How to get ready for the Renters’ Rights Act

Are you a landlord or property business who’s wondering what you can do to get ready for the Renters’ Rights Act this coming summer or autumn? Focusing on the real risks rather than the noise? This blog post does exactly that.

When it comes into force, the Renters’ Rights Bill will overhaul the way in which we landlords run our businesses. It’s also going to have significant implications for letting agents as well. But it’s important to keep it in perspective.

In this post, I explain briefly what the Renters’ Rights Act is going to change, putting the key provisions into risk-based categories. I then discuss 7 areas of increased risks, before sharing 7 ways to reduce these risks. At the end I advise how to get organised.

This post is the written version of the YouTube Video on how landlords and property businesses can get ready for the Renters’ Rights Act in the autumn of 2025, but taking a risk-based approach. It’s Part 5 of my free training course, Renters’ Rights Bill Explained.

PS A great way to get ready for the Renters’ Rights Act is to join The Independent Landlord Hub. Not only are there two training courses that come included, but there are twice monthly live webinars to ask questions, an excellent for forum for asking questions, and lots of checklists and exclusive templates.

What’s the Renters’ Rights Act actually going to change?

Taking a risk-based lens, here is what the Renters’ Rights Act is intending to change:

1. Big things that will change the way we operate

These are the things it’s important for all landlords to understand, as they’ll be changing as early as the summer, although more likely in the autumn. We’ll need to adapt to them straight away.

Here is the list of big ticket items that landlords will need to comply with as soon as the Renters’ Rights Bill comes into force on the “big bang” commencement date.

• Change to tenancy system. On the commencement date, all existing tenancies will become periodic rolling tenancies.
• Abolition of Section 21. It will be more difficult for landlords to evict problematic tenants as landlords won’t be able to use Section 21, where landlords don’t need a reason to evict. Instead they’ll need grounds. It’s going to cost more and be more difficult to evict tenants. See video: What happens when Section 21 no fault evictions are abolished.
• Tenant selection. The choice of tenants is going to be even more crucial once the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force as it will be more difficult to evict tenants.
• Tenants can leave when they like. Tenants will be able to leave when they like with 2 months’ notice to expire at the end of a rent period.
• Changes to the way landlords will increase rent. It will be more complicated for landlords to increase rent, and it will be more attractive for tenants to appeal against a rent increase.
• Rental discrimination. Landlords will not be able to turn down applicants just because they have a child or are on benefits. They will need to have a good reason. This means selection criteria for new tenants must not don’t discriminate against families and those on benefits.
• Implied right for tenants to have pets. Landlords won’t be able to turn down a request for a tenant to keep a pet, unless they have a good reason.

2. Incremental changes based on good practice

The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law both build on existing pieces of legislation. These include Section 10 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (which includes the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018) and Section 11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (which sets out landlords’ repairing obligations).

As such, they are incremental changes, and won’t fundamentally change landlords’ obligations. Good landlords already have properties that are of a decent standard and attend to repairs promptly.

However, there will be greater focus on the facilities in properties and the time landlords take to investigate hazards reported by tenants.

3. More compliance

Landlords will need to have active entries for both themselves and their properties on the Landlord Database. They will also need to belong to the Landlord Ombudsman.

These are bureaucratic measures that landlords will need to understand, and put systems in place to make sure they comply with them. And pay the fees.

However, they won’t be game changers in terms of the way we operate.

We don’t yet know what the requirements for the database will be, but it’s likely to include the gas safety certificate and EICR, and any licence.

Regulatory bodies will be able to see easily who is a landlord, and local authorities may levy a penalty if landlords don’t register.

For the Ombudsman, landlords should think about how they will handle complaints. Particularly if they have a lot of properties.

This is all more admin, rather than something more fundamental.

