CITIZENS ADVICE CHARNWOOD offers advice on the new Renters Rights Act and how the changes affect most private tenants
The Renters Rights Act changed in 1 May this year and the changes will affect most private tenants apart from those who are a lodger and live with their landlord.
Most private tenants now have an assured tenancy with stronger rights. You have these new rights even if your tenancy agreement still says ‘assured shorthold’. You do not need to do anything.
What are these stronger rights?
Your landlord cannot give you a Section 21 notice which means that most ‘no fault’ evictions have ended. You now have better protection from eviction. If your landlord gives you a section 21 notice it won’t usually be valid.
If your landlord wants you to leave, they need to give a reason and provide you with a section 8 notice. The amount of notice you get depends on the reason they want you to leave, for example 4 weeks if you owe rent, 4 months if your landlord wants to sell and 4 months if they want to move into the property.
If you do not leave when the notice ends your landlord cannot make you leave straightaway but the landlord can apply for a court order to evict you.
Who pays the costs of eviction?
If the court makes any type of order, you usually have to pay
– your landlord’s court fees
– some or all of their legal costs
You might have to pay at least £666 if you are evicted by bailiffs.
There will be no more fixed term assured shorthold tenancies (AST)
If you signed a fixed term agreement before 1 May 2026, it is now an assured periodic tenancy which means it is a rolling tenancy with no set end date. Most assured tenants have monthly tenancies. You do not need to do anything for this change to happen.
You will need to give 2 months’ notice to end your assured tenancy, but you and your landlord can agree a shorter notice.
The rent can only be raised once a year now. Rent review clauses in current agreements cannot be used. Your landlord must give at least 2 months’ notice of a rent increase on a special form and you can challenge this without worry of eviction.
You can ask to keep a pet and your landlord must have a good reason to say no.
Your landlord cannot ask for more than one month’s rent in advance and you do not have to pay this until you sign the tenancy agreement.
If you are on benefits and/or have children a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you for those reasons and the local council can fine landlords who break the rules.
Landlords must give private tenants certain written information about their tenancy rights.
If you are unsure about your rights and responsibilities as a private tenant, more detailed information can be found on: –
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/tenancy-agreements/
Or you can speak to one of our Advisers by calling our Local Enquiry line
Our Local Enquiry Line is 01509 649605 and is open Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays 9.30am-3.00pm.
More details about the services we offer can be found on our website www.charnwoodcab.org.uk
More information: https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice