The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, bringing significant changes to the private rented sector. On 1 May 2026, any pre-existing assured shorthold tenancy (AST) automatically became an assured periodic tenancy (APT) - or ‘rolling’ tenancy.
Private Renting has now changed. Details of all the changes can be found online:
There is a section for landlords with full guidance of the changes:
There is a section for tenants with full guidance of the changes:
Local authorities now have new powers to impose Civil Penalties for certain housing offences, and tenants also have the right to claim Rent Repayment Orders if landlords commit certain offences requiring up to 2 years rent to be repaid:
If you believe a landlord or agent has breached any of the following new regulations under the Renters Rights Act 2025 then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Service on email: housing.standards@york.gov.uk, or telephone: 01904 552300.
- Renters' Rights Information Sheet
- Student tenancies
- Rental discrimination
- Requirement to state rent and avoid rental bidding
- Rules on starting and ending tenancies
- Ending fixed term tenancies
- Rent increases
- Renting with pets
- Further udpates to renters' rights
Renters' Rights Information Sheet
Your landlord needed to provide you a copy of the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026, either digitally or on paper if you had an existing tenancy with them before 1 May 2026.
The Information Sheet is a government-produced document which landlords had to send to all their existing tenants who already had a written record of their tenancy terms. You can find more information - including on exceptions to this deadline - in the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026.
If your landlord did not provide you with the information sheet and believe you should have been then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Team.
For tenancies that started on or after 1 May 2026, or those that started before 1 May 2026 and which didn’t have a written record then your landlord needs to provide you with certain information about the tenancy in writing. They may do this in a tenancy agreement.
- Written information that must be given to tenants: guidance for landlords and agents
- Guidance - Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant
If you have not received your written tenancy agreement from your landlord, then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Team.
Student tenancies
If you’re a student, there are additional things you need to know.
If you signed a contract after 1 May 2026 to move into purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA - commonly referred to as ‘halls of residence’), your tenancy won’t be impacted by the Renters’ Rights Act. This means, for example, you may still have a fixed term tenancy.
If you live in other student accommodation (such as a student house share), or if you were already living in PBSA on 1 May 2026, you no longer have a fixed term tenancy.
For 2026 only, if you’re an existing student tenant in non-PBSA accommodation you may be served a notice to end your tenancy between 1 May 2026 and 30 July 2026, and will have a 2 month notice period to move out. This will help facilitate the availability of potential homes for students needing them ahead of the 2026 to 2027 academic year. From 2027, your landlord will need to provide you with 4 months’ notice to end a tenancy between 1 June and 30 September.
Rental discrimination
Discrimination against renters who have children or receive benefits is now illegal:
- you cannot do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits
- this includes withholding information about a property (including its availability), preventing them from viewing it, or refusing to grant a tenancy
Guidance for landlords and tenants can be found online:
If you believe a person/agent has carried about the above discrimination, then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Team.
Requirement to state rent and avoid rental bidding
Rental bidding has been banned:
- you must include a specific price on any written property advertisement
- you aren’t allowed to ask for, encourage, or accept an offer that’s higher
Requiring large amounts of rent in advance has been banned:
- you can only require up to 1 month’s rent in the period between all parties signing the tenancy and the tenancy starting
- you cannot accept any payment of rent before this period
- once the tenancy’s begun, you cannot require any payment of rent before it’s due
If you believe a person or agent has breached the above, then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Team.
Rules on starting and ending tenancies
Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions have been abolished.
Landlords are no longer able to use Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict tenants. Landlords must use a specific possession ground from the government guidance.
Tenants should refer to this guidance if a landlord asks them to leave:
If you believe a landlord has tried to evict you or end your tenancy with you, without using the correct Section 8 procedure or used the correct possession ground then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Team.
Ending fixed term tenancies
If you believe a landlord has tried to let a dwelling on a fixed term tenancy, then please contact the Healthy and Sustainable Homes Team.
Guidance for tenants can be found online:
Rent increases
Most private Landlords can only increase the rent once per year using the specified section 13 rent increase notice.
Please follow the Shelter guidance to assist you with challenging any rent increases:
Your local authority will not be the enforcing power for these, please see the government guidance:
- Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords - Rent increases
- Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants - Rent increases
Renting with pets
Your landlord must consider requests for tenants to have pets.
Your local authority will not be the enforcing power for these. Please see the government guidance:
Further udpates to renters' rights
Other elements of the Renters’ Rights Act will take effect in later phases.
In the future a database, an ombudsman, Awaab’s Law, and the Decent Homes Standard will all be implemented in the private rented sector.
Start thinking about these changes now to ensure you are ready for the future.
You can sign up to government updates online.
Also see