The private rented sector is going through its biggest transformation for decades with the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill.
This will be the biggest change the sector has seen since the Housing Act in 1988. This rental legislation change will see a comprehensive change in Renters’ Rights as a result of the Bill which stems from Labour’s promise to properly address longstanding issues that have affected the sector for years; a sector that is currently housing 4.6 million households in England.
This Renters’ Rights Bill impact assessment aims to guide letting agents through the inevitable new legal obligations they and the rest of the landlords who all make up the 2.3 million these changes are likely to affect. We want to help break down key changes due to take place, to compare current rules against the ones coming in, to offer practical insights on how best to navigate the new landlord rules 2025 and a timeline of this new compliance to make it more manageable to follow.
Key Changes at a Glance
Abolition of Section 21 "No Fault" Evictions
For those asking, when will Section 21 be scrapped? - With the Section 21 notice abolished, landlords will have to have a reason for evicting tenants from their properties. This will also mean that all current Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) become periodic, with no fixed end date in place, and the contract becoming a rolling agreement. Landlords will now need to establish a ground for possession, without which tenants can stay indefinitely without a fixed end date.
New, Fairer Possession Grounds
In the event of landlords wanting to sell and move into the property, there will be new provisions in place, expanding and altering the Grounds available under Section 8. One of the changes is that four months’ notice will now be required (rather than the current two) and this notice cannot be served within the first 12 months of the tenancy. Evidence will be required and tested in Court to prevent these new grounds being abused.
Renters’ Rights Bill: Rental Bidding and Limits on Rent Increases
The new Renters’ Rights Bill will see landlords limited to one rent increase per year and this will require two months’ notice before taking place. Tenants also have stronger rights when it comes to challenging rent increases at a tribunal.
Enhanced Tenant Rights
Tenants will also gain the right to request pets and these requests cannot be unreasonably denied. It’s important to note, that as per the most recent update in Renters’ Rights Bill guidance, the expectation is that landlords will be able to take a higher deposit (up to 3 weeks) as collateral.
New Organisational Bodies to Consider:
Private Renters' Ombudsman
All private landlords will now be required to join up to the new Ombudsman scheme, aimed at promoting swift resolutions for any disputes. As an independent body, issues from repairs to contract violations can be dealt with quickly and with a binding decision.
Lettings agents will now become even more of a bridge between landlords and tenants during such disputes, so it may be a good idea to invest in some additional training to remain up to speed on communication techniques and how best to approach mediating disputes and challenges that may be raised. It may even be worth hiring a member of the team who can be tasked with actioning and helping to resolve these issues in a timely manner to avoid further frustration.
Key Features and Requirements:
What This Means for Landlords:
What This Means for Letting Agents:
Private Rented Sector Database
Details of landlords and properties will be logged in a nationwide landlord register and our Vision+ platform is on hand to help with this. The PRS Database a prerequisite for using certain grounds for eviction, meaning there are strong compliance incentives.
Key Features and Requirements:
Benefits for Good Landlords:
The database is not merely for record-keeping, it will act as a means of showing professionalism and compliance for landlords and local councils will be able to use the database to target rogue operators much more efficiently. This two-tier system means that landlords will be able to benefit from demonstrable legitimacy.
Impact on Letting Agents:
The database will prove to become a critical checkpoint for letting agents, one where they can make sure all landlords are registered and aware of their compliance obligations. An additional service many letting agents may choose to offer could be a registration assistance service, whereby they help landlords to sign up and help to maintain their necessary database entries.
Higher Property Standards
All private rented properties will be subject to the Decent Homes Standard, with laws such as Awaab’s Law ensuring landlords take the necessary action to look at and fix any serious damp and mould issues in properties. All safety issues must be addressed in a timely manner, adhering to strict timeframes.
Key Features and Requirements:
Benefits for Tenants:
Impact on Letting Agents:
Current vs. Future: Has the Renters’ Rights Bill Been Passed and What Will Change for Agents and Landlords?
