Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – Information for tenants

From 1 May 2026, any existing assured shorthold tenancy will automatically become an assured periodic tenancy – or ‘rolling’ tenancy. 

You do not need to do anything for this change to take effect.

Under an assured periodic tenancy, you’ll no longer be able to have a tenancy with an end date. Instead, the tenancy will continue until either party ends it or a court makes a possession order.   

Your landlord won’t be able to evict you from a property without giving a legally valid reason. These reasons are known as ‘grounds for possession’ and include circumstances where your landlord needs to sell the property, move into the property, or where you’re in rent arrears.  

You’ll need to give your landlord two months’ notice in writing when you want to leave, unless your landlord agrees with you in writing that you can provide less notice. You can do this at any time during your tenancy.  

Your landlord will need to give you written information about the terms of your tenancy:   

• for most tenancies that started before 1 May 2026, your landlord will need to send you a copy of the government-produced Renters‘ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 [external link] by 31 May 2026, either digitally or on paper. This is a new government-produced document which landlords must send to all existing tenants, who already have a written record of the tenancy terms.  

• for tenancies that start on or after 1 May 2026, or those that started before 1 May and which don’t have a written record, your landlord will need to provide you with certain information about the tenancy in writing. They may do this in a tenancy agreement.  

Further government advice is available at Assured periodic tenancies guidance [external link]. 

Even if your fixed term tenancy is due to end after 1 May 2026, on 1 May 2026 it will become an assured periodic tenancy.  

The tenancy will then continue until either party ends it or a possession order is made.   

You’ll need to give your landlord two months’ notice in writing when you want to leave, unless your landlord agrees with you in writing that you can provide less notice. You can do this at any time during your tenancy after 1 May 2026. 

If your landlord has followed the correct process, a Section 21 notice (or a notice under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988) served on or before 30 April 2026 will still be valid. In these cases, the reforms in the Renters’ Rights Act won’t apply to your tenancy on 1 May 2026. In most cases your landlord can still apply to the court for a possession order until 31 July 2026 if you have not left the property by the date specified in the notice. If you’ve been served a Section 21 notice and require advice or support, you can contact a specialist housing advice provider like Shelter or Citizens Advice, or your local council.  

Similarly, if your landlord has served a Section 21 notice and started court proceedings for possession before 1 May 2026, the reforms in the Renters’ Rights Act will not apply to your tenancy whilst those proceedings are taking place. 

From 1 May 2026, your landlord will no longer be able to serve a Section 21 notice and will only be able to evict you for certain reasons. These are called ‘grounds for possession.’ 

Further government advice is available at -

Guidance for if you were served a notice of possession after 1 May 2026 [external link]. 

Guidance for if you were served a notice of possession before 1 May 2026 [external link]. 

Yes. From 1 May 2026, a landlord can only increase your rent once every 12 months from the date of the last increase, regardless of whether the last increase came before 1 May 2026, was carried out via a Section 13 notice, or by using a rent review clause.  Your landlord will need to follow the new legal process for increasing the rent. 

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) [external link] may be able to help you if you think the rent increase is higher than the ‘open market rate’. This is the rent for similar properties in the area.

Further government advice is available at -

Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants: Rent increases - GOV.UK [external link]

If your landlord is non-compliant, you can report them to the Council or you can take legal action against the landlord yourself.

The council may fine your landlord up to £7,000 for initial or minor non-compliance. Serious, persistent or repeat non-compliance may result in a fine of up to £40,000, with the alternative of a criminal prosecution.   

You may also be able to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO). This allows you to seek recovery of up to 24 months’ rent where you believe your landlord has committed certain offences in this list of offences [external link].

Rent Repayments Orders [external link].

Housing Options Team

Housing Options team can offer you housing support if you have been served an eviction notice, your landlord wants to increase your rent without using a Section 13 notice or advice if your landlord wants to end your tenancy.

Contact:

Threatened with Homelessness or Homeless tonight- Darlington Borough Council Customer Services 01325 405333 (during office hours Mon-Fri)

Out of Office – Homeless Emergency Duty Team 01642 524552

For further information please see – Darlington BC - Threatened with homelessness

If you’re at risk of losing your home, you can get free legal advice through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service [external link]. 

Further government advice is available at -

Evictions guidance [external link]. 

Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants: Rent increases - GOV.UK [external link]

Grounds for possession: guidance for tenants - GOV.UK [external link]. 

Trading Standards

Trading Standards can offer you support with your tenancy agreement, for example, if you are asked to pay, or have paid a fee that is not allowed, have been asked to pay more than one months’ rent in advance, have been given a fixed term tenancy agreement or have experienced rental discrimination when attempting to rent a property.

Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133

Contact the consumer service about general consumer problems [external link]. 

For further information please see Darlington Borough Council’s information online at: Darlington BC - Trading Standards

Further government advice is available at:

• Tenant Fees Act guidance [external link] 
• Rent in advance guidance [external link] 
• Rental discrimination guidance [external link]
• Lettings agents and property managers: redress schemes [external link]

Private Sector Housing Team

The Private Sector Housing Team can offer you support with poor property conditions or disrepair if your landlord is not arranging remedial works in a timely manner, for example, if you do not have a gas safety certificate, your property has an energy performance certificate with an F or G rating or there is disrepair to the property’s electrical installations. The Team can also offer advice or assistance for tenants of shared houses (Houses in Multiple Occupation).

For further information please see:

Housing disrepair and how to make a complaint

Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs)

Complaint or enquiry about private sector housing conditions [online form, opens in new window]

Contact the private sector housing team. Telephone: 01325 403360  or email: [email protected]

If you do not want to contact the local council

Make a complaint to the letting agent or property manager. If you cannot resolve it with them, complain to their redress scheme.

All letting agents must belong to a redress scheme. Redress schemes can help support you with a complaint. Find which redress scheme the letting agent belongs to [external link]. 

You can also take private legal action against the landlord or letting agent. You should contact a Law Centre or lawyer/solicitor if you want to do this. You can find your local Law Centre online [external link].