Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
The Renters’ Rights Act: How Tenants can Move Smart, Save Big, and Stay Protected
Moneymagpie Team
16th Feb 2026
Sponsored by HUSMUS
May 1st, 2026 marks the biggest shift in renting since 1988. The Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, fundamentally rebalancing a system that’s left millions of tenants feeling powerless. No-fault evictions disappear. Rent increase challenges become real. Discrimination gets banned. Advance rent demands get capped.
But your new rights only help if you actually know how to use them. This is your complete guide to what’s changing, what it means for your tenancy, and what you need to do now.
First things first, we’ve partnered with Crisis, the national homelessness charity, for a deep dive into your new rights under the Renters’ Rights Act. Practical scenarios, real examples, live Q&A with experts who know this legislation inside out.
Tuesday 24th February 2026, 12.30 – 13.15pm GMT
Bring your questions. Register free here
Now, here’s what’s changing…
- The Reality Check: Being a Good Tenant Matters More Than Ever
- The Big One: No More Section 21 “No-Fault” Evictions
- Rent Increases: You Can Actually Challenge Them Now
- The Financial Game-Changer: Advance Rent Limits
- Better Flexibility: The Two-Month Notice Rule
- Your Other New Rights
- What to Do Before May 1st
The Reality Check: Being a Good Tenant Matters More Than Ever
Before we get to your new rights, let’s talk about the trade-off. Landlords are losing their safety net; Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are being abolished. Their concern is that the new eviction process will be slower, more complex, and less certain for them.
What does this mean for you? Expect much stricter vetting. Your rent payment history now matters enormously. References will be more thorough, questions more detailed.
Here’s how to be strategic. Build verifiable rent payment history starting now. Keep records of everything: emails, photos, check out inventories. Don’t burn bridges with your current landlord, references are currency in the new system.
Good tenants get repairs done faster, more flexibility when they need it, and better references for their next place. Your rental history follows you. Make it work for you, not against you.
The Big One: No More Section 21 “No-Fault” Evictions
Section 21 allowed landlords to evict you with two months’ notice without having to give a reason. While the vast majority of landlords used it legitimately, it also enabled a minority to get away with bad behaviour. Complain too much about your damp problem? You might get evicted. Your landlord thinks they can get more rent? Out you go. It was the reason tenants lived in fear of raising legitimate issues.
From May 1st, it’s gone. Completely.
Landlords must now use Section 8 evictions, which require valid grounds: selling the property (but not in your first 12 months), moving themselves or family in (again, not in your first year), serious rent arrears (three months plus or repeated delays), antisocial behaviour, or breach of tenancy terms.
The caveat? You still need to pay rent on time and follow your tenancy agreement. Valid eviction grounds still exist. And there’s a big unknown: how fast will the courts process Section 8 cases? Current backlogs suggest not quickly. This uncertainty is exactly why landlords will be more careful about who they let to in the first place.
Rent Increases: You Can Actually Challenge Them Now
Currently, your landlord can increase the rent whenever they like without a set notice period for you. And when your landlord proposes a rent increase, you have two choices: pay it or leave. From May 1st, you get a third option: challenge it.
Landlords can increase rent once per year via a formal Section 13 notice, with minimum two months’ advance notice. But you can now challenge increases you believe are above ‘market rate’ at the First-tier Tribunal. And what is market rate, you ask? It’s the rent being charged for similar homes.
The tribunal will assess comparable local rents and property conditions. If you’re right, the increase gets blocked or reduced to the genuine market rate. If the tribunal agrees with your landlord, the increase stands as proposed. The tribunal cannot increase rent beyond what the landlord asked for.
Important considerations: the process may take months (though tribunal reforms are coming). You’ll need evidence: comparable properties, local rental data, documentation of the property’s condition. Use this power for genuine above-market gouging, not legitimate market adjustments.
Your relationship with your landlord matters. Pick your battles wisely. This is a strategic tool, not an automatic right to refuse any increase you don’t like.
The Financial Game-Changer: Advance Rent Limits
Here’s one that Money Magpie readers will appreciate: landlords can no longer demand multiple months’ rent upfront.
The old system was brutal. “Six months’ rent in advance or provide a guarantor” was standard for anyone self-employed, on a temporary contract, or new to the UK. If you didn’t have thousands in savings or a homeowner willing to guarantee you, you were shut out.
From May 1st, landlords can require a maximum of one month’s rent in advance. That’s it. No more financial barriers that only wealthy tenants could clear.
This makes a massive difference. Moving house already costs enough: deposit (capped at five weeks’ rent), removal van, time off work, potential overlap paying two rents. Removing the multi-month advance requirement makes renting accessible to people with regular income but not massive savings.
Here’s the caveat: without the security of multiple months of rent, landlords are now more likely to require guarantors. Guarantors were often homeowners risking their finances to back someone’s tenancy—a huge ask that many couldn’t fulfil. If you do not have a guarantor, then you can pay for a corporate guarantor or get guarantor insurance from Husmus.
Better Flexibility: The Two-Month Notice Rule
Twelve-month minimum terms for tenancy agreements have been the standard for decades. Breaking it meant financial penalties. But more importantly it meant no flexibility for tenants. Job relocates you to another location six months in? Start a new relationship and want to move in together? Tough luck.
From May 1st, all tenancies become periodic—rolling month-to-month. You can leave with two months’ notice anytime, aligned to your rent payment date. There’s an initial four-month period where you can’t serve notice, then you’re free to go.
Perfect for life’s unpredictability: job relocations, relationship changes, family circumstances. It also gives you a little bit more control on the quality of the home you live in. If your landlord refuses to make repairs then you can give notice and leave.
The financial reality check: moving is expensive. Deposits, removal costs, time off work, potentially overlap rent. It’s almost always cheaper to stay put unless you genuinely need to move. Use this flexibility strategically, not impulsively.
Your Other New Rights
Pets protected: Landlords must have a reasonable reason to refuse written pet requests. No more blanket “no pets” policies. They must actually assess your specific animal and situation.
Discrimination banned: Can’t be rejected for having children or receiving Universal Credit or other Benefits. Applies to both advertising and actual letting decisions.
Bidding wars banned: The advertised rent is the rent. Landlords can’t encourage or accept higher offers. No more “best and final offer” exploitation in competitive markets.
Coming later: The PRS Database (late 2026) brings transparency on landlord compliance. The new Ombudsman (late 2026) provides dispute resolution. Decent Homes Standard (2030+) sets minimum quality requirements.
What to Do Before May 1st
Currently renting? Document everything. Take photos, keep emails, track communications. Review your tenancy agreement and inventory report. Build your “good tenant” file: rent payment records, damage history.
Searching for property? Prepare thorough documentation as new vetting will be detailed. Get a tenant profile and guarantor & pet damage insurance if you need it.
Everyone: Understand your rights and learn how to use them. Join our free webinar on February 24th at 12.30pm with Crisis for the full picture, practical examples, and answers to your specific questions. Register here
Renting is being rebalanced, make sure you know how to use what you’re getting.
About Husmus: We provide AI-powered tenant referencing and insurance solutions for the housing market. Our products include Tenant Shield (deposit and guarantor alternatives), Rent Guarantee Insurance to protect landlord income and Landlord Insurance with pet damage and boiler breakdown cover. Our goal is to create a rental market where both landlords and tenants have the tools and protection they need to rent homes easily. Learn more at husmus.net.
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