Aspect | Current Rules | After Renters' Rights Bill |
| Tenancy Length & Type | Fixed-term ASTs are common (6-12 months). Section 21 ends tenancies at term. | All tenancies will be periodic from the start, meaning rolling contracts with no fixed end date. Tenancy will only end if tenant gives notice or there’s valid possession ground. |
| "No Fault" Evictions | Section 21 notice (no reason needed) to evict with 2 months' notice. | Section 21 abolished - this means every eviction will now require a valid Section 8 ground proven in court. |
| Possession Grounds | Landlords can evict with notice of just 2 weeks to 2 months. | Landlords will now need to give at least 4 months’ notice prior to selling/moving into property (not possible within first 12 months of tenancy). |
| Notice Periods | Typically 2 months for Section 21. 2 weeks for rent arrears. | 4 months' notice for sale/moving in, 4 weeks for rent arrears. |
| Rent Increases | Often could vary within fixed-term contracts. Section 13 process with 1 month notice. | Now, only 1 increase per annum (with 2 months' notice). Stricter controls mean rental bidding is banned and agreed rents will not exceed the advertised amount |
| Discrimination | Statements such as "No DSS" or “No children” existed regardless of discrimination risks. | There is now an explicit ban on such discriminatory statements (with fines up to £7,000 for non-compliance. |
| Pets in Rentals | Most contracts currently default to "no pets allowed" without any statutory rights. | In future, requests for pets must be considered, without unreasonable refusal. |
| Landlord Registration | No general requirement in England (only in Scotland and Wales). | Mandatory Ombudsman PRS Database registration is required for almost all grounds for eviction. |
| Property Standards | HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System) baseline with insufficient enforcement | Decent Homes Standard will be mandatory (Awaab's Law deadlines for mould/damp repairs). |
What People Are Saying About It
Industry Bodies and Landlord Associations
The position of the NRLA (National Residential Landlords Association): This body has steadily grown more and more against the Bill, with calls for ministers to look at reforming the Renters’ Rights Bill to account for more realistic goals for landlords, ones that are deemed less punitive.
The main concern of the NRLA is for those effective landlords who may fear the Bill. Whilst ministers insist there’s nothing for them to fear, many feel there has been a lack of answers to some basic questions which has led to concerns, including:
Legal and Professional Services
International law firm, Mayer Brown, has described the Bill as potential “bad news for landlords”, as seen within their 2024 statement, highlighting concerns from their sector that this could have a negative effect on property investment.Will Eastman, Director at Legal for Lettings (part of the Barbon group) has said:
Opposition Concerns
Rental supply concerns have been raised from the opposition, Shadow Housing Minister in the House of Lords, Baroness Scott. The worry is that there may be unintended consequences resulting from the Bill that may drive some landlords out of the market. Mixed Industry Reception
Although the debate has sparked concern from landlords over the impact this will have on property management and over clarity on implementation details and the results this may have on the rental market over time, the Government remains steadfast on introducing the Labour Renters’ Rights Bill, with Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, saying “no more dither and delay”. 
Quote from Will Eastman, Legal for Lettings, 2025 Timeline: When Will These Changes Happen?
The Renters’ Rights Bill timeline shows that some of the changes will come into effect at the same time, rather than a phased rollout, which means all tenants will start benefiting from new protections at the same time.
Regional Perspectives: How Different Letting Agents Can Adapt
London Agents: Fast-Paced & Tech-Driven
Agencies in the London area will see the effect of longer tenancies and will have to adapt to no more rental bidding wars. The new legislation for landlords is fairer on tenants and no longer favours landlords, creating more of a level playing field, however this may mean that letting agents receive less commission from there being fewer turnovers. This area may need to focus more on value-added services and improving automation.
City Agents: Tech-Ready with Local Trust
The benefit that regional agents will have is that they can leverage local expertise and community relationships in order to boost their rental market.They will be able host seminars on the changes in play from the Renters’ Rights Bill, thereby positioning themselves as thought leaders and knowledgeable compliance partners.
