Key Dates for the Renters' Rights Act: Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 Timeline
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and is being implemented in three phases. Phase 1 takes effect on 1 May 2026. If you're a landlord or letting agent in England, here are every key date and deadline you need to know.
Timeline at a glance
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 27 Oct 2025 | Royal Assent — the Act becomes law |
| 27 Dec 2025 | New council investigatory powers take effect |
| 30 Apr 2026 | Last day to serve a valid Section 21 notice |
| 1 May 2026 | Phase 1 takes effect — Section 21 abolished, ASTs convert to periodic, Form 4A replaces Form 4, rent bidding banned, advance rent capped |
| 31 May 2026 | Deadline to provide government Information Sheet to existing tenants |
| 31 Jul 2026 | Last day to file court proceedings on pre-1 May Section 21 notices |
| Late 2026 | Phase 2 begins — PRS Database regional rollout starts |
| 2028 (expected) | Landlord Ombudsman opens for complaints |
| 2030+ | Phase 3 — EPC C minimum, Decent Homes Standard for PRS |
Already in effect: council investigatory powers
Since 27 December 2025, local councils have had expanded powers to:
- Enter privately rented properties to inspect compliance
- Demand up to 12 months of compliance documentation
- Access third-party data to identify non-compliant landlords
- Take enforcement action using civil penalties
This change came into force 2 months after Royal Assent. Local housing authorities received £18.2 million in 2025/26 funding to build enforcement capacity, allocated based on the number of PRS properties in each area.
What this means for you: Councils can already request your Gas Safety Certificates, EICRs, EPCs, deposit protection evidence, and tenancy documentation. If your records aren't in order, the risk of enforcement action exists now — not from May 2026.
Phase 1: 1 May 2026
Phase 1 delivers the most significant changes. Here's every requirement with its specific deadline:
Section 21 abolition
- 30 April 2026 (4:30 pm): Last moment to serve a valid Section 21 notice
- 1 May 2026: No new Section 21 notices can be served
- 31 July 2026: Last date to begin court proceedings on a Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 (or within 6 months of serving the notice — whichever is earlier)
All future possession claims must use Section 8 grounds.
Automatic AST conversion
On 1 May 2026, every Assured Shorthold Tenancy — including fixed-term ASTs — automatically converts to a periodic assured tenancy. This happens by operation of law. No notice or agreement is needed.
Fixed-term break clauses and end dates cease to have effect. All tenancies become rolling periodic with no fixed end date.
Rent increase rules
From 1 May 2026:
- All rent increases must use the Section 13 process with Form 4A — use the Rent Increase Calculator to check your next valid date
- Minimum 2 months' notice (increased from 1 month)
- No increase within the first 12 months of a tenancy
- Maximum one increase per 12-month period
- Rent review clauses and CPI/RPI indexation clauses become void
- Rent bidding (encouraging offers above advertised rent) is banned — penalty up to £7,000
Rent advance cap
Landlords cannot request or accept more than 1 month's rent in advance. This applies to all new tenancies from 1 May 2026.
Written Statements and Information Sheets
- New tenancies from 1 May 2026: Must provide a Written Statement of key tenancy terms at or before the start of the tenancy
- Existing tenancies: Must provide the government-published Information Sheet by 31 May 2026 (28 days after Phase 1)
- Penalty for non-compliance: Up to £7,000
The government will publish the prescribed Written Statement format and Information Sheet before 1 May 2026. Expected publication: March-April 2026.
Anti-discrimination protections
From 1 May 2026:
- Blanket bans on benefit recipients prohibited
- Blanket bans on tenants with children prohibited
- Objective, documented selection criteria required
Pet requests
From 1 May 2026:
- Tenants can make a written request to keep a pet
- Landlords must respond within 28 days with consent or a written refusal with reasons
- Silence after 28 days defaults to consent
- Landlords can require pet damage insurance
Tenant notice to leave
From 1 May 2026, tenants can end any periodic tenancy with 2 months' notice at any time. No break clause or reason needed.
Phase 2: late 2026 onwards
Phase 2 introduces two new systems. Specific dates have not been confirmed — only that rollout begins in late 2026.
Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database
A mandatory registration system for all private landlords in England.
What we know:
- Regional rollout starting late 2026 (the government has not announced which regions go first)
- All private landlords will eventually need to register their properties
- The database will hold compliance data (certificates, registration status)
- Tenants and councils will be able to check landlord registration status
- Secondary legislation will set the specific registration requirements and fees
What we don't know yet:
- Which regions launch first
- Registration fees
- Exact data requirements
- Penalties for non-registration
- Whether existing landlord licensing schemes interact with the database
Landlord Ombudsman
All private landlords will be required to join a government-approved ombudsman scheme.
What we know:
- Development begins late 2026
- Expected to be operational by 2028
- Will handle tenant complaints that can't be resolved directly with the landlord
- Modelled on existing ombudsman services (energy, financial, etc.)
What we don't know yet:
- Membership fees
- Complaint categories and processes
- How it interacts with existing redress requirements for letting agents
Social rented sector
The Phase 1 reforms (Section 21 abolition, periodic tenancy conversion) initially apply only to the private rented sector. Phase 2 extends them to social housing. Timeline TBC.
Phase 3: 2030 onwards
Phase 3 focuses on long-term property standards.
EPC C minimum rating
All domestic privately rented properties expected to meet EPC C or equivalent by 2030. This is a significant upgrade from the current minimum E rating.
What this means:
- Properties rated D or below will need energy efficiency improvements
- Exemptions will likely apply for listed buildings and properties where improvements aren't cost-effective
- The exact implementation mechanism and exemption criteria will be set by secondary legislation
Decent Homes Standard for PRS
The Decent Homes Standard — currently applicable to social housing — will be extended to the private rented sector. Expected timeline: 2035-2037.
This sets minimum requirements for:
- Structural condition
- Facilities and services (kitchen, bathroom, heating)
- Thermal comfort
- State of repair
Awaab's Law extension
The government will consult on extending Awaab's Law (requiring landlords to address serious hazards like damp and mould within prescribed timeframes) to the private rented sector. This is part of the Phase 3 programme.
What to do now
Immediate (before 1 May 2026):
- Audit your Section 21 notices — decide whether to file court claims before the deadline
- Verify all safety certificates are current (councils can already inspect)
- Set up Form 4A rent increase tracking
- Prepare to issue Written Statements and Information Sheets
Short-term (May-December 2026):
- Issue government Information Sheets to all existing tenants by 31 May 2026
- Remove all rent bidding language from listings
- Update tenant selection processes to remove blanket bans
- Set up pet request handling process
Medium-term (2027-2028):
- Register on the PRS Database when your region launches
- Join the Landlord Ombudsman scheme when it opens
- Begin planning energy efficiency improvements for Phase 3
For a personalised assessment of your readiness across all phases, try the free RRA Readiness Checker. Track every deadline with the RRA Deadline Tracker. For the full Phase 1 checklist, see the landlord compliance checklist.
This timeline applies to England only. Scotland has different legislation (the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016). Wales has the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. This is not legal advice.
Information is current as of the date shown above. We update this timeline as new dates and secondary legislation are confirmed.