The Renters Reform Bill is no longer waiting to become law. The original Renters (Reform) Bill introduced in 2023 did not complete Parliament before the 2024 general election.
It was followed by the Labour government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, which completed its parliamentary passage on 22 October 2025 and received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, becoming the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
The biggest changes for England’s private rented sector then came into force on 1 May 2026. These included the abolition of Section 21 no-fault evictions, the move towards assured periodic tenancies, tighter rent increase rules, restrictions on rental bidding and new protections for tenants.
Further measures, including the Private Rented Sector Database and Landlord Ombudsman, are being introduced through later phases.
Why Was the Renters Reform Bill Originally Introduced?
Reform of England’s private rental system had been discussed for several years before the current legislation became law.
The original Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced on 17 May 2023. One of its main purposes was to address concerns about insecurity created by assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Section 21 allowed landlords to seek possession without establishing fault by the tenant.
The wider reform programme was intended to address issues including:
- Insecure Tenancies: Renters could face having to leave their home even when they had complied with their tenancy obligations
- Fear Of Reporting Problems: Some tenants were concerned about challenging poor property conditions because of the possibility of losing their tenancy
- Unpredictable Rent Changes: The government wanted a clearer statutory system for rent increases
- Rental Bidding: Competition for properties could push offers above the advertised rent
- Housing Standards: Ministers wanted stronger mechanisms for dealing with unsafe or substandard homes
- Discrimination: The reforms targeted blanket restrictions affecting people receiving benefits and families with children
When the Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced in September 2024, the government said it was intended to improve security and protections for renters while maintaining legitimate possession routes for landlords.
What Problems In The Private Rental Sector Was It Designed To Address?
The legislation represents a significant change to the balance between flexibility for landlords and security for tenants.
Under the previous system, assured shorthold tenancies were widely used across England. Section 21 gave landlords a route to regain possession without needing to establish one of the fault-based possession grounds.
Government and parliamentary reviews raised concerns that this could discourage some tenants from reporting repairs, disputing rent increases or challenging poor treatment.
The reforms therefore focus on replacing the old framework with a system where landlords normally need an applicable legal possession ground.
They also seek to address other parts of the renting process, including how properties are advertised, how rents can be increased, how tenants request pets and how landlords demonstrate compliance.
What Happened To The Original Renters Reform Bill?
The original Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced under the Conservative government in May 2023.
It progressed through the House of Commons and reached the House of Lords. However, Parliament was prorogued on 24 May 2024 ahead of the general election on 4 July.
Because the Bill had not completed all parliamentary stages, it made no further progress.
The incoming Labour government did not simply restart the same Bill.
Instead, it introduced a new Renters’ Rights Bill on 11 September 2024. The legislation retained several major principles associated with the earlier reforms while also changing and expanding some proposals.
This distinction is important for people still searching for information about when the Renters Reform Bill will become law. Technically, the original Bill never became law. Its successor legislation became the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
How Did The Renters Reform Bill Become The Renters’ Rights Act?
The development of the reforms can be understood through the following timeline.
| Date | Development |
| June 2022 | Government publishes the A Fairer Private Rented Sector white paper |
| 17 May 2023 | Renters (Reform) Bill introduced |
| May 2024 | Parliament closes ahead of the general election and the Bill falls |
| 11 September 2024 | New Renters’ Rights Bill introduced |
| 9 October 2024 | Bill receives its Commons Second Reading |
| 2024 to 2025 | Parliamentary scrutiny and amendments continue |
| 22 October 2025 | Parliamentary passage is completed |
| 27 October 2025 | Royal Assent creates the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 |
| 27 December 2025 | Initial council enforcement and investigatory measures take effect |
| 1 May 2026 | Main private rented sector tenancy reforms take effect |
| Late 2026 onwards | Private Rented Sector Database begins phased rollout |
| October 2027 | Relevant reforms extend to many social housing assured tenancies |
| 2028 | Mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman membership is expected |
| Date To Be Confirmed | Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard will be implemented for the private rented sector |
The government describes implementation as a phased programme rather than one single commencement date.
When Did The Renters’ Rights Act Become Law?
The Renters’ Rights Bill completed its passage through Parliament on 22 October 2025.
It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, at which point it formally became the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
However, becoming law did not mean every provision immediately applied.
The government subsequently used commencement regulations and other secondary legislation to activate different parts of the Act.
This is why two dates matter:
- 27 October 2025: The Act legally came into existence
- 1 May 2026: The main private rented sector tenancy reforms became operational
Further parts continue to be implemented after those dates.
What Changed On 1 May 2026?
The first major implementation phase began on 1 May 2026 and changed the structure of most private assured tenancies in England.
