Landlords must ‘act quickly’ after Renters Rights Act launch date is announced
A leading estate and lettings agent says that landlords must “act quickly” after the Government announced that the controversial Renters Rights Act will be implemented from May 1st next year.
The changes, which include the end of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, represent the biggest upheaval in the landlord and tenant sector in a generation.
The key changes include:
Section 21 “no-fault” evictions abolished — all fixed-term tenancies will convert to rolling, periodic agreements.
Rent reviews restricted to once per year, following a clear and formal process.
National landlord register introduced, requiring proof of compliance for each property.
Higher minimum property standards and stronger enforcement powers for local councils.
A survey by Chester-based Cavendish revealed that just 7% of landlords in the region are “fully prepared” for the launch of the act.
The remaining 93% have either not heard of it at all (5%), are aware of it but don’t know what it means for them (21%), have heard of it but know very little about it (22%) or have a general understanding but still have questions (45%).
David Adams, Managing Director of Cavendish and also the author of The Landlord’s Playbook, said:
“The announcement that the implementation of the act will start on May 1st 2026 should focus the minds of landlords, giving them a six-month window to ensure they are fully up-to-speed and compliant with the sweeping changes that are coming to the landlord and tenant sector.
“The act is the biggest change to the sector for a generation and landlords who are not fully prepared run the risk of severe reputational damage and financial penalties.
“The six-month window will go by in a flash, so our advice is that landlords must act quickly if they want to protect and grow their rental portfolios.”
Under the bill, landlords will face higher fines with civil penalties for non-compliance, starting at £7,000 and rising to a maximum civil penalty of up to £40,000.
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