How the Renters' Rights Act changed tenancy agreements
This guide covers what the Act means for your tenancy agreement. For the full picture of the Act itself, start with our complete Renters' Rights Act 2026 guide.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its main tenancy reforms commenced on 1 May 2026. This guide covers what it means for the document at the centre of every letting: the tenancy agreement.
Clause-by-clause impact
| Clause in old agreements | Position now |
|---|---|
| "Assured shorthold tenancy for a fixed term of 12 months" | Invalid – ASTs and fixed terms abolished; tenancy is periodic from day one |
| Section 21 / two months' landlord notice | Abolished – possession only via Section 8 grounds |
| "No pets" | Unenforceable as a blanket ban – tenants may request and refusal must be reasonable |
| Quarterly or annual rent in advance | Rent periods capped at one month |
| Tenant notice of one month | Two months' notice, from a rent day |
New obligations that sit alongside the agreement
- Rent increases – only via the Section 13 process; see our full Section 13 rent increase guide.
- Written tenancy information – landlords must give tenants a written statement of terms before the agreement is signed.
- The official information sheet – for tenancies that converted on 1 May 2026, landlords had to provide the government information sheet, with penalties up to £7,000 per tenancy for failure.
- PRS database and ombudsman – being phased in during 2026; expect registration duties.
Want the dates and figures worked out for you? Try the free rent increase calculator.
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Start my agreement →Frequently asked questions
Do I need to reissue my tenancy agreement after the Act?
It is not compulsory, because existing tenancies converted automatically, but pre-2026 documents misstate the current law and reissuing a compliant agreement removes the ambiguity.
Are old ASTs still valid?
Their terms still bind where consistent with the Act, but the AST as a tenancy type no longer exists: every tenancy is now an assured periodic tenancy.
Which clauses in old agreements are now obsolete?
Fixed terms and end dates, Section 21 and no-fault eviction references, contractual rent review clauses, and blanket pet bans, all of which are overridden by the Act.