Among the most important changes were:
- Section 21 Ended: New Section 21 no-fault eviction notices can no longer be used for affected private tenancies
- Periodic Tenancies Became Standard: Most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies
- Fixed End Dates Changed: New assured tenancies generally operate as periodic arrangements rather than conventional fixed-term ASTs
- Rent Increases Changed: Landlords generally need to use the statutory rent increase process
- Rental Bidding Was Restricted: Landlords and agents cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent above the advertised asking price
- Pet Requests Gained Protection: Tenants can make written pet requests that landlords cannot unreasonably refuse
- Discrimination Rules Strengthened: Blanket discrimination against prospective tenants because they receive benefits or have children is prohibited
- Enforcement Powers Increased: Councils received wider tools to enforce the new requirements
The government described the changes as affecting approximately 11 million renters in England.
How Is The Rental System Different Now Compared With The Past?
The clearest difference is that private renting has moved away from the traditional assured shorthold tenancy model.
| Area | Before The Reform | Position From 1 May 2026 |
| Section 21 | Landlords could use Section 21 where legal requirements were met | New Section 21 notices are no longer available for affected tenancies |
| Tenancy Structure | Fixed-term ASTs were common | Assured periodic tenancies are now standard |
| Ending A Tenancy | Fixed terms and Section 21 played major roles | Landlords normally need an applicable possession ground |
| Rent Increases | Contractual mechanisms could apply | Statutory procedures play the central role |
| Rental Bidding | Bids above asking rent could occur | Asking for or accepting above-advertised bids is prohibited |
| Pet Requests | Depended heavily on contract terms | Written requests must be properly considered |
| Benefits And Children | Blanket restrictions could be used | Relevant discriminatory practices are prohibited |
The result is not that landlords have lost the ability to recover their properties. Instead, possession is more closely tied to specified legal grounds.
Which Renters’ Rights Act Rules Are Already In Force?
By September 2026, the main private rented sector reforms introduced in Phase 1 are already operating.
These include:
- Abolition Of Section 21 For Affected Tenancies
- Assured Periodic Tenancies
- Revised Section 8 Possession Grounds
- New Rent Increase Procedures
- Rental Bidding Restrictions
- Rent-In-Advance Restrictions
- Protection Against Relevant Rental Discrimination
- New Pet Request Procedures
- Expanded Local Authority Enforcement
- Expanded Rent Repayment Order Provisions
- Higher Financial Penalties For Certain Housing Offences
Maximum civil penalties for certain offences under existing housing legislation were increased from £30,000 to £40,000 from 1 May 2026.
Who Is Affected By The Renters’ Rights Act?
The Phase 1 tenancy reforms primarily affect assured and formerly assured shorthold private tenancies in England.
The government information sheet makes clear that different arrangements apply to groups such as social housing tenants and lodgers.
How Are Private Tenants Affected?
Private tenants gain greater security because a landlord can no longer simply issue a new Section 21 notice for affected tenancies.
They also have clearer rights relating to rent increases, tenancy termination, rental bidding and pet requests.
How Are Landlords Affected?
Landlords must change the way they manage possession, rent increases, advertising, tenancy documentation and tenant requests.
They also face stronger enforcement where legal requirements are breached.
How Are Letting Agents Affected?
Agents acting on behalf of landlords must ensure property advertising, rent practices and tenancy administration comply with the new regime.
For example, they cannot encourage tenants to offer more than the advertised asking rent.
How Are Students And Student Landlords Affected?
Student renting requires particular attention because different rules can apply depending on the type of accommodation.
Private student landlords may be able to use specific possession grounds where statutory requirements are satisfied, while university halls and some purpose-built student accommodation can operate under different arrangements.
What Impact Could The Renters’ Rights Act Have Across The UK Rental Market?
The main tenancy reforms discussed here apply to England, rather than creating a single rental system across the whole UK. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate under different housing legislation.
Within England, the legislation could affect how tenants make longer-term housing decisions and how landlords structure their rental businesses.
Potential practical effects include:
- Greater Tenant Security: Renters have more protection from possession without an applicable statutory ground
- Different Landlord Planning: Property owners need to plan sales, occupation and possession around the new grounds
- More Formal Rent Reviews: Rent increases are more closely governed by statutory procedures
- Greater Council Involvement: Local authorities have enhanced enforcement responsibilities
- Higher Compliance Costs: Landlords may face additional administration through the database, Ombudsman and property standards reforms
- More Transparency: The planned PRS Database should provide a central source of landlord and property information
The full long-term effect will take time to assess because several important parts of the reform programme have not yet been fully introduced.
Can Landlords Still Use Section 21 Notices In 2026?
For affected private tenancies, landlords cannot issue new Section 21 notices following the 1 May 2026 commencement of the new tenancy regime.
