Tenant Rights in England 2026 — What Every Renter Needs to Know

The Biggest Change to Renting in a Generation

The Renters Rights Act 2025 came into force during 2025 and fundamentally reshaped private renting in England. If you are renting today, your legal position is considerably stronger than it was even two years ago. This guide explains your core rights and what the new law means in practice.

The End of No-Fault Eviction

The most significant change is the abolition of Section 21. Before the Renters Rights Act, landlords could serve a Section 21 notice requiring tenants to leave with just two months' notice and no reason given. That power no longer exists for new tenancies. Landlords must now rely on specific legal grounds under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, and the grounds have been tightened considerably.

This means you cannot be evicted simply because your landlord wants you out, decides to redecorate, or takes a dislike to you. They must prove a recognised ground — such as genuine sale of the property, moving back in themselves, or serious rent arrears — and in most cases must give you four months' notice.

Fixed Terms Are Gone — All Tenancies Are Now Periodic

Under the Renters Rights Act, all new tenancies are periodic from the start. There are no more six-month or one-year fixed terms. Your tenancy rolls on month to month (or week to week if you pay weekly rent) until you decide to leave or your landlord establishes a valid Section 8 ground.

This is significant because it means you are never trapped in a tenancy beyond the notice period you choose to give, and you cannot be automatically removed at the end of a "fixed term." The notice period for a tenant wishing to leave is two months.

The Right to Keep Pets

One of the most popular changes is the new right to keep pets. Under the Renters Rights Act, landlords cannot unreasonably refuse a written request from a tenant to keep a pet. If you make a reasonable written request — explaining what pet you wish to keep — your landlord must agree unless they have a genuine reason to refuse.

Legitimate reasons to refuse might include a no-pets clause in the head lease of a leasehold property (which the landlord cannot override), demonstrable safety concerns with certain breeds, or property constraints. However, a blanket "no pets" policy is no longer legally enforceable.

Your landlord can require you to take out pet damage insurance as a condition of consent. Several specialist policies are now available at reasonable cost.

The Right to Personalise Your Home

The Renters Rights Act also introduced a right to make reasonable decorative changes to your rental home. You can repaint walls or make other minor alterations with your landlord's permission, and crucially, that permission cannot be unreasonably withheld. You would normally be expected to return the property to its original state when you leave.

Landlord Entry Rules

Your landlord must give you at least 24 hours' written notice before entering your home, except in a genuine emergency such as a gas leak or flooding. Entering without notice is a breach of your right to quiet enjoyment and can amount to harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

Routine inspections should happen at reasonable times and with reasonable frequency. If your landlord is visiting constantly, that may constitute harassment — seek advice from your local council or Shelter.

HMO Rights

If you live in a House in Multiple Occupation, you have additional protections on top of standard tenant rights. Your landlord must hold a licence from the local council. They must ensure minimum room sizes (at least 6.51 m² for a single room), adequate bathroom and kitchen provision for the number of occupants, and proper fire safety measures including interlinked smoke alarms and fire doors on habitable rooms.

You can ask to see your landlord's HMO licence. If they cannot produce one, report the property to the council's environmental health team.

Protection from Discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 protects you from discrimination based on race, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy or maternity, marriage or civil partnership, and gender reassignment. A landlord who refuses to let to you because of any of these characteristics is acting unlawfully.

Blanket "no DSS" or "no benefit claimants" policies — while not explicitly named in the Equality Act — have been found by courts to indirectly discriminate against women and disabled people and are increasingly unenforceable.

The Private Rented Sector Database and Ombudsman

All landlords in England must now register on the national Private Rented Sector Database. Tenants can check whether their landlord is registered. Landlords must also belong to the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, giving tenants a free, independent route to resolve disputes without going to court.

Using Property Passport UK

Property Passport UK is a useful tool for tenants who want to keep an organised record of their tenancy documents — including their tenancy agreement, check-in inventory, deposit protection certificate, EPC, and gas safety certificate. Having everything in one place makes it far easier to act quickly if a dispute arises.

Summary of Your Key Rights in 2026

• No no-fault eviction — landlords must use Section 8 grounds
• All tenancies are periodic — no fixed terms
• Pets: reasonable written requests cannot be refused
• Minor decoration: landlord cannot unreasonably refuse
• Landlord entry: 24 hours' written notice required
• Rent increases: once per year with two months' notice
• Deposit: protected within 30 days in a government scheme
• Right to a safe home under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018