Tenants notice in the first couple of months of Renters’ Rights Act?

I have just received an enquiry from a potential tenant who wants to move to one of my properties due to the current landlord moving undesirables next door.

They had a contract allowing one month’s notice. They now apparently have to give two months’ notice. Surely, as they have only just received the RRA information prior to 1st of May, then they should also have the courtesy of a few weeks to assess needs / find somewhere new before their notice contract is changed.

They can’t give two months and going forward, this will affect landlords who, upon finding a tenant, will have to wait two months as many will not be able to give notice prior to securing a new place.

Editor’s Note: Under the Renters’ Rights Act from 1 May 2026, most tenants in England now need to give 2 months’ notice to leave, unless their tenancy agreement specifically allows less or their landlord agrees otherwise. The change applies from the legal start date, not from when a tenant received or read the information, so there is no formal grace period to “assess options” first.

This does mean many tenants may need to secure a new property before serving notice, which could delay move-in timelines for landlords. In urgent cases, the best option is usually to negotiate an early surrender with the current landlord.

The government guidance can be found here.