Renters’ Rights Act 2025: What the New Law Means for Private Landlords
Published on October 30, 2025 by Sarah Mac
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which became law on 27 October 2025, marks one of the biggest shifts in private renting for more than 30 years. Designed to give tenants greater security and transparency, it also means landlords and agents will need to adapt their processes to stay compliant.
Here’s a clear breakdown of what’s changing, and what it means in practice for landlords in England.
Goodbye Section 21, hello open-ended tenancies
The Renters’ Rights Act abolishes the use of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, meaning landlords can no longer end tenancies without a specific reason. All new and existing tenancies will eventually become open-ended, so they continue indefinitely until the tenant decides to leave or the landlord provides a valid reason under the new framework.
Landlords will still be able to regain possession, but only through defined grounds such as selling the property, moving in themselves, or serious tenant breach. The government has pledged to modernise court processes to help landlords enforce these grounds more efficiently.
New and updated grounds for possession
Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 has been updated with clearer and broader grounds for possession. These include:
- Repeated rent arrears: a new mandatory ground for tenants who fall seriously behind more than once in a set period.
- Anti-social behaviour: clearer definitions and faster procedures to support landlords dealing with nuisance tenants.
- Landlord sale or occupation: landlords can recover possession if they genuinely intend to sell or move in, provided proper notice is given.
For landlords, this means ensuring evidence — including reports, photos and communications — is properly documented should possession ever be required.
Notice periods and tenant protection
Most notice periods will remain at two months, though this varies depending on the ground for possession. Some serious breaches may allow for shorter notice, while rent arrears and property sale notices will still require a minimum of two months.
Tenants must also now give at least two months’ notice when leaving a tenancy, creating a more balanced process for both sides.
Awaab’s law and the Decent Homes Standard
The Act means that both Awaab’s law and the Decent Homes Standard will now apply to private sector tenancies rather than just social housing. Regulations will be needed, however, to implement this in each case.
Once the regulations are in force, landlords will need to ensure:
- Properties are free from serious hazards such as damp, mould or unsafe electrics.
- Appliances, alarms and safety features are in full working order.
- Any furnishings provided are fire-safe and compliant.
Awaab’s law will require landlords to fix reported health and safety hazards, such as damp and mould, within set time limits.
Tenants also have clearer rights to request repairs, and local authorities have increased powers to enforce standards more consistently.
The government has also consulted on reforming the Decent Homes Standard ahead of it becoming law for private landlords as well as social housing providers. The outcomes are still to be released, but it’s looking like new standard won’t be enforceable until either 2035 or 2037.
New landlord redress scheme
Landlords must join a new ombudsman scheme designed to provide a fast and cost-effective means of resolving tenant disputes.
It is not yet clear, however, as to when the scheme will be launched, or how much landlords will need to pay to join.
Greater transparency on rent and fees
To prevent unfair rent rises, landlords must follow new rules around rent review notices. In most cases, rent can only be increased once per year, with at least two months’ written notice to the tenant.
The First-tier Tribunal remains available to resolve disputes over rent increases, helping to ensure rents remain fair and justified.
Pets, deposits and letting rules
Tenants now have a legal right to request a pet, and landlords must not unreasonably refuse. Tenant requests must be made in writing, and include a description of the pet. Landlords must give or refuse consent within 28 days, unless further information is required.
Government guidance is expected in terms of circumstances where landlords might be allowed to refuse consent, for example where the property size isn’t suitable, or due to the number of existing pets already kept by the tenant.
Deposits and holding fees remain capped under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, but all related documents and records must be properly issued and stored to avoid compliance breaches.
What does the Renters’ Right Act 2025 mean for private landlords?
The Renters’ Rights Act places greater emphasis on documentation, evidence, and ongoing property condition. Landlords will need reliable processes in place to record property standards and tenant behaviour throughout each tenancy.
Accurate, date-stamped reporting — from the start of a tenancy through to check-out — will become even more vital to protect both landlord and tenant interests, especially when possession or deposit disputes arise.
How SRP Inventories can help
As the private rented sector landscape changes, SRP Inventories is here to help landlords stay compliant and protected under the new law.
Our professional services include:
- Inventories & check-ins – ensuring properties are up to standard for incoming tenants.
- Check-outs – clear, photographic evidence of property condition.
- Mid-term inspections – helping landlords demonstrate ongoing maintenance and compliance with safety standards.
We also offer tailored compliance and Selective Licensing checks – covering specifics such as smoke alarms, CO₂ detectors, electrical testing and fire label verification for furnished lets.
With accurate, time-stamped reports and a trusted national team, SRP gives landlords the confidence and documentation they need to meet new legal standards under the Renters’ Rights Act.
For help staying compliant with the new laws, please get in touch.