As part of Henry Wiltshire’s continued service to our landlords, it is important that we make you aware of upcoming legislation which will affect landlords and the lettings market.
What is the Renters’ Rights Bill?
The Renters’ Rights Bill is the most significant reform the UK private rented sector (PRS) has seen since the Housing Act 1988.
The Government’s objective is to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords by offering greater protection to tenants and ensuring landlords meet higher standards of responsibility.
When does the Renters’ Rights Bill come into effect?
The new legislation is set to come into law on 1st May 2026.
What does the Bill mean for landlords?
The Renters’ Rights Bill will include the following:
- Abolishment of the Section 21 (no fault eviction) – the Section 21 will be replaced by a more robust Section 8 notice, but landlords will only be able to regain possession under specific grounds. All evictions must be dealt with via the courts.
- Assured Shorthold Tenancies (AST) will be replaced by periodic tenancies – fixed term tenancies will no longer exist, and all tenancies will become monthly rolling tenancies. The tenancy will have no set end date and the tenant will be able to serve two months’ notice at any time during the tenancy. Tenants will have a 12 month period from the start date where they are protected from eviction, except where there is a breach of the tenancy agreement
- Due to the change to periodic monthly tenancies, advance payments for tenancies will no longer be permitted
- Rent increases must be dealt with via the service of a Section 13 notice, which can be served annually, and the rent must reflect the market rate for the property. The tenant will have the option to refer the matter to the First Tier Property Tribunal if they believe the increased rent is unfair and they will make the final decision.
- The advertised rent for the property must be the contracted price for the tenancy agreement, landlords/agents can no longer accept offers that exceed the advertised price.
- Introduction of a Decent Homes Standard which will published and applied to the private rented sector to improve housing standards.
- Pets – landlords will no longer be permitted to have a ban on pets in their properties, tenants will have the right to request a pet and landlords will only be able to refuse if the head lease prohibits pets. Landlords will be able to insist upon pet insurance for pet related damage.
You can obtain further information at the following Government website:
Guide to the Renters’ Rights Bill – GOV.UK
How Henry Wiltshire will guide you through these changes
Henry Wiltshire are committed to guiding our landlords through these changes to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.
- We have upgraded our referencing to the best service in the market with Goodlord, to ensure that our landlords get the best quality tenants, referenced to the highest possible standard which will help us avoid any rent issues and breaches, which lead to evictions.
- We have access to extensive research tools and portals, along with our team’s in-depth knowledge of the market, to ensure that you are correctly informed on the market rates for your properties to ensure we are advertising at the correct price.
- Our Fully Managed Service will ‘hand hold’ our landlords through the changes and ensure that they are fully compliant, assist with service of the new notices and all actions that will be required under the new legislation once the Bill is implemented.
- We provide the most comprehensive Rent Protection Cover product on the market, we believe that in the midst of the legal changes, it is now imperative for landlords to insure themselves against rent and legal losses. Please look out for an email which we will be sending to all our landlords with further information on implementing this cover for your current and future tenancies.
Need more information?
We hope that this provides a useful insight into the Renters Rights Bill. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the team if you wish to discuss or have any questions.
If you are a Let Only landlord who would like to upgrade to the Fully Managed service to ensure that you too are guided through the changes in legislation, please reach out to us at propertymanagement@henrywiltshire.com
How Henry Wiltshire will guide you through these changes
Henry Wiltshire are committed to guiding our landlords through these changes to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible.
We have upgraded our referencing to the best service in the market with Goodlord, to ensure that our landlords get the best quality tenants, referenced to the highest possible standard which will help us avoid any rent issues and breaches, which lead to evictions.
We have access to extensive research tools and portals, along with our team’s in-depth knowledge of the market, to ensure that you are correctly informed on the market rates for your properties to ensure we are advertising at the correct price.
Our Fully Managed Service will ‘hand hold’ our landlords through the changes and ensure that they are fully compliant, assist with service of the new notices and all actions that will be required under the new legislation once the Bill is implemented.
We provide the most comprehensive Rent Protection Cover product on the market, we believe that in the midst of the legal changes, it is now imperative for landlords to insure themselves against rent and legal losses. Please look out for an email which we will be sending to all our landlords with further information on implementing this cover for your current and future tenancies.
Need More Information?
We hope that this provides a useful insight into the Renters Rights Bill. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the team if you wish to discuss or have any questions.
If you are a Let Only landlord who would like to upgrade to the Fully Managed service to ensure that you too are guided through the changes in legislation, please reach out to us at propertymanagement@henrywiltshire.com
