The Renters' Rights Act is in force from 1 May 2026. What's changed — Section 21, periodic tenancies, Decent Homes — and what it means for marketing rentals.
The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its main reforms are in force from 1 May 2026 — including the abolition of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions and the end of fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies. For landlords and lettings agents, it's the biggest shake-up of the private rented sector in decades. This is a plain-English summary of what's changed, plus something less obvious: how it quietly raises the bar on the way rentals are marketed.
What's changed from 1 May 2026
- Section 21 abolished. Landlords can no longer end a tenancy without giving a reason. Possession now runs through Section 8 with specified grounds. (Section 21 notices served before 1 May 2026 can only be used in court up to 31 July 2026.)
- Fixed-term ASTs gone. All assured shorthold tenancies become assured periodic tenancies — rolling, with tenants able to leave on two months' notice. No more standard 6- or 12-month fixed terms.
- Rent increases once a year. Rises are limited to once per year via a Section 13 notice, with a route for tenants to challenge above-market increases.
- Decent Homes Standard extended to the PRS. Privately rented homes must meet a minimum condition standard, with Awaab's Law setting timescales for dealing with serious hazards like damp and mould.
- No blanket bans and no bidding wars. Landlords can't refuse tenants on benefits or with children, and advertising a property then accepting offers above the asking rent is restricted.
- A landlord database and ombudsman, plus a strengthened right for tenants to request a pet.
Why this changes how you market rentals
Here's the part most compliance summaries miss. Two of these reforms have a direct marketing consequence:
1. Periodic tenancies mean more frequent re-lets. With tenants able to leave on two months' notice and no fixed term holding them, properties will come back to market more often — and sometimes at short notice. The listings that fill fastest are the ones ready to go: professional photos, a clear floor plan, an accurate EPC. Void periods are now a bigger risk, and good marketing is the cheapest way to shrink them.
2. The Decent Homes Standard raises the presentation bar. When every rental has to meet a real condition standard, "it'll do" no longer cuts it — for the property or its marketing. Well-presented, honestly represented listings win tenants faster and set the tone that this is a professionally managed home.
There's a compliance thread here too: Material Information and the duty not to mislead apply to lettings as much as sales, so rental listings need the same accuracy — correct measurements, a clear layout, honest images.
What landlords and agents should do now
- Move possession processes onto Section 8 grounds and update tenancy paperwork for periodic tenancies.
- Get properties up to the Decent Homes Standard — and remember EPC C by 2030 is coming on top of this.
- Build a fast re-let marketing kit for every property: current photos, floor plan, EPC — so a two-month notice doesn't become a two-month void.
- Keep listings accurate. With more scrutiny on the sector, honest, well-evidenced marketing protects you.
Where VizCraft helps
The reforms are a legal matter for you and your solicitor — but the marketing consequences are ours. VizCraft helps lettings agents and landlords keep re-let times short with fast, portal-ready visuals: professional photo editing, accurate floor plans, and virtual staging to present empty properties well between tenancies — typically in 6–12 hours. It's the same service built for estate and lettings agents.