The Renters’ Rights Bill: What Landlords Need to Know (and How to Get Ready)
- Simon Hardingham
- Sep 26
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 30
By Landmarka — helping landlords stay compliant, profitable, and calm.
The government’s proposed Renters’ Rights Bill would be the biggest shake-up of England’s private rented sector in a generation. It aims to boost tenant security, raise standards, and streamline redress. For professional landlords, the opportunity is to get ahead of the curve—tighten processes, sharpen documentation, and protect yields—while avoiding the avoidable (penalties, voids, and expensive disputes).
Below we break down the key changes, what they mean for your portfolio, lessons from similar reforms abroad, and a practical Readiness Checklist you can action today.
Headline changes at a glance - The Renters’ Rights Bill: What Landlords Need to Know
End of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions. Possession moves to Section 8 grounds (serious rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, moving in/selling, etc.).
All ASTs become periodic. Fixed terms are replaced by open-ended tenancies, with notice and grounds doing the heavy lifting.
Rent practices tighten. Annual increases remain possible; tribunals can scrutinise “excessive” hikes. No rent bidding above the advertised price.
Upfront payments curtailed. Typically one month’s rent in advance (no more multi-month prepayment models).
Standards and redress scale up. A national landlord/property database, a PRS Ombudsman, extension of the Decent Homes Standard, and time-bound repairs for serious hazards (à la Awaab’s Law).
Fair access rules. No blanket bans on families with children or those on benefits; pet rules are set to be clearer, with a route to take a dedicated pet deposit depending on final text.
Key point: There is no general rent control in the Bill. The focus is on security of tenure, minimum standards, and fairer processes.
What this means in practice
Possession becomes more “evidence-led.” Without Section 21, you’ll rely on the right Section 8 ground with the right paperwork (and, where needed, court). That rewards landlords who keep clean files, contemporaneous notes, and dated correspondence.
Professional record-keeping moves from “nice-to-have” to non-negotiable. The landlord/database registration, Decent Homes compliance, and stricter repair timelines mean you’ll want centralised records, service logs, and contractor SLAs you can point to if challenged.
Cash-flow assumptions change. With upfront rent capped and some notice periods lengthening, build in working-capital headroom. Expect more tenants to challenge steep in-tenancy rent rises, so plan increases earlier and base them on transparent comparables.
Lettings process tidies up. No rent bidding means advertise at the figure you’ll accept, and streamline your referencing/guarantor approach for higher-risk cases where you previously used large prepayments.
What we’ve seen elsewhere
Scotland (from 2017): Ended no-fault evictions and fixed terms. Tenant security improved; some landlords exited, especially those with thinner margins or higher-risk lets. When emergency rent caps were added (2022–2024), rents for new lets jumped while sitting-tenant increases were constrained—an illustration of how blunt caps can distort supply. As caps unwind, growth for new lets has cooled.
New Zealand (2020): Limited rent rises to once every 12 months and removed no-cause terminations. The market adjusted toward clearer termination grounds and better file-keeping; stability improved, and investor behaviour focused more on tenant selection and property quality.
Ireland (RPZs, evolving since 2016): Long-running caps in “Rent Pressure Zones” aimed to protect incumbents, but they also dampened investment appetite in some areas. Policymakers continue to fine-tune rules to avoid starving supply.
Takeaway for England: Security of tenure, higher standards, and stronger redress don’t automatically break the market—but they reward well-run, well-documented operations. The risk to watch is policy creep toward hard caps; that’s not in this Bill, but staying engaged matters.
Pros and cons for landlords
Upsides
A more level playing field: bidding wars and discriminatory policies phase out, narrowing the gap between compliant operators and rogues.
Clearer, codified grounds for possession encourage consistency from councils and tribunals.
Brand benefit: portfolios that already meet decent-home standards and act promptly on repairs will stand out, reducing voids.
Challenges
Admin load: registration, standards compliance, and ombudsman processes mean more checklists, more timestamps, more evidence.
Timeline friction: stricter arrears thresholds and notice rules stretch working capital and demand tighter arrears management.
Underwriting shift: with large prepayments off the table, you’ll need rock-solid affordability checks, guarantors, or rent guarantees.
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Make sure you and your properties are ready for the upcoming Renters' Rights Bill with Landmarka's FREE Landlord Readiness Checklist download!
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