October 28th 2025.
The Labour party has recently passed a new law that is being hailed as one of their most significant pieces of legislation so far. After months of discussions in Parliament, the Renters' Rights Act was finally signed into law by the King yesterday evening. This new legislation is set to bring about major changes in the private rental sector in England, with the aim of creating a more balanced and fair playing field for both tenants and landlords.
While not all of the changes will come into effect immediately, campaigners have highlighted the need for further protections to help with the rising costs of renting. Nevertheless, the Renters' Rights Act has been praised as a "generational upgrade" for those living in private rentals in England. The changes range from safety standards to allowing tenants to have pets, and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook believes that this bill will completely transform the experience of renting in England.
Pennycook stated that the Renters' Rights Act will empower renters by providing them with greater security, rights, and protections. This will allow them to stay in their homes for longer, build lives within their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness. He also emphasized that the new law will drive up the quality of private rented housing, ensuring that tenants have access to good-quality and safe homes as a standard.
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Pennycook also added that the new law will allow the government to crack down on unscrupulous landlords who exploit, mistreat, or discriminate against their tenants. Now that we know what the Renters' Rights Act is and what it aims to do, let's take a closer look at its specifics.
One of the most important measures in the Renters' Rights Act is the end of Section 21, which allows landlords to evict their tenants for any reason as long as they give enough notice. This policy has always been the headline of the reform of the private rental sector, with the Tories promising their own version before last year's election. However, they were forced to scrap it, and the bill was eventually introduced by Angela Rayner while she was still the Housing Secretary.
But apart from the end of Section 21, there are many other significant changes in Labour's legislation. Here are five headline measures that will be coming into effect:
1. Binning Section 21: Not only will no-fault evictions end, but tenants will also be able to stay in their home until they decide to leave, as "fixed-term assured tenancies" will be removed.
2. Ending unlimited advance rent payments: Currently, landlords can ask for an unlimited amount of rent in advance. Still, the new law will cap this at one month's rent.
3. Helping tenants challenge rent hikes: Landlords will be able to increase rent once a year to the market rate, and tenants will have the right to appeal excessive hikes.
4. Ending blanket pet bans: Tenants will now be free to request a pet, and while landlords can still turn down the request, they must have a valid reason to do so.
5. Ending rent bidding wars: In some parts of the country, it's common for tenants to try and secure a flat by offering more than the advertised rent. The Renters' Rights Act will prohibit landlords and agents from accepting a higher rate than advertised.
In addition to these changes, the new law will also introduce a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, providing a means for tenants to resolve complaints about their landlord and bringing in new safety standards.
Another relevant aspect of the Renters' Rights Act is Awaab's Law. This law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who lived in a Rochdale housing association flat with his family. The flat had a severe problem with black mould, and Awaab tragically died in December 2020 after prolonged exposure to the deadly fungus. His family has made it their mission to ensure that no one else in the UK has to go through what they did, and they have recently secured a major victory.
All social landlords in England are now required to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of being reported, while significant damp and mould must be investigated within 10 working days and made safe within five. These measures, known as Awaab's Law, were introduced on Monday as part of the Social Housing Act 2023. The government has stated that they plan to extend this law to the private rented sector, ensuring that all renters in England have this protection.
One common concern about the Renters' Rights Act is whether it will lead to rent increases. While the new law will not prevent landlords from increasing rent, it aims to ensure