Tenant power! 11 changes coming with the Renters’ Rights Bill

Are you one of the  43% of tenants whose knowledge of the Renters’ Rights Bill ranges from ‘slightly aware’ to ‘not aware at all’? With the Bill on track to become an Act this year, and implementation expected between October 2025 and January 2026, now is the time to familiarise yourself with its contents.

The good news? It’s definitely a case of power to the renting people. Here are 12 changes tenants can expect over the coming months:

1. A fairer deal for families and those in receipt of benefits: the only aspect of the Renters’ Rights Bill to apply in Scotland and Wales, as well as England, pertains to discrimination. Letting agents and landlords will not be allowed to use a blanket ban on tenants with children or those in receipt of benefits. Instead they must base decisions exclusively on affordability and referencing results.

2. An end to Section 21 notices: the days of so-called ‘no fault evictions’ are numbered as Section 21 notices will be banned (they are evictions where the landlords doesn’t need a good reason to ask you to leave). Instead, a landlord will have to use a stricter Section 8 notice to regain possession, giving tenants more security in their home.

3. Fixed term tenancies terminated: tenants will no longer be tied down to pre-set timeframes, waiting for either their fixed-term to end or a break clause to give notice. The Bill mandates that all fixed-term tenancies will switch to periodic ones, with the tenant able to give just two months’ notice to quit.

4. Rent increases capped: landlords will be restricted to how often they can increase the rent. When in force, the Bill states rent rises must be capped to once per year and only at the market rate.

5. Improved right to challenge rent increases: even though rent increases will still be permitted, tenants will have more power to challenge a rise they feel is unfair. The Government will reform the first-tier tribunal to make challenges by tenants more accessible. 

6. Ban on upfront rental payments: moving forwards, tenants will never be asked to pay more than one months’ rent as a lump sum upfront. This reform is designed to be more inclusive for renters who don’t have access to substantial sums of money.

7. Ban on bidding wars: the advertised rent will be the rent a tenant pays, as bidding wars will be outlawed. Instead of multiple renters outbidding each other to secure a property, the landlord or letting agent must choose the best tenant on their referenced credentials, not on how much they can afford to bid. 

8. A new ombudsman will be created: the Government wants to do everything possible to keep landlord-tenant disputes out of the court system. As such, a new landlord ombudsman will be created, offering an impartial service designed to find a peaceful resolution. 

9. A searchable database is coming: landlords will be obliged to register their details, and that of their properties, with a new private rented sector database. Tenants will be able to search this to help them make the most informed decisions when searching for a property.

10. Pets in lets more possible: tenants will enjoy a new right to request to keep a pet in a rental property. A landlord must not unreasonably refuse this request. Additionally, they must supply a very good reason not to allow a domestic pet in writing and do so within a new prescribed timeframe.

11. Improved habitable conditions: the quest to upgrade living conditions for tenants will move up a notch with the introduction of a Decent Homes Standard for the private rental sector. Landlords will have to meet new criteria, with a fresh emphasis on the age/condition of kitchens and bathrooms, as well as strict benchmarks for preventing, treating and managing mould/damp. 

If you’d like more details about the Renters’ Rights Bill and how it will affect a tenancy you are involved in, please get in touch.