The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – A Home’s Not A House 28 October 2025
At 740PM last night the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (“RRA”) received Royal Assent and passed into law. The Prime Minster declared:
“Every family deserves the dignity of a safe and secure home."
“For too long, millions of renters have lived at the mercy of rogue landlords or insecure contracts, with their futures hanging in the balance. We’re putting an end to that."
“A secure home isn’t just bricks and mortar – it’s the foundation for opportunity, safety, and a better life. No child should grow up without one.”
And while, at the time of writing, a consolidated version of the final legislative text does not appear on either the Parliamentary or Government legislation websites (and this post is to be read subject to that caveat), it nevertheless seems an apt time to take stock.
1. Effective When? Well, we don’t know – not for all of it at least. Key parts of the RRA (including the abolition of s.21) are not yet in force. The Government, as is customary, has been given various powers to bring the entirety of the Act into effect. Yet, only yesterday, the Housing Secretary said he would “soon” publish a timetable of when the RRA would go fully live. And so, like a storm on the horizon, the RRA is formed if not yet wholly landed.
2. The Aim and Scope? As we can see from the PM’s declaration above, politically it is to strengthen the securities and protections for residential tenants, for assured tenancies within its scope. It is then, fair to say, the RRA is moved by the idea that a home is not the same thing as a house. This is reflected in most residential tenancies now becoming periodic tenancies, and the restriction of the ability to make fixed term agreements.
3. Section 21? This is the big one – the place where much of the excited commentary around the RRA has centred. And it’s clear why. The legislation makes provision to enable the abolition of the s.21 procedure for the termination of Assured Shorthold Tenancies. The abolition of so called ‘no fault eviction’ is seismic. When this part of the RRA comes into force, expect a busier County Court near you (and hope too that the Government has made due provision in the meantime for that). But perhaps do not expect it soon for, as mentioned above, the Government has not yet said when this part of the new regime will come into force, recognising perhaps that time is needed for landlords and property managers to adjust. As and when it clicks into gear, what the possession-desirous landlord will be adjusting to is the need to utilise one of the ‘s.8 grounds’ under the Housing Act 1988 (as it has been amended).
4. New section 8 Grounds? It’s section 8, but not as we know it. There are changes to these grounds, with some additional ones added for landlords. There are downsides lying here for landlords too though: for example, the establishment of a requirement of 3 months’ worth of arrears – rather than 2 – to justify eviction, with the notice period increasing to 4 weeks.
5. But it’s not a rent control Act? The short answer is ‘no, it’s not’ but there is a mandatory statutory scheme addressing the process and size of possible increases in rent. This is comprised in the new s.13.
6. Tenant termination? A considerably liberalising development for tenants, and a concerning one for landlords, will be the creation of the tenant’s right of termination on 2 months’ notice.
7. And doggies? Ah yes, renters will now have greater entitlements to keep a pet (so long as certain conditions are fulfilled, landlords not unreasonably being allowed to refuse the same).
Thought for the future: what don’t we know? In a different context, Nugee LJ once said the meaning of a particular provision was “unclear as a matter of language”, before – and wisely – reflecting that “interpretation of a legal text is never simply a matter of language. It is always relevant to seek to understand how the instrument is intended to work and why.”
And that might be the key takeaway here. The political purpose of this Act, as identified at the start of this post, was wide ranging.
Of more importance, and a better steer for us as lawyers, as well as those in the market, is the RRA’s Long Title which reads it is to: “Make provision changing the law about rented homes, including provision abolishing fixed term assured tenancies and assured shorthold tenancies; imposing obligations on landlords and others in relation to rented homes and temporary and supported accommodation; and for connected purposes.”
An Act can change culture as well as law. And the precise meanings and effects of the RRA remain to be determined. Until then we see decisions on particular provisions wind their way through the Courts, and discern the Court’s view on “how the instrument is intended to work and why” the best advice is to seek advice.
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