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The Renters’ Rights Bill 2025 will overhaul the private rented sector in England. It will abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, make all assured tenancies periodic, and introduce new rules on rent increases, pets, and property standards. Now in its final stages in Parliament, this guide explains what’s changing and how to prepare.
KEY INFORMATION
The Renters’ Rights Bill, which is in its final stages before becoming law, aims to overhaul the private rental sector:
The Renters’ Rights Bill is currently working its way through parliament and experts predict it will get Royal Assent in late October 2025 or early November 2025. We will update this page as soon as this happens.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will affect all landlords letting properties in the private rented sector. This is regardless of whether you are a professional landlord with a portfolio of properties or an ‘accidental landlord’. So if you let out a property in the private rental sector you must get up to speed with how the Renters’ Rights Bill will affect you.
There are a number of ways in which the Renters’ Rights Bill will affect you as a landlord:
The Renters’ Rights Bill includes major changes in terms of your ability to get your property back:
A key change in the Renters’ Rights Bill is the end of Section 21 evictions, which critics argue can uproot tenants from their homes with little notice and minimal justification. Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, landlords can only end tenancies under specific circumstances set out in law – see below.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will remove fixed-term assured tenancies. The government says these tenancies mean ‘renters are obliged to pay rent regardless of whether a property is up-to-standard, and they reduce flexibility to move in response to changing circumstances’, for example after relationship breakdown, to take up a new job or when buying a first home.
Instead, all tenancies will be periodic, with tenants able to stay in their home until they decide to end the tenancy by giving 2 months’ notice.
The Renters’ Rights Bill sets out the grounds landlords can use to evict tenants and the notice period they must give. For example:
| Grounds | Summary | Notice Period |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation by landlord or family | The landlord or their close family member wishes to move into the property. Cannot be used for the first 12 months of a new tenancy. | 4 months |
| Sale of property | The landlord wishes to sell the property. Cannot be used for the first 12 months of a new tenancy. | 4 months |
Renters’ Rights Bill Grounds for possession
Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, landlords must rely on one of the legal ‘grounds for possession’. Some are mandatory (the court must grant possession if proved) and others discretionary (the court decides what’s reasonable).
| Ground | Summary | Notice period | |
| Mandatory grounds | |||
| 1 | Occupation by landlord or family | The landlord or their close family member wishes to move into the property. Cannot be used for the first 12 months of a new tenancy. | 4 months |
| 1A | Sale of dwelling-house | The landlord wishes to sell the property. Cannot be used for the first 12 months of a new tenancy. | 4 months |
| 1B | Sale of dwelling-house under rent-to-buy | The landlord is a private registered provider of social housing and the tenancy is under a rent-to-buy agreement. | 4 months |
| 2 | Sale by mortgagee | The property is subject to a mortgage and the lender exercises a power of sale requiring vacant possession. | 4 months |
| 2ZA | Possession when superior lease ends | The landlord’s lease is under a superior tenancy that is ending. Can only be used by private registered providers of social housing, agricultural landlords, a person who held the dwelling for the purposes of making it supported accommodation or a company majority owned by a local authority. | 4 months |
| 2ZB | Possession when superior lease ends | The landlord’s lease is under a superior tenancy that is coming to an end or has ended. Can only be used if the superior lease was for a fixed term of over 21 years. | 4 months |
| 2ZC | Possession by superior landlord | After a superior tenancy ends, the superior landlord becomes the tenant’s direct landlord and seeks to take possession. Can only be used where the intermediate landlord prior to reversion was a private registered provider of social housing, agricultural landlord, a person who held the dwelling for the purposes of making it supported accommodation or a company majority owned by a local authority. | 4 months |
| 2ZD | Possession by superior landlord | After a superior tenancy ends, the superior landlord becomes the tenant’s direct landlord and seeks to take possession. Can only be used where the superior lease was for a fixed period of over 21 years and has expired, or within a 12 month period of the fixed term expiry date, if the fixed term has been ended early. Or if the superior tenancy comes to an end after the expiry of the fixed term as a result of a valid notice. | 4 months |
| 4 | Student accommodation | In the 12 months prior to the start of the tenancy, the property was let to students. Can only be used by specified educational establishments. | 2 weeks |
| 4A | Properties rented to students for occupation by new students | A HMO is let to full-time students and is required for a new group of students in line with the academic year. Cannot be used if the tenancy was agreed more than 6 months in advance of the tenancy starting (i.e. the tenant moving in). | 4 months |
| 5 | Ministers of religion | The property is held for use by a minister of religion to perform the duties of their office and is required for occupation by a minister of religion. | 2 months |
| 5A | Occupation by agricultural worker | The landlord requires possession to house someone who will be employed by them as an agricultural worker. | 2 months |
| 5B | Occupation by person who meets employment requirements | A private registered provider of social housing holds the property for use by tenants meeting requirements connected with their employment and it is required for that purpose (and the current tenant does not fulfil those requirements). | 2 months |
