Renters’ Rights Act: Free guides and resources

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. This page links to all of my free guides and resources on the Act, along with the most useful official and legal sources. This is the place for you to see at a glance what’s important, and dive into the detail if that’s what you’re after.

For a complete guide to operating under the Renters’ Rights Act, buy my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook, which takes you through each stage of a tenancy with the Renters’ Rights Act woven throughout.

If you’d like to ask me questions and are looking for help preparing for implementation and beyond, you can find me in The Independent Landlord Hub.

Last updated: 9 September 2026

General Guides to the Renters’ Rights Act

My guides to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, covering the key provisions, new obligations for landlords and letting agents, and practical advice on reducing risk and staying compliant.

• Renters’ Rights Act Guide: The 12 key provisions. My cornerstone guide to the key parts in the Renters’ Rights Act.
• Guide to the new Assured Periodic Tenancy: Explanation of the APT that has been the default tenancy since 1 May 2026.
• Renters’ Rights: Written Statement of Terms: Explanation of the compulsory information that landlords must give to tenants before entering into an assured periodic tenancy on or after 1 May 2026.
• 10 practical tips to reduce Renters’ Rights Act risks. Practical and actionable advice for landlords to reduce the increased risks the Renters’ Rights Act brings.
• Checklists on how to comply with the Renters’ Rights Act. Checklists and a table which shows the new obligations that landlords need to comply with. Also shows the penalties.
• Landlord and letting agent fines and penalties in Renters’ Rights Act. Guide to the fines, penalties and sanctions that landlords and letting agents face if they breach their obligations.
• The new investigation and enforcement powers of councils in Renters’ Rights Act. Guide to the extensive new powers to investigate suspected breaches of legislation including the power to require the production of document and the right to enter premises without a warrant.
• Myth busting the Renters’ Rights Act – debunking 10 myths about the Renters’ Rights Act.
• Submission of The Independent Landlord to the Renters’ Rights Public Bill Committee. A copy of the written evidence I submitted to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on 22 October 2024.

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Implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act

Guides to the implementation timetable, the transition rules for existing tenancies and the government’s Information Sheet for tenants:

• Renters’ Rights Act Implementation Guide: Comprehensive guide to the implementation of the various provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act, complete with embedded hyperlinks to the various sections of the Renters’ Rights Act and other legislation.
• Renters’ Rights: Action Plan for April to July 2026: What landlords need to do from April to July to be ready and compliant with the Renters’ Rights Act.
• Renters’ Rights Act: Transition rules for existing tenancies: Explains how the Renters’ Rights Act impacted pre-1 May ASTs. This includes how existing tenancies changed, the transition arrangements for existing tenancies, including oral tenancies and student HMO tenancies.
• Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet for Tenants explained: Guide to the government produced Information Sheet, which landlords needed to have sent to tenants under ASTs by 31 May.
• Renters’ Rights Timetable: What happens when? Guide to the timing of the implementation of the various parts of the Act, including the new assured periodic tenancy system that came into force on 1 May 2026.

Evictions: The new rules following the end of Section 21

Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026. These guides explain what replaced no-fault evictions, how the new grounds for possession work, and the notice periods landlords need to follow:

• Guide to using Section 8 Grounds for Possession in Renters’ Rights Act. Explains how the new Grounds for Possession works now the Renters’ Rights Act is in force. Explains each of the Grounds.
• Grounds 1A and 1: How to evict tenants to sell up or move in. Comprehensive blog post that explains how Grounds 1 and 1A work in practice including when to serve the notice, how to complete Form 3A, the restricted period, and the penalties for breaching the rules. 
• Section 21 abolished: What replaced no fault evictions? Blog post on what Section 21 was and what its abolition entailed.

Renters’ Rights: Rent

The Renters’ Rights Act changed the rules on setting and increasing rent. These guides cover the new Section 13 procedure, rent in advance restrictions and why more tenants are likely to challenge increases at the First-tier Tribunal.

