As of 1st May 2026, renters have stronger rights through the Renters Rights Act, including:
- No more Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions – private landlords can no longer evict tenants without a valid reason.
- Goodbye to fixed contracts – all tenancies in the private rented sector will roll on from month to month or week to week (depending on your arrangement) with no end date, giving renters more flexibility. Tenants can end them with two months’ notice.
- Fairer rent rules – landlords can only raise rent once a year and renters can challenge unfair hikes.
- No more bidding wars – landlords must stick to no more than the advertised rent price.
- One month’s rent upfront, max – landlords can’t ask for more.
- No discrimination – it’s now illegal to refuse tenants just because they receive benefits or have kids.
- Pets welcome – renters can now ask to live with a pet and landlords must reasonably consider it.
Renting as a student can be as stressful as any university assignment. The Renters’ Rights Act is a transformative piece of legislation, giving us the ability to leave tenancies, capping the rent that can be demanded upfront, and stopping the rush to sign next year’s contract.
I am proud of the student leaders who worked with us to ensure that Act reflects the reality we face as students and gives us the reassurances we need to be able to feel secure in our housing. Those students have made sure that future students will not face the same exploitative conditions they had to endure.
I hope the momentum to give renters our rights only continues. Students are an important part of any university town or city, and we need a warm, decent place to live.
Renters Rights Act Frequently Asked Questions
We asked the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government questions frequently asked by students, and here is what they said:
What should I do if my landlord isn't following the law? e.g. not giving 48 hours notice, not fixing problems within a time frame
- You should usually complain to your landlord in the first instance, but if that doesn’t resolve the problem, then you should complain to your council if it’s about:
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- the condition of your home;
- pressure from the landlord or someone working on their behalf to make you leave your home which does not follow the proper process for obtaining possession
- a failure by the landlord to meet requirements like giving you a written tenancy or have the necessary licence.
- Your local council has powers to enforcement action, including prosecuting and issuing fines, where landlords have failed to comply with the law in these areas.
- For example, if a landlord has failed to carry out repairs and the property is in a seriously dangerous condition, councils have legal powers that they may be able to use to get repairs done at no cost to the tenant.
- You may also want to consider seeking a Rent Repayment Order against your landlord. You can get up to two years’ rent back if the Property Tribunal decides that your landlord has committed certain housing offences like failing to obtain a licence for a House in Multiple Occupation. Guidance for tenants on Rent Repayment Orders can be found at Rent Repayment Orders: guidance for tenants - GOV.UK .
- You may want to seek advice from organisations like Shelter, Citizens’ Advice, or your university advice service.
How much can my rent legally increase by and how often?
- From 1 May 2026, all rent increases for private rented sector tenancies will take place via an existing statutory process (known as the section 13 process). Landlords will be able to increase rents once every 12 months. They will need to provide at least two months’ notice of before it takes effect, using a specific form that is published on GOV.UK.
- Tenants who receive notice of a rent increase that they feel is above the open market rate will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal. The Tribunal will assess what the landlord could expect to receive if reletting the property on the open market and determine the rent. The Tribunal will not be able to increase the rent to above the rent proposed by the landlord in the section 13 notice.
What are the legal reasons I could be evicted from my tenancy?
- To end an assured periodic tenancy on or after 1 May 2026 a landlord will need to use a section 8 ground for possession. A full list of the grounds that could be used can be found online at Grounds for possession: guidance for tenants - GOV.UK. Examples include if the landlord wants to sell the property, rent arrears, anti-social behaviour and damage to the property.
- If you are a full time student living in a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) your landlord may be able to evict you using ground 4A at the end of the academic year (between 1 June and 30 September) as long as they have followed certain rules such as telling you in advance they may want to use ground 4A. You can find details of these rules online at Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants - GOV.UK
How far in advance can I legally sign onto a tenancy?
- A student can sign a tenancy agreement at any time.
- One of the conditions that a landlord must meet to use possession ground 4A is to not have signed the tenancy agreement more than six months in advance. This will help students who often feel rushed into important decisions around accommodation very early in the proceeding academic year, before they have formed friendships or had time to properly judge a property’s condition or location.
- Landlords can still advertise their property at any time , and can also agree a tenancy more than six months in advance but this will mean they will not be able to use possession ground 4A to evict students during the summer to make the property available for the next academic year of students.
- This restriction does not apply if you signed your tenancy agreement before 1 May 2026 for the 2026/2027 academic year.
How much deposit can a landlord demand?
- The Tenant Fees Act 2019 introduced a cap on tenancy deposits. The maximum amount you would have to pay depends on the annual (yearly) rent.
- If the annual rent is below £50,000 the maximum deposit is up to 5 weeks’ rent
- If the annual rent is between £50,000 and £100,000 the maximum deposit is up to 6 weeks’ rent
- A landlord must protect a deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme.
- You might have to pay a holding deposit to reserve the property while the landlord does pre tenancy checks. The maximum holding deposit amount is equal to 1 week’s rent.
Can a landlord reject my application because I can't provide a guarantor?
- Landlords remain free to require a tenant to provide a guarantor. However, we are aware that guarantor requirements can also effectively block some individuals from renting.
- Some universities offer rent guarantee schemes to their students, and professional guarantor services are also available. These can help prospective tenants acquire a tenancy guarantor in circumstances where they otherwise would not have been able to do so.
Can a landlord stop me from having pets?
- Tenants can ask their landlord for permission to keep a pet. This request will need to be in writing, including a description of the pet they wish to keep.
- The landlord will need to consider each request on a case-by-case basis and will not be able to refuse without a fair reason. Examples of what might be considered fair reasons to refuse are:
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- another tenant has an allergy
- the property is too small for a large pet or several pets
- the pet is illegal to own
- if the landlord is a leaseholder, and the freeholder does not allow pets
- Once the tenant has asked for a pet, the landlord usually will have 28 days to respond in writing.
How much notice do I have to give to end a contract?
- From 1 May 2026, tenants will be able to end assured tenancies at any point, as long as they provide two months’ notice.
I signed my contract before the Renters' Rights Act came into force. Does the new law still apply to me?
- Yes, all existing assured shorthold tenancies will become assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, with the new rules applying to them.
How do I challenge a rent increase?
- For up-to-date guidance and information on the Renters' Rights Act, please visit gov.uk/renters-rights.
I live in purpose-built student accommodation, does the law still apply to me?
- Private purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) will be exempted from the assured tenancy system, with tenancies governed by the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 instead. This will bring them in line with university managed accommodation (halls of residence) with which they share many similarities. Only private PBSA that is signed up to a government approved code of practice will be subject to this exemption.
