Landlord & Tenant

For private tenancies in England, since 1 May 2026: assured shorthold tenancies, fixed terms and section 21 notices are abolished, and existing tenancies became periodic assured tenancies automatically; a landlord can end one only on a ground in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (the grounds for selling or moving in need four months' notice and cannot end a tenancy in its first 12 months); rent can be increased once a year by section 13 notice, challengeable at the First-tier Tribunal; rental bidding and most rent in advance are banned; tenants can ask to keep a pet; and landlords must give a written statement of terms. Still to come: the landlord register, opening region by region from 15 December 2026 (every landlord registered by 14 November 2027), and a landlord ombudsman. A section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 can no longer be used to start a claim — the last day to issue one was 31 July 2026 — although a claim issued in time can run its course.

The tenant can claim between one and three times the deposit as a penalty (Housing Act 2004, s.214), and until the deposit is protected and the prescribed information given — or the deposit is returned — the court cannot make a possession order except on the anti-social behaviour grounds. It remains one of the commonest reasons possession claims fail. If you're in that position, take advice before doing anything else.

Once a year, by a statutory section 13 notice (Form 4A) giving at least two months' notice, and not within the first year of the tenancy. The tenant can refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal, which decides the market rent but cannot set more than you proposed, and the new rent then runs only from its decision. Rent-review clauses in the agreement no longer have any effect.

No. Since 1 December 2022 lettings in Wales have been governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016: tenancies became 'occupation contracts', the landlord must issue a written statement of the contract, and the notice rules are different. The Renters' Rights Act's tenancy reforms apply to England.