• The new rules about rent in the Renters’ Rights Act. This post explains how the rules for setting and increasing rent have changed, and why it is easier and more appealing for tenants to challenge rent increases in the First-tier Tribunal.
• How to complete Form 4A to increase rent (Section 13 notice). Step-by-step guide to completing and serving Form 4A, the rent increase notice.
• Section 13 rent increase challenges: First-tier Tribunal process and cases. Analysis of what tenants need to do to challenge rent, what the open market rent determination process involves at the First-tier Tribunal (FTT), and my take on the various decisions that the FTT has been making following the changes in the Renters’ Rights Act. Explanation of the government’s plans to move rent determinations to HMRC’s Valuation Office.
• The rules banning rent in advance in Renters’ Rights Act. This post goes through the complicated rules about pre-tenancy rent payments, and rent paid in advance during a tenancy.

Renters’ Rights: Other subjects

Guides to other changes in the Renters’ Rights Act, including the Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector, tenants’ right to keep pets, the impact on student lets, rent repayment orders and periodic tenancies.

• The new Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector. Description of how the government is introducing a Decent Homes Standard for the PRS into the Renters’ Rights Act in 2035.
• Tenants’ rights to have pets in Renters’ Rights Act. Explanation of tenants’ new implied right to have pets, the process, when it is likely to be reasonable for landlords to turn down a request and the new right for landlords to require insurance for pet damage.
• The Renters’ Rights Act and students. An objective look at how the Renters’ Rights Act disrupst the business model of landlords who let to students, and the options landlords have to minimise the risks and costs.
• The PRS Database: how to register your rental property. Explains how landlords will be able to register a rental property on the PRS Database when launched.
• HHSRS changes: the new 21 hazards in 2026. Post setting out how the HHSRS regime changed in 2026.
• The end of ground rent “AST trap” evictions for leaseholders Explains the impact the Renters’ Rights Act on leaseholders, by excluding long leases from the definition of assured tenancy in the Housing Act 1988. This came into effect on 27 December 2025.
• The new Rent Repayment Order rules in the Renters’ Rights Act. Explanation of how the Renters’ Rights Act has amended the rules on Rent Repayment Orders
• Guide to contractual and statutory periodic tenancies. Explains the difference between contractual and statutory periodic tenancies, and what happened to fixed term tenancies when the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026.
• How does the Renters’ Rights Act affect council tax? Section explaining how the RRA changes liability for council tax.

Renters’ Rights Act: Government / official documents

The most useful official sources, including the Act itself, the government’s implementation roadmap and guidance for landlords and letting agents.

• Final version of the Renters’ Rights Act.
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Implementation roadmap. Official 20-page document on the detailed implementation plans.
• Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act. Very useful government guidance.
• Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents. Guidance from MHCLG published 13 November 2025
• Civil penalties under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation: Statutory guidance for local authorities

Renters’ Rights Bill: Historical official documents

For those interested in the passage of the Renters’ Rights Act through parliament, here are the key versions of the Bill, explanatory notes and research documents.

• First draft of the Renters’ Rights Bill as introduced to the House of Commons on 11 September 2024.
• Renters’ Rights Bill, as brought to the House of Lords on 15 January 2025.
• Explanatory Notes to the Renters’ Rights Bill. Notes prepared by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in order to “assist the reader and to help inform debate on the Bill”.
• House of Commons Library: Renters’ Rights Bill 2024-24. Excellent guide for MPs to the policy background and the detail of the Bill. (For historical interest).

Quality Renters’ Rights content from legal websites

Useful analysis from housing law specialists written while the Renters’ Rights Bill was going through parliament.

• A first look at Renters’ Rights by David Smith of JMW. Excellent blog post from a leading housing specialist who acts for landlords and letting agents.
• The Landlord Law Blog – The Renters Rights Bill and new rules for tenancy agreements. Excellent analysis of the rules in the Bill for written statements, and lessons from Wales.
• Nearly Legal blog posts – from Giles Peaker, who was a leading housing specialist acting mostly for tenants: Renters’ Rights Bill – the headlines Part 1 (11 September) and Renters’ Rights Bill – the headlines Part 2 (13 September)