No-fault evictions banned from Friday as Renters' Rights Act comes into force

No-fault evictions will finally be banned from Friday - seven years and four prime ministers on from when the change was first promised.

The measure is part of Labour's flagship Renters' Rights Act, which received Royal Assent in October but with an implementation date starting from 1 May 2026. The legislation aims to "decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants", according to housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

Here is what it will do:

No-fault evictions banned

Crucially, the legislation includes a blanket ban on no-fault evictions under Section 21 (S21) of the 1988 Housing Act. S21 notices have allowed landlords to evict tenants with two months' notice without providing a reason. Housing campaigners say they are a major contributing factor to rising homelessness.

Former Conservative prime minister Theresa May made the pledge to scrap S21 notices on 15 April 2019, and it was also in her successor Boris Johnson's manifesto. But the Tories went on to announce an indefinite delay to the plan to ban them, pending court reforms, following pressure from backbench landlord MPs.

After the general election, Labour confirmed in its first King's Speech that it would end no-fault evictions for both new and existing tenancies. Mr Pennycook has said that this means landlords will not be able to "arbitrarily evict any tenant with a Section 21 notice, including tenants that make complaints about things like damp and mould, rather than fix those problems".

Landlords will still be able to evict tenants if they have a legal reason, such as if the tenant is in several months' rent arrears or commits anti-social behaviour. The Act also introduces a new Section 8 notice that can be used if a landlord wants to sell or move into the property themselves. But in these scenarios they must give four months notice and they can't issue this demand at all within the first 12 months of someone moving in.

Fixed-term tenancies ended

Another major change coming into force from 1 May is the ban on fixed term contracts. That means all tenancies will automatically become rolling - including existing and new ones. This will give tenants the flexibility to move if there is a change of circumstance or they aren't happy with the standard of accommodation.

Instead of having to stay until a specified end date, tenants will be required to give two months notice if they wish to move out.

Ban on mid-tenancy rent increases

The Renters Right Act means that from 1 May your rent can only go up once a year and the increase cannot be above the market rate. Landlords will have to give you two months notice and issue a Section 13 to increase the rent, as rent review clauses and other contractual mechanisms will no longer be valid.

Rent campaigners have urged the government to go further and implement rent controls to address the affordability crisis, something the Green Party backs. Rents in the UK reached their highest level comparative to earnings in March 2025, according to the latest detailed annual review produced by the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Labour has ruled out rent controls, saying their plan to build more homes will bring prices down

Powers to challenge rent hikes

However, the government says the Renters' Rights Act will make it easier to challenge excessive rent hikes through the First Tier Tribunal (FTT), that will determine what the market rent should be. From 1 May, the FTT will not be allowed to suggest a higher rate than what the landlord has proposed, and the rent increase will not be backdated if the watchdog rules in the landlord's favour.

The FTT will also be given powers to allow rent increases to be deferred by two months in cases of hardship.

Allowing pets

From 1 May, renters will also have the right to request keeping a pet in their home, which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. There are currently no specific laws in place when it comes to renting with pets, but landlords can decline if they have a valid reason.

To support landlords, the Renters' Rights Act has provided them with the right to request insurance to cover potential damage from pets if needed.

Bidding wars crackdown

The reforms also crack down on bidding wars between potential tenants. Bidding wars for rental properties have become increasingly common amid a chronic shortage of supply, with tenants typically paying an extra £100 a month above the asking price for their home, according to research by the New Economics Foundation.

The legislation includes a legal requirement for landlords and letting agents to publish the required rent for a property. Landlords and agents will be banned from "asking for, encouraging, or accepting any bids" above the publicly stated price.

Similar laws have been passed in other countries facing a housing crisis, such as New Zealand.

Limit on rent in advance

Bidding wars have also led to some people offering months of rent in advance to ensure they get the property. Under the new laws, landlords can only ask for up to one month's rent upfront once a tenancy agreement has been signed. They will be banned from encouraging or accepting any more.

Ban on benefit discrimination

The Act also outlaws landlords imposing a blanket ban on tenants who receive benefits or have children. According to Shelter, one in five families have been unable to rent somewhere in England because they have children. The English Private Landlord Survey, covering the period of 2021 to 2022, found one in 10 private renters - around 109,000 households - had been refused a tenancy because they received benefits.

While some specific cases have already been found to have breached the Equality Act in court, the new law will explicitly ban these forms of discrimination "to ensure fair access to housing for all".

Awaab's law extended

Some measures within the Renters Rights Act will come in at a later date, including the extension of Awaab's law. This was named after toddler Awaab Ishak who died after exposure to mould in his family's social rented home in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It stated that social landlords will have to investigate hazards within 14 days, fix them within a further seven days, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours.

Under Labour's Renters' Rights Act, this will be extended to the private sector to ensure all landlords speedily address hazards and make homes safe. It is not yet clear when this will come into force.

Plans to make homes safer also include applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time. The government says 21% of privately rented homes are currently classified as "non-decent" and more than 500,000 contain the most serious hazards. Landlords who fail to address serious hazards will be fined up to £7,000 by local councils and may face prosecution for non-compliance, the government said.

From late 2026, a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will also be introduced to "provide quick and binding resolutions" about complaints, alongside a database to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance.