Private renter, social housing tenant, or thinking about your rights? This guide covers the Renters' Rights Act 2025, deposits, repairs, rent increases, and what to do if your landlord isn't playing fair.
A landlord who gave a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 had to start court proceedings by whichever came first: the date the notice ran out, or 31 July 2026. If they started in time, the claim can carry on, and you can challenge the notice in court. If they did not start in time, they cannot use that notice. A breathing space can extend some Section 8 dates.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21 "no fault" evictions in England from 1 May 2026. Landlords must now use one of the specific Section 8 grounds to seek possession. This is the biggest change to private renting in decades.
Since Section 21 is abolished, landlords must now use Section 8 and prove a specific ground for possession. Key grounds include:
| Ground | Type | Notice period |
|---|---|---|
| Ground 8: serious rent arrears (at least 3 months' rent unpaid, or 13 weeks' if you pay weekly or fortnightly) | Mandatory | 4 weeks |
| Ground 7A: serious anti-social behaviour or a conviction. Ground 14: anti-social behaviour | 7A mandatory; 14 discretionary | No minimum notice (see below) |
| Ground 1A: landlord intends to sell | Mandatory | 4 months |
| Ground 1: landlord or close family member needs to live there | Mandatory | 4 months |
| Ground 6: redevelopment or demolition | Mandatory | 4 months |
For Ground 8, the arrears must be at least 3 months' rent if you pay monthly, or at least 13 weeks' if you pay weekly or fortnightly. This must be true on the day of the notice and on the day of the hearing. Universal Credit housing money you have not yet received does not count as unpaid. Smaller arrears can use Grounds 10 and 11, which are discretionary.
Ground 1 and Ground 1A cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and a notice cannot end before those 12 months are over. Ground 1A cannot be used if your assured tenancy began before 1 May 2026 and was not a shorthold tenancy. Ground 6 usually cannot be used in the first 6 months of a tenancy.
For Grounds 7A and 14, the landlord can apply to court as soon as the notice is given. The court cannot make a possession order until 14 days after the notice was given.
For discretionary grounds, the court has discretion whether to grant possession even if the ground is proven. This is stronger protection for tenants than under the old Section 21 regime.
Since 1 May 2026 every assured tenancy in England has been a periodic (rolling) tenancy, including tenancies that began as fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies. Any end date or fixed term in your agreement no longer applies, and you did not need to do anything for this to happen. A fixed term written into an assured tenancy has no effect.
Your agreement should say how much notice you must give your landlord. A landlord cannot ask for more than 2 months. If your agreement does not say, you must give at least 2 months' notice. Give it in writing, for example by letter, email or text, so that the tenancy ends on a day rent is due or the day before. You and your landlord can agree in writing to end it sooner. If your tenancy started before 1 May 2026, how much notice you must give depends on the type of tenancy and what the agreement says.
Your landlord must:
The maximum deposit is 5 weeks' rent (or 6 weeks if the yearly rent is £50,000 or more). If your landlord fails to protect the deposit, you can claim 1–3 times the deposit amount at court. If your landlord has not protected your deposit in an approved scheme, or has not given you the scheme information, the court can only make a possession order if one of these applies: the possession is sought on Ground 7A or 14; or the deposit has been returned in full or with agreed deductions; or a deposit claim has been decided, withdrawn or settled. This applies to every ground, not only rent arrears. It limits what the court can order. It does not stop a notice being served.
Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (in England it applies to most tenancies of homes where the lease is for less than 7 years, and some longer leases, but not to some tenancies, such as agricultural holdings and leases granted to councils and housing associations), your home must be fit for human habitation throughout the tenancy. This covers:
Report all repairs to your landlord in writing and keep a copy. If repairs are not carried out in a reasonable time, you can report to your local council's housing team (who can issue improvement notices) or sue in the county court.
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, your landlord can only increase your rent:
If you believe the proposed rent is above market rent, you can challenge it at a First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the increase takes effect. The tribunal will set a fair market rent.
Email your landlord or send a written letter. Keep copies. If repairs are ignored after a reasonable time, report to your local council.
Search on the three approved schemes: DPS, MyDeposits, and TDS. If it's not protected within 30 days of paying it, you may have a claim.
You have until the date the increase takes effect to challenge at tribunal. Don't pay the increased rent while a challenge is pending without advice.
Contact Shelter or Citizens Advice immediately. An unlawful eviction or invalid notice may mean you don't have to leave.
Your tenancy agreement, inventory, deposit protection certificate, prescribed information, and any correspondence with your landlord are all important.
Changing the locks, removing your belongings, or cutting off utilities to force you out is illegal. Call the police and contact Shelter urgently.
Shelter: 0808 800 4444 — housing emergency helpline
Citizens Advice: 0800 144 8848
Deposit Protection Service: depositprotection.com
GOV.UK: gov.uk/private-renting
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