| 5C | End of employment by the landlord | Previously ground 16 (expanded). The dwelling was let as a result of the tenant’s employment by the landlord and the employment has come to an end OR the tenancy was not meant to last the duration of the employment and the dwelling is required by a new employee. | 2 months |
| 5D | End of employment requirements | A private registered provider of social housing, included an employment requirement in the tenancy agreement that the tenant no longer fulfils (e.g., key worker). | 2 months |
| 5E | Occupation as supported accommodation | The property is held for use as supported accommodation and the current tenant did not enter the tenancy for the purpose of receiving care, support or supervision. | 4 weeks |
| 5F | Dwelling-house occupied as supported accommodation | The tenancy is for supported accommodation and one of the circumstances set out in the ground, making the accommodation no longer viable or suitable for that tenant, has occurred. | 4 weeks |
| 5G | Tenancy granted for homelessness duty | The property has been used as temporary accommodation for a homeless household, under s193 of the Housing Act 1996, and a local housing authority has notified the landlord that the tenancy is no longer required for that purpose. The landlord can only use this ground if within 12 months of the date of the notice from the local housing authority. | 4 weeks |
| 5H | Occupation as ‘stepping stone accommodation’ | A registered provider of social housing or a charity lets to a tenant meeting eligibility criteria (e.g., under a certain age) at “affordable rent”, to help them access the private rented sector and/or transition to living independently, and the tenant no longer meets the eligibility criteria, or a limited period has come to an end. | 2 months |
| 6 | Redevelopment | The landlord wishes to demolish or substantially redevelop the property which cannot be done with the tenant in situ. Various time limits and/or notice requirements exist for this ground depending on the circumstances. The landlord and tenancy must be of the kind listed in the table. A relevant social landlord who intends to carry out redevelopment work and seeks possession on Ground 6 either through case A or B will need to provide alternative accommodation that meets specific conditions set out in case A or B and is either available or will be available when an order for possession takes effect. | 4 months |
| 6A | Decant Accommodation | The tenant has been provided with alternative accommodation by a relevant social landlord while redevelopment affecting the tenant’s original home is carried out. | 4 months |
| 6B | Compliance with enforcement action | The landlord is subject to enforcement action and needs to regain possession to become compliant. Under this ground, the court will be allowed to require the landlord to pay compensation to the tenant when ordering possession. | 4 months |
| 7 | Death of tenant | The tenancy was passed on by will or intestacy, and proceedings began within the requisite period of 12 months. The ground can only be used if the new tenant wasn’t living in the property immediately before the previous tenant died, the previous tenant also inherited the tenancy or it is a “special tenancy”, e.g. supported accommodation. | 2 months |
| 7A | Severe ASB/Criminal Behaviour | The tenant has been convicted of a type of offence listed in the ground, has breached a relevant order put in place to prevent anti-social behaviour or there is a closure order in place prohibiting access for a continuous period of more than 48 hours. | Landlords can begin proceedings immediately |
| 7B | No right to rent | At least one of the tenants has no right to rent under immigration law as a result of their immigration status and the Secretary of State has given notice to the landlord of this. | 2 weeks |
| 8 | Rent arrears | The tenant has at least 3 months’ (or 13 weeks’ if rent is paid weekly or fortnightly) rent arrears both at the time notice is served and at the time of the possession hearing. | 4 weeks |
| Discretionary grounds | |||
| 9 | Suitable alternative accommodation | Suitable alternative accommodation is available for the tenant | 2 months |
| 10 | Any rent arrears | The tenant is in any amount of arrears | 4 weeks |
| 11 | Persistent arrears | The tenant has persistently delayed paying their rent, | 4 weeks |
| 12 | Breach of tenancy | The tenant is guilty of breaching one of the terms of their tenancy agreement (other than the paying of rent). | 2 weeks |
| 13 | Deterioration of property | The tenant has caused the condition of the property to deteriorate. | 2 weeks |
| 14 | Anti-social behaviour | The tenant or anyone living in or visiting the property has been guilty of behaviour causing, or likely to cause, nuisance or annoyance to the landlord, a person employed in connection with housing management functions, or anyone living in, visiting or in the locality of the property. Or the tenant or a person living or visiting the property has been convicted of using the premises for illegal/immoral purposes, or has been convicted of an indictable offence in the locality. | Landlords can begin proceedings immediately |
| 14A | Domestic Abuse | A social landlord wishes to evict the perpetrator of domestic violence if the partner has fled and is unlikely to return. | 2 weeks |
| 14ZA | Rioting | The tenant or another adult living at the property has been convicted of an indictable offence which took place at a riot in the UK. | 2 weeks |
| 15 | Deterioration of furniture | The tenant has caused the condition of the furniture to deteriorate. | 2 weeks |
| 17 | False statement | The tenancy was granted due to a false statement made knowingly or recklessly by the tenant or someone acting on their instigation. | 2 weeks |
| 18 | Supported accommodation | The tenancy is for supported accommodation and the tenant is refusing to engage with the support. | 4 weeks |
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If you’re a landlord and you’re told your tenants’ tenancies will now be periodic rather than for a fixed period of time, your next question is likely to be if, when and how can you increase the amount of rent you charge.
