If you're a landlord and you've heard that Section 21 is gone but you're not entirely sure what that actually changes day to day, you're not alone. Here's what's genuinely different since the Renters' Rights Act's main provisions commenced on 1 May 2026, and what it means for how you manage a tenancy from here.
There's no more “no fault” eviction. Section 21 used to let a landlord end a tenancy without giving a reason, provided the correct notice was served. That route no longer exists. If you need possession of your property, you now have to rely on a Section 8 ground, a specific, evidenced reason, such as rent arrears, wanting to sell, moving back in yourself, or the tenant's own conduct.
Every tenancy is now periodic, not fixed-term. Since 1 May, there's no such thing as signing someone into a 6 or 12-month term the way tenancies used to work. Every residential tenancy is now a rolling periodic tenancy from day one. A tenant can leave with two months' notice at any point. This is a genuine shift in how tenancies function, not just a paperwork change.
Rent increases now go through a formal process. You can no longer simply agree a new rent informally at renewal, because there is no renewal in the old sense. Increases are limited to once a year, must be issued through a formal Section 13 notice, and must reflect a genuine market rate. A tenant who disagrees can refer the increase to the Property Tribunal for free, and if the tribunal disagrees with you, the increase doesn't happen.
Your existing documentation may already be out of date. If your tenancy agreements, notices, or template rent-increase letters were drafted before May 2026, they were very likely written for the old system and may no longer be valid. This isn't a small technicality, an invalid notice served under old assumptions can genuinely fail if it's ever tested, costing you time and money precisely when you need possession quickly.
What this actually means in practice. If you're managing a tenancy yourself, this is the point to check that every document you're relying on has actually been updated for the current law, not just relabelled. If you're not sure whether your paperwork is current, that uncertainty is itself worth resolving before you need to rely on it.
For the fuller picture, including the separate HHSRS changes that came in a few weeks after the Renters' Rights Act, see our full 2026 landlord law briefing. If you'd rather have someone who's already rebuilt every notice and template for the current law handle this for you, that's exactly what we do for every property we manage.