If any of the HomeLet partner agents would like HomeLet’s support on this, they can contact our expert team at any time.
Rural Agents: Relationship-Focused & Traditional
Those agents in small towns will find that their role in the new changes will be very much focused on maintaining a personal-touch service with their clients, handling any compliance and “red tape” for those who have come to see them as trusted advisers in the field. Navigating Changes with HomeLet: How We Can Help
For some background on Vision+ and how it came about; Barbon Insurance Group encompasses both HomeLet and LetAlliance and our job is to offer value-added services to letting agencies across the UK. By partnering with 6,500 agents, our group has been able to work with those who work in the industry to revolutionise the tenant referencing space. They can use our Vision+ market-leading system, which powers the VISTA referencing process and allows us to assess affordability in real time, meaning assessments of both guarantors and tenants can take place immediately. In addition to this, legal services, rent guarantee insurance, insurance for landlords and tenants and media packages (including broadband) can also be provided.
“Unlike other providers our platform is free to use, reducing admin time, ensuring compliance with upcoming changes and providing a more seamless customer journey.” - Jo Dickens, Head of Business Development
By ensuring you’re becoming fit for the future, you can also earn in excess of £300 per property per year. With the removal of tenancy renewals, income opportunity will drop, our proposition adds value to landlords, tenants and drives value for your business; optimising the opportunity to increase cross-sell potential.
You can also gain enhanced protection when it is required most. Rent Guarantee is gathering interest at record levels and we can provide cover for you and your landlords in lieu of these changes coming into place.
Mike Dawson, Head of Sales from HomeLet says:
“We know agents are seeing their revenue impacted by changes in legislation. Our proposition will drive efficiency, provide valued protection and generate revenue for your business, providing our partner agents with new income streams that also benefit their customers at the same time.”
End-to-End Tenancy Management
Enhanced Services
Guiding and Supporting Agents and Landlords
Preparing for Implementation
Regardless of whether you’re thinking when will the Renters’ Rights Bill become law or you need a Renters’ Rights Bill summary, preparation is what will help you in these situations:Addressing Common Concerns
Has the Renters’ Rights Bill Been Passed?The Renters’ Rights Bill is currently in the final stages with Parliament, with Royal Assent expected to take place in late 2025. Implementation will likely follow in the first half of 2026.
Landlord Licensing and Oversight
Enhanced licensing oversight does include mandatory registration and Ombudsman membership. Any non-compliance of this, or other rules listed within the legislation, will risk a landlord fined from licensing oversight of up to £30,000 for especially serious offenses.
NRLA Position
The NRLA is continuing to advocate for a balanced implementation of the Bill to ensure those legitimate landlord needs are protected, while still ensuring tenant rights are supported.
Embrace Change with Confidence
The Renters' Rights Bill is set to transform the UK rental market but to a fairer and more secure system. Of course with any new legislation being brought in there are challenges that, inevitably, come with it, but it’s important to remember that the Renters' Reform Bill brings with it the opportunity to elevate the industry’s professionalism, and this shouldn’t be underrated.
If, as a letting agent, you are well-prepared and utilising the appropriate tools and partnerships from the start of the Bill coming in, you’ll find that you have the opportunity to turn any obstacles, in these reforms, as competitive advantages.
If you fully understand the Renters’ Rights Bill impact assessment and you prepare in a systematic way, you’ll find that letting agents will be equipped to navigate this new landscape with confidence. It will allow the future of lettings to be more accountable and transparent, which can only be a good thing for all concerned. As long as you set out to position your agency as a leader within this future, you’ll see how beneficial these changes can be, to your agency but also to the private rental sector as a whole.
Understand that no matter whether you’re dealing with understanding when the Bill will become law or answering questions surrounding the new rules landlords are set to face, success will come from being proactive in your preparation, from fully understanding the new legislation and from your agency handling the changes with professional execution. Proper support and planning will, not only, help to set you apart from the competition, but will also strengthen your letting agency, rather than threaten it in any way.