Under the Renters’ Rights Bill landlords can still increase the amount of rent charged to tenants but they will need to meet strict criteria:
Landlords will no longer be able to ask for large amounts of rent in advance from tenants looking to secure a tenancy in England. Once enacted, the Renters’ Rights Bill will amend the Tenant Fees Act 2019 to stop landlords or letting agents from requiring or accepting any payment of rent in advance of the tenancy being entered into.
A landlord will only be able to require up to one month’s rent once a tenancy agreement has been signed and before commencement.
Also, landlords and agents must publish an asking rent and cannot ask for or accept offers above it.
Landlords will not be able to discriminate against tenants who are on benefits or have children, whether this discrimination happens openly or indirectly.
The Renters’ Rights Bill sets out that landlords and agents will still have the final say on who to let their property out to and to carry out referencing checks to make sure tenancies are sustainable for all parties. However, it says ‘they will be able to do this based on affordability, but not on the basis the prospective tenant has children or is in receipt of benefits.’
Yes, you can still choose your tenant. However, under the Renters’ Rights Bill this decision must be based on affordability and references, not family or benefits status.
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Another change in the Renters’ Rights Bill is that landlords must not unreasonably withhold consent when a tenant requests to keep a pet and the tenant will be able to challenge unfair decisions.
The Bill will allow landlords to require insurance covering pet damage to address any fears of pets damaging the property. However, the exact details of how this would work is still being worked out.
A new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman Service will be introduced which all private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies will be required by law to join, including those who use a managing agent.
A new Private Rented Sector Database will be introduced under the Renters’ Rights Bill. All landlords of assured and regulated tenancies will be legally required to register themselves and their properties.
Local councils will be able to take enforcement action against private landlords that fail to join the Private Rented Sector Database and if a landlord lets or advertises a property without it first being registered on the database, they can be fined up to £7,000.
For repeated breaches, or if they commit a serious offence such as providing fraudulent information to the database, they may be fined up to £40,000 or could face criminal prosecution.
Paula Higgins, CEO of HomeOwners Alliance, said:
“The Renters’ Rights Bill is a big shift, and it’s understandable that many landlords – especially those finding themselves “accidental” landlords – will feel daunted. The new rules are complex, and they come at a time when landlords are already grappling with rising costs. Ultimately though, improving standards and giving renters more security is good for everyone – responsible landlords included. The key is making sure the guidance is clear and the transition is managed fairly.“
The Renters’ Rights Bill will need to become law before it comes into effect. However, when it does, expect things to happen quickly.
In the Bill, the government says: “To end the scourge of section 21 evictions as quickly as possible, we will introduce the new tenancy for the private rented sector system in one stage. On this date the new tenancy system will apply to all private tenancies – existing tenancies will convert to the new system, and any new tenancies signed on or after this date will also be governed by the new rules.
Existing fixed terms will be converted to periodic tenancies, and landlords will no longer be able to serve new section 21 or old-style section 8 notices to evict their tenants. This single date will prevent a confusing 2-tier system, and give all tenants security immediately.”
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No, the Renters’ Rights Bill has not been passed yet. However, it is expected to be passed in late October 2025 or early November 2025.
– Being a landlord in the UK is still considered worthwhile by many – there are currently 2.3 million landlords in England, according to government figures.
But it’s less lucrative than it once was and depends heavily on location, individual circumstances, and how well it’s managed.
– While high demand for rental properties and the potential for long-term capital appreciation remain attractive, factors like increased taxes and mortgage costs, and new regulations create more risk and lower profitability for some.
There are 11 million private renters in England, according to government figures.
HomeOwners Alliance Ltd is registered in England, company number 07861605. Information provided on HomeOwners Alliance is not intended as a recommendation or financial advice.
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