Transitional arrangements were provided for notices that had already been validly served before that date.
Those arrangements did not allow Section 21 to continue indefinitely.
For most qualifying pre-reform notices, landlords had a limited period in which to begin possession proceedings. Cases that entered the court system within the permitted transitional period could continue.
The practical position in late 2026 is therefore very different from the previous system. Landlords seeking possession will normally need to rely on an appropriate ground under the reformed possession framework.
What Replaced Section 21 Evictions?
The government strengthened and revised Section 8 possession grounds alongside the abolition of Section 21.
Landlords can still seek possession in defined circumstances.
These can include situations where:
- The Landlord Intends To Sell The Property
- The Landlord Or Certain Family Members Need To Occupy It
- The Tenant Has Serious Rent Arrears
- There Is Antisocial Behaviour
- The Tenant Has Breached Particular Tenancy Obligations
- Specific Student Letting Conditions Apply
Landlords must follow the relevant notice and legal procedures associated with the ground being used.
Removing Section 21 therefore does not mean tenants can never be evicted. It changes the legal basis on which possession is normally obtained.
What Happened To Existing Fixed-Term Tenancies?
Most existing assured shorthold tenancies automatically became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026.
The government states that the new rules apply automatically. Landlords did not generally have to replace an existing tenancy agreement simply because the legislation changed.
For many existing tenancies, landlords or managing agents also had to provide the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
Failure to provide the required sheet could result in a financial penalty of up to £7,000.
How Do Rent Increases Work Under The New Rules?
Rent increases for affected assured periodic tenancies are now governed more clearly by the statutory process.
In general:
- Rent Can Normally Be Increased Once A Year
- Landlords Must Follow The Prescribed Procedure
- Tenants Receive Advance Notice
- The Proposed Rent Should Reflect Open-Market Rent
- Tenants Can Challenge Qualifying Increases
The changes are intended to prevent rent increases being used as an indirect way to force a tenant out while still allowing landlords to adjust rent to market levels.
Can Landlords Still Ask For Rent In Advance?
The Act introduced tighter restrictions on requiring large amounts of rent in advance for new private tenancies.
The reform is intended to prevent households from being excluded simply because they cannot provide several months of rent upfront.
The rules should be considered separately from deposits because tenancy deposits continue to be governed by their own legal framework.
Landlords and agents need to ensure any payment requested before a tenancy starts complies with the post-May 2026 rules.
Are Rental Bidding Wars Now Banned?
Yes. The Act introduced restrictions designed to stop landlords and letting agents from encouraging prospective tenants to compete above an advertised rental price.
A property must have an asking rent.
Landlords and agents must not:
- Ask Applicants To Offer More Than The Advertised Rent
- Encourage Applicants To Bid Against Each Other
- Accept An Offer Above The Asking Rent
The measure is designed to make the advertised rent a genuine price rather than a starting point for an informal auction.
Do Tenants Have The Right To Request A Pet?
Tenants have strengthened legal rights to request permission to keep a pet, but this should not be confused with an automatic right to keep any pet in every property.
A tenant can make a written request.
The landlord must consider it and cannot unreasonably refuse the request.
Government guidance says landlords must respond within the prescribed timeframe and provide valid reasons when refusing a request.
Factors surrounding the property, type of pet and individual circumstances may therefore still matter.
What Happens If A Landlord Breaks The New Rules?
The Act significantly strengthens enforcement.
Local councils can investigate breaches and, where legal requirements are satisfied, impose financial penalties or pursue other enforcement options.
The reform programme includes:
- Expanded Civil Penalties
- Stronger Investigatory Powers
- Wider Rent Repayment Orders
- New Enforcement Duties For Councils
- Higher Maximum Financial Penalties For Certain Housing Offences
The government increased the maximum civil penalty for certain existing housing offences from £30,000 to £40,000.
This means compliance with the Act is not simply a matter of updating tenancy paperwork.
When Will The Private Rented Sector Database Launch?
The Private Rented Sector Database forms Phase 2 of implementation.
The government’s roadmap says rollout begins from late 2026, with implementation taking place region by region. Landlords will eventually be required to register themselves and qualifying properties and pay an annual fee.
Draft 2026 regulations provide for parts of the database framework to begin from 15 December 2026, followed by staged regional commencement, with remaining provisions scheduled for September 2027. These regulations are still subject to the applicable parliamentary process.
Information expected to form part of the system includes:
- Landlord Details
- Rental Property Details
- Gas Safety Information
- Electrical Safety Information
- Energy Performance Information
The database is intended to help tenants understand who they are renting from while giving councils a stronger source of information for enforcement.
When Will The Landlord Ombudsman Start?
A new PRS Landlord Ombudsman is also planned as part of Phase 2.
