Still Letting on the Old Rules? What's Changed for Landlords in England

If you let a home in England and the last time you properly looked at the rules was a couple of years ago, a lot of what you know no longer applies.

Since May 2026, the system that's governed private renting since 1988 has been largely rewritten by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Some of it is already live. Some of it is confirmed but hasn't started yet. And some of it is still being worked out.

That's the part that catches people out. Plenty of landlords are either still working to rules that have gone, or worrying about changes that haven't arrived. So here's where things actually stand, sorted by what you need to act on now and what you can plan for.

Already in force: the rules you're working under today

Section 21 has gone

Since 1 May 2026, you can no longer serve a "no-fault" Section 21 notice in England. The short transition window for older notices has closed too: any possession claim relying on a pre-May notice had to be issued at court by 31 July 2026. If you're holding an old Section 21 notice that never made it to court, it's no longer any use.

Every tenancy is now periodic

Fixed terms are over. Existing assured shorthold tenancies converted automatically to rolling periodic tenancies on 1 May, including ones that were partway through a fixed term. Whatever your tenancy agreement says about a 12-month term, it no longer holds. Tenants can leave with two months' notice at any time.

Getting a property back means proving a reason

Possession now runs through the reformed Section 8 grounds, and you need a valid one. If you want to sell or move in yourself, those grounds can't be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. The practical risk here is time: pick the wrong ground or get the notice wrong, and you're likely starting again, often months down the line.

Rent goes up once a year, through one route

Rent review clauses in old agreements no longer work. The only way to raise rent now is a Section 13 notice, once a year, with two months' notice, and the tenant can challenge the figure at a tribunal. Asking for more than a month's rent up front, or taking offers above the advertised rent, are both off the table too.

Pets can't just be refused

Tenants can ask to keep a pet, and you have to respond within a set time and can't unreasonably say no.

Hazards now carry an on-the-spot style penalty

In June 2026, the system councils use to rate hazards in rented homes (HHSRS) had its first major overhaul in around 20 years. The hazard list was cut from 29 to 21 and the scoring simplified. The bigger change is enforcement: a council can now fine you up to £7,000 for a serious (Category 1) hazard it thinks you could reasonably have dealt with, without having to serve an improvement notice first. Damp, mould, cold and fire risks are where most landlords will feel this.

Confirmed, but not live yet: what to plan for

The national landlord register (December 2026)

A new government database of landlords and rental properties opens on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and rolling out one region a month. Your deadline depends on where the property is, not where you live. Each region gets a three-month window, and every actively let property in England has to be registered by 14 November 2027. It costs £65 per property per year, and you'll need your safety certificates to hand when you sign up. Not registering risks fines, and can get in the way of regaining possession.

EPC C by October 2030

The minimum energy rating for most rented homes is still E today. The government has confirmed that will rise to the equivalent of C for all tenancies by 1 October 2030. There's a cost cap of £10,000 per property (lower for homes worth under £100,000), and the government's own estimate of the average spend is around £5,400. The final regulations and a new EPC assessment method are still to come, so the detail may shift, but the direction is set. Four years sounds like plenty of time until you're competing with every other landlord for the same trades.

Still being worked out: worth watching

A new landlord ombudsman, which private landlords will be required to join, plus a Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law (strict timescales for fixing damp and mould) extended to private renting, are all on the way. Firm dates for landlords haven't been set yet. Don't panic about them today, but don't be surprised when they land.

Five quick checks worth doing this week

• Your tenancy agreements. Do they still reference fixed terms, break clauses or rent review clauses that no longer apply?

• Any old Section 21 notices. If one's sitting in a drawer, it's no longer usable.

• Your repair records. If a council inspected tomorrow, could you show when you knew about a problem and what you did about it?

• Your registration window. Find out which month your region opens and put it in the diary.

• Your EPC. Know your current rating, and roughly what getting to C might involve.

Want the full picture?

Still Compliant? The Insider Edge Guide to Residential Landlord Rights and Compliance in England covers all of this in plain English, chapter by chapter, from possession and rent increases to deposits, licensing, repairs and the EPC deadline. Every rule is labelled by where it stands: already in force, confirmed but not yet live, or still proposed.

And because the law is still arriving, buyers get a free email alert and an updated edition whenever we revise it.

This article is for general information only and reflects the position in England as at 29 September 2026. It is not legal, financial or professional advice. For decisions about a specific tenancy, particularly serving notices or seeking possession, speak to a qualified solicitor.

Insider Edge is a trading name of Axis Edge Ltd Registered in England & Wales with registration no. 17062550 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ

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