7 areas where the Renters’ Rights Act increases risks for landlords

Here are 7 areas of increased risk for landlords:

1. Impact of the new assured tenancy system. All tenancies will be indefinite without a minimum term, and it will be up to the tenant to decide when they want to leave by giving two months’ notice. This means that revenue will be less predictable, and voids are likely to be longer. This is likely to be worse for HMOs, as not having a minimum term is likely to make turnover more frequent. Also, student landlords won’t be able to let properties for a period that matches the academic year.
2. Management of problematic tenants. It will be more difficult to manage and remove problematic tenants, costing more, and taking longer. Landlords will need to provide evidence if they wish to use a ground under Section 8.   will need to provide evidence. See: How the new Section 8 Grounds for Possession will work in Renters’ Rights Bill.
3. Tenant selection. Due to the new rules on rental discrimination, landlords will need to make sure they not only choose good tenants, but that their selection criteria are not discriminatory.
4. Increasing rent. As it will be easier and less risky for tenants to appeal rent increases at the First-tier Tribunal, landlords will need to make sure they have evidence of what market rents are, in case the tenant appeals. Landlords will also need to understand the Section 13 process as they won’t be able to increase rent when the tenancy “renews”, as there will be nothing to “renew” without fixed terms. See: The new rules about rent in the Renters’ Rights Bill.
5. Having to accept pets. Pets can increase the amount of wear and tear on properties. See: How to reduce the risk of pet damage
6. Damp and mould. There will be more focus on damp and mould and repairs more generally when Awaab’s Law comes out.
7. More scrutiny. There will be more scrutiny by regulatory and governmental bodies as the Landlord Database will make information will be more readily available.

7 ways landlords can reduce the risks from the Renters’ Rights Act

1. Tenant selection

Tenant selection will be critical when the Act comes into force. Look for tenants with a good long term reason to be in the area, to try to weed out applicants that are looking for a cheap alternative to a holiday let, Airbnb or who are only looking for a short term let.

Don’t skip referencing.

2. Build a good relationship with tenants – customer relations

Being a landlord is a people business, and having good relationships with tenants is a key to success.

Be business-like but friendly, and follow the golden rule of treating tenants how you would wish to be treated.

It’s easier if landlords self-manage, but landlords can still show they’re engaged if they use agents by going on inspections. Landlords should visit the property at least once a year, even if they use agents.

3. Revenue protection and legal insurance 

Landlords may be able to protect revenue by taking out legal insurance for rent arrears with rent guarantee insurance, subject to conditions. 

Find out more about rent guarantee insurance with offered by Goodlord, who are one of the keep providers of rent guarantee insurance to letting agents.

4. Rent levels

Tenants will be able to challenge rent increases at the Firs-tier Tribunal, safe in the knowledge they will have no downside, and that they will win if the proposed rent is above the market rent.

Landlords should make sure they understand where their properties sit in comparison to the market, and consider making an adjustment if it is below the market rent. Do you know what the market is? 

5. Manage rent arrears actively

It will take longer and cost more to evict tenants who are in rent arrears.

Prevention is better than cure, so it’s better to follow a process to manage rent arrears actively.

>> Related Post: Landlord guide: How to deal with rent arrears effectively

6. Sort out paperwork and compliance

Landlords should make sure their paperwork is in order and that all of their safety certification and checks are up to date.

>> Related Post: Compliance and property management checklists for landlords

7. Inspect properties

Even if landlords use agents, they should visit their properties and take a look with a critical eye whether they are of a decent standard and whether there are any hazards or potential hazards.

They should investigate the causes of damp and mould to get to the bottom or whether it’s structural or whether the tenant needs to have information on how to manage condensation effectively.

Make sure that any complaints have been resolved and that repairs and maintenance are up to date.

Get organised!

Organisation is key.

If landlords use agents, ask them to provide copies of the compliance documents to check them, and to keep the copies routinely.

Especially inspection reports, follow up activities, records of conversations with tenants, esp when advising them to do or not to do something.

Landlords should collect the documents and save them in an electronic document, systematically. It’s a good idea to keep screenshots of WhatsApp messages in case they are deleted.

>> Related Post: Compliance and property management checklists for landlords