The government has announced that Section 21 evictions will be abolished and other key provisions of the Renters' Rights Act implemented on 1 May next year.
From that date landlords will no longer be able to serve a section 21 eviction and fixed term tenancies will end, with all tenancies becoming more secure periodic tenancies. Other major provisions of the act will also come into force on 1 May, with some policies such as a new ombudsman implemented in later phases.
Tom Darling, Director at the Renters' Reform Coalition, said:
"Today's announcement that the Renters' Rights Act will take effect on 1 May is fantastic news. We have fought for this day for so long and to now have certainty about when the last section 21 eviction will be is crucial for our members, who will be trying to ensure as many renters as possible are aware of their new rights.”
“It will be important that the government quickly implement the whole Act – including the landlord database and Awaab’s Law – so that England's 12 million private renters, who have waited years for these reforms, can benefit from the new legislation as soon as possible.”
"As sorely needed as the Renters' Rights Act is, affordability is going to continue to be a huge issue – the biggest issue – facing private renters. We need the government to take real action on this affordability crisis. And for renters to be able to put their new rights into practice, the Act must be backed up by rigorous enforcement, with councils given the resources and funding they need to hold criminal landlords to account."
As well as abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, a manifesto commitment of all major political parties at the last election, on 1 May the new law will:
- Abolish bidding wars used by letting agents or landlords to squeeze more rent out of prospective tenants
- Ban discrimination against letting to renters on benefits or with children
- End fixed term tenancies, making all tenancies secure and open-ended
- Give renters a right to request pets in their home which landlords cannot 'unreasonably' refuse
- Prevent landlords from asking for more than one month's rent up front
Later in 2026 phase 2 of the Act's implementation will see a landlord ombudsman introduced, which renters can appeal to in disputes, as well as a Private Rented Sector Database which all landlords and their properties must be registered on. The government have stated that further protections to improve conditions in private rented homes (likely to include extending Awaab's law to private renters) will come in a third phase, which they have not yet set a date for.
Abolishing section 21 evictions was first committed to by former PM Theresa May in April 2019, and the previous Conservative government came close to passing a version of this legislation (the Renters Reform Bill) before it fell as the General Election was called in 2024. All major parties contesting that election had manifesto commitments to abolish section 21.
Although the Renters' Rights Act abolishes section 21, landlords will still be able to evict renters in order to sell the property or if they or family members are moving into it. But they will not be allowed to evict under these grounds within the first year of a tenancy and will need to give tenants 4 months' notice. The law also includes safeguards to try to prevent landlords from abusing these eviction grounds.
One area the landmark bill does not address is the cost of renting, which has increased by nearly 50% in England over the last decade. Polling commissioned by the RRC has found that nearly a third of private renters - an estimated 3.8 million people - "always" or "often" struggle to afford essentials like groceries due to the amount they spend on rent. The RRC are calling on the government to cap rent increases so rents cannot rise faster than inflation or local wage growth, and establish a National Rental Affordability Commission to explore ways to make renting more affordable.