Its purpose is to provide an alternative route for resolving disputes between private landlords and tenants without every disagreement needing to reach court.
The government expects mandatory landlord membership to begin in 2028, after the scheme has been established and given time to scale up.
Once mandatory membership takes effect, qualifying private landlords will need to join the approved Ombudsman scheme.
What Renters’ Rights Act Changes Are Still To Come?
The Renters’ Rights Act is law, but implementation is not complete.
Important future measures include:
Private Rented Sector Database
Regional implementation is scheduled to begin from late 2026.
Landlord Ombudsman
Mandatory membership is expected in 2028.
Social Housing Tenancy Reforms
Most relevant reforms for assured social housing tenancies provided by private registered providers are scheduled for October 2027.
Awaab’s Law
The government intends to extend Awaab’s Law protections into the private rented sector, but the implementation date remains subject to further decisions and consultation.
Decent Homes Standard
A modernised Decent Homes Standard is also intended to apply to the private rented sector. The government’s roadmap lists the implementation timetable as to be confirmed and subject to consultation.
What Has Changed Since The Act First Took Effect?
The position in September 2026 is very different from when the legislation was first debated.
Section 21 abolition is no longer a future proposal. The main private tenancy system has already changed.
Most affected ASTs have already transitioned to periodic tenancies, new rent and bidding rules are operating and the initial landlord information-sheet deadline has passed.
The focus has now shifted towards Phase 2 implementation.
That means the most important forthcoming issue is the introduction of the Private Rented Sector Database, followed later by the Landlord Ombudsman and housing-standard reforms.
For tenants and landlords, the question is therefore no longer simply when will the Renters Reform Bill become law?
The more relevant questions in 2026 are which provisions already apply, what landlords and tenants must do differently and when the remaining reforms will begin.
What Should Tenants And Landlords Do Now?
Tenants should understand how their tenancy changed on 1 May 2026 and check which protections apply to their circumstances.
Important areas include:
- Understanding Their New Tenancy Type
- Knowing How Rent Increases Work
- Knowing The Rules For Ending A Tenancy
- Understanding Pet Request Rights
- Knowing When A Landlord Can Seek Possession
- Keeping Copies Of Notices And Tenancy Documents
Landlords should make sure their procedures reflect the current law rather than continuing to use pre-May 2026 practices.
Important areas include:
- Updating Tenancy Documentation
- Using The Correct Possession Grounds
- Following The New Rent Increase Procedure
- Complying With Rental Advertising Rules
- Handling Pet Requests Correctly
- Preparing For PRS Database Registration
- Keeping Property Safety Records Current
Conclusion
The question of when the Renters Reform Bill will become law now has a clear answer, although the legislation ultimately reached the statute book under a different name.
The original Renters (Reform) Bill introduced in 2023 did not survive the 2024 dissolution of Parliament. Its successor, the Renters’ Rights Bill, was introduced on 11 September 2024, received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and became the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
The most significant private rented sector reforms took effect on 1 May 2026, including the end of Section 21 for affected tenancies and the introduction of assured periodic tenancies.
However, implementation continues. The PRS Database begins rolling out from late 2026, social housing changes follow in 2027, mandatory Ombudsman membership is expected in 2028 and further housing standards measures remain to come.
FAQs
Is The Renters Reform Bill Now Law?
The original Renters (Reform) Bill did not become law. It fell when Parliament closed before the 2024 general election. A successor Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced and became the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on 27 October 2025.
When Did The Renters’ Rights Act Receive Royal Assent?
The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 after completing its parliamentary passage on 22 October 2025.
When Did Section 21 End?
The main Section 21 abolition took effect for affected private rented tenancies in England on 1 May 2026. Transitional provisions applied to some notices served before that date.
Can An Old Section 21 Notice Still Be Used?
Limited transitional arrangements applied to valid Section 21 notices issued before 1 May 2026. The ability to rely on those notices was time-limited, so landlords cannot treat them as an indefinite route to possession.
Are Fixed-Term Tenancies Still Allowed?
For the affected assured tenancy system, the reforms moved private renting towards assured periodic tenancies. Most existing ASTs automatically became periodic on 1 May 2026 and new assured private tenancies generally follow that structure.
Does The Renters’ Rights Act Apply Across The Whole UK?
No. The main private tenancy reforms discussed here apply to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rental legislation.
Is The Private Rented Sector Database Live Yet?
Not as a fully operational nationwide system as of September 2026. The government’s roadmap places the phased regional rollout from late 2026, with registration requirements being introduced progressively.
Is The Renters’ Rights Act Fully Implemented?
No. Phase 1 is already operating, but the PRS Database, Landlord Ombudsman, Awaab’s Law extension and Decent Homes Standard form later phases of the implementation programme.
