Guide to the Renters’ Rights Bill for Landlords 2025

Here you’ll find the latest updates on the Renters’ Rights Bill, outlining the key changes it proposes and when it’s expected to become law.

After experiencing some delays, the bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords, bringing it closer to Royal Assent and the final stages of becoming legislation.

Once passed, this bill will introduce important reforms affecting landlords and tenants across England.

1. When will the Renters’ Rights Bill become law?
2. The bill’s key proposals

When will the Renters’ Rights Bill become law?

The bill entered the House of Lords on 15th January 2025 and is currently at the Report Stage, where members carefully review the details and can propose final amendments. This is an important part of the legislative process, and further amendments may still take place before the bill is approved.

With Parliament due to break for summer recess at the end of July, there’s a narrow window for the bill to receive Royal Assent. It could either be pushed through before the recess or delayed until autumn.

We’ve seen previous governments fast-track legislation at the last minute, like the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act – so a quick approval is possible, but further delays remain more likely. Once it receives Royal Assent, it will become known as the Renters’ Rights Act.

Overall, the bill is moving through Parliament slower than expected. Early predictions expected it to become law by mid-2025, but at this rate, it’s looking more likely to come in towards the end of the year – or even slip into 2026. Delays like this aren’t unusual, especially with the back-and-forth of discussions, amendments, and political wrangling slowing things down.

We’ll keep this article updated with the latest news as the bill progresses through Parliament. At OpenRent, we’re monitoring every step closely. Our legal and product teams have been reviewing the bill in detail – and will continue to do so – to ensure our platform and your tenancies are ready from day one.

For now, the current rules still stand, and it’s likely to be several months before implementation begins.

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The bill’s key proposals

We’ve highlighted seven key changes that the bill proposes for the private rented sector. These are important updates that could have an impact on how things work for both landlords and tenants.

1. The abolition of Section 21 evictions

One of the key promises of the bill is to abolish Section 21 evictions, often referred to as ‘no-fault’ evictions, which currently allow landlords to end a tenancy without providing a reason.

Under the earlier Renters (Reform) Bill, the end of Section 21 was tied to improvements in the court system. However, the Renters’ Rights Bill takes a different approach.

Labour’s bill seeks to abolish Section 21 for both new and existing tenancies on the same day, referred to as the ‘commencement date’.

The government believes this approach will avoid creating a confusing two-tier system and will “give all tenants security” immediately.

It’s expected that landlords will be able to serve valid Section 21 notices up until the working day before the commencement date (which is still unknown).

For now, Section 21 notices remain in place, and you can still issue one if needed, using our free tool.

2. New and amended Section 8 grounds for possession 

With the end of Section 21, landlords will need to rely on Section 8 if they want to regain possession of their properties. Unlike Section 21, a Section 8 notice requires landlords to provide a reason for seeking possession.

To cover the full range of situations where a landlord might need to reclaim their property, the Renters’ Rights Bill proposes updating some of the existing grounds for possession and introducing new ones.

One of the new grounds includes a mandatory ground where the landlord “intends to sell” the property. Another is where the tenancy must end because it would be unlawful to continue due to enforcement action against the landlord.

Once the Renters’ Rights Bill is finalised, we’ll provide a complete list of the new and updated grounds along with their required notice periods.

In the meantime, you can read more about how to serve a Section 21 notice correctly or find out how the Section 8 process works currently.

3. The end of fixed-term tenancies

The bill proposes that all assured shorthold tenancies transition to periodic agreements from the commencement date, with rent periods capped at one month. Additionally, there will be no minimum tenancy term for either new or existing agreements.

Tenants will gain the right to end their tenancy at any time by providing two months’ notice, using any written method.

The bill also states that landlords must not request or accept rent payments from tenants, guarantors, or anyone acting on their behalf until the tenancy agreement is signed by both parties.

Landlords will also be banned from inviting applicants to offer higher rent or accepting rent payments above the advertised amount, which must be clearly stated in writing. Breaching these rules could result in fines of up to £7,000.

After the agreement is signed, landlords can request and accept up to one calendar month’s rent in advance. This has raised concerns, particularly among landlords and tenants involved in student lettings, where paying rent in advance is a common practice.

4. New rules for rent increases

Landlords will only be able to increase rent once per year, using the formal Section 13 process. This means serving tenants with Form 4, which must be downloaded from the government website, and giving at least two months’ notice (double the current requirement).

Any existing rent review clauses in tenancy agreements will no longer be valid. Tenants will also gain the right to challenge the proposed rent at the First-tier Tribunal, free of charge.

If the tribunal finds that the rent exceeds market value, it can reduce the amount or delay the increase by up to two additional months in cases of undue hardship.

Because of this process and potential backlogs at the First-tier Tribunal, it could take up to six months from the date of notice before a rent increase actually takes effect.

5. The end of blanket bans

Landlords will no longer be allowed to impose blanket bans on renting to people who receive benefits or have children. This change will apply across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The bill also appears to extend this ban to lease agreements, mortgages, and insurance contracts, meaning that any clauses in these documents that try to prevent renting to people based on benefits or children could be considered invalid.

However, landlords can still consider affordability when assessing applicants. This means they can take an applicant’s income into account to determine whether they are financially able to pay the rent.

6. New right for tenants to seek consent for pets

Tenants will have the right to request their landlord’s consent to keep a pet, and landlords will only be able to refuse if they have a valid reason – such as a restriction in their superior lease.

For more details on how the Renters’ Rights Bill proposes to change tenants’ rights regarding pets in rental properties, take a look at our guide here.

7. Private rented sector ombudsman and database

All private landlords in England with assured tenancies will be required by law to join a new private sector ombudsman, even if they use a letting agent that is already part of a redress scheme.

The ombudsman service will be free for prospective, current, and former tenants to access. It offers an alternative to making complaints to the council or taking legal action through the courts.

The bill also proposes granting the first-tier tribunal the authority to issue rent repayment orders for “continuing or repeat breaches” of the ombudsman’s rulings. Landlords will be legally required to comply with the ombudsman’s decisions, and failure to do so could lead to enforcement action by the council.

In addition to the ombudsman scheme, landlords will need to register themselves and their properties on a private rented sector database.

Failure to register and provide the necessary details before advertising or letting a property could result in civil penalties. More importantly, landlords who fail to register will not be able to obtain possession orders, with some exceptions.

Landlords will need to pay a fee to join the database, but the government has said it will make sure the fee is reasonable and offers good value.

8. Extension of Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector

Awaab’s Law was introduced in response to the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in 2020, caused by mould inhalation in his social housing flat. The law places a duty on social housing providers to address hazards within a set timeframe.

The Renters’ Rights Bill proposes extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, but as of now, it hasn’t clarified how this will apply to private landlords.

It’s important to note that Awaab’s Law hasn’t yet been implemented in the social housing sector either. At the time the 2024 general election was called, the details were still under consultation.

Private landlords may soon face greater responsibilities to ensure their properties meet a reformed Decent Homes Standard and are free from serious hazards. A new consultation on the proposed changes was launched on 2nd July 2025.

As part of the plan, the government has suggested that landlords who don’t fix serious hazards may face fines of up to £7,000.

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