Ready or Not: How Prepared Are Landlords and Tenants for the Renters’ Rights Act?
44% of landlords and 64% of tenants say they are not confident about what will actually change when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force. New research from LRG shows that while the Act is widely known about, what it means in practice is still unclear for many people on both sides of the tenancy.
LRG’s most recent Lettings Report, based on a survey of landlords and tenants across England and Wales, found that only 5% of landlords say they are very confident in their understanding of what will change. Among tenants, just 9% feel very confident, and barely one in four feel fairly confident. The Act was designed to give renters greater security, but it is tenants who feel least ready for it.
When asked what worries them most about the transition, landlords and tenants point to very different things. Nearly half of landlords (48%) say their biggest concern is losing control of outcomes, which reflects real worry about what periodic tenancies mean for how they manage their properties. For tenants, affordability is the top concern, named by 50%, with 41% also worried about understanding the new processes. Both groups are looking at the same rules and seeing different problems.
The Act is already changing how tenants think about renting. 24% say they now expect to stay in their current home for longer because tenancies are becoming periodic, and 50% say the new rules will influence how they choose their next home. On the landlord side, two thirds say they want their agent to handle the changes required before the switch to periodic-only tenancies, which shows clearly where landlords place their trust when it comes to compliance.
All of this is playing out against a tight supply backdrop. According to the English Housing Survey 2024, 19% of households in England now rent privately, and nearly two-thirds of landlords expect supply to tighten further over the next twelve months. The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent in July 2025, with Phase 1 implementation happening in May 2026. How prepared both sides are will have a real impact on how that transition goes.
Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer at Leaders, part of LRG, commented,
“The Renters’ Rights Act is the biggest change to the private rented sector in a generation, and this data shows that plenty of people still need support getting ready for it. Landlords are right to lean on their agents, and we’re well placed to help them through every step. But tenants need support too. A law designed to give renters more security only works if renters actually understand what it means for them. There is real work still to do, and the clock is ticking.”
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