put agents under an immense amount of pressure to get everything done ready for the start date.

“As the government does not intend to give details of what needs to be in tenancy agreements until early in 2026 there will be very little time to prepare paperwork, train staff and update systems.”

Dr Neil Cobbold, the commercial director at Reapit, said: “Agents are on the front line of these reforms, but the best agents are already being proactive in protecting their landlords by avoiding evictions.

“One of the biggest causes of evictions are tenant arrears, and managing that risk starts with tenant vetting, clear automated client accounting and arrears chasing, and having the time to build relationships with tenants, so they know who to turn to if they have issues paying the rent.

“But if these measures fail and an eviction is necessary, we need speedy action from the government to address worsening court delays.

“When landlords cannot regain possession quickly, it creates financial strain and reduces their confidence in the rental market.

“Longer timelines also affect tenants who may be stuck in unsuitable situations.”