Deadline fast approaching for landlords to act under landmark renters’ rights act, law firm warns  

A leading Midlands and Welsh law firm is urging private landlords across England and Wales to act before a key compliance deadline under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

The Act comes into force on 1 May 2026 and represents the most significant overhaul of the private rented sector in a generation.

It affects all tenants with an assured or assured shorthold tenancy in the private rented sector. Landlords who do not have a written tenancy agreement in place must provide tenants with the official Government Tenant Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.

Umran Sadiq, (pictured) equity director at Davisons Law, said: "The Renters' Rights Act fundamentally changes the relationship between landlords and tenants.

For landlords, this is not something that can be reviewed at leisure - several of these changes take effect immediately and there are deadlines that, if missed, could leave them in a difficult legal position.

We would strongly encourage any landlord with questions about how the new rules affect their existing tenancies to seek specialist legal advice as soon as possible."

One of the most significant changes is the abolition of Assured Shorthold Tenancies. From 1 May 2026, all existing agreements automatically convert to Assured Periodic Tenancies, meaning all tenancies become rolling rather than fixed term.

Fixed-term agreements, such as a standard 12-month contract, will no longer be valid.

Section 21 - the mechanism under the Housing Act 1988 which allowed landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason - is also abolished entirely.

Landlords must now have a legally recognised ground for possession and serve a notice in accordance with section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 citing that ground.

Certain grounds, including seeking possession to sell the property or to move in a family member, cannot be used during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

Rent increases are also restricted. Landlords can no longer rely on rent review clauses in existing agreements and can only increase rent once per year using the formal Section 13 process, with at least two months' written notice provided via Form 4A.

Any increase must be no higher than the open market rent, and tenants can challenge an above-market proposal at the First-tier Tribunal.

Tenants will also acquire the automatic legal right to request to keep a pet, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.

Mr Sadiq added: "There is a lot for landlords to take in here, and the detail matters. Whether it is understanding the new eviction grounds, reviewing how rent increases are handled, or simply meeting the 31 May information deadline, getting the right advice now will save a lot of difficulty further down the line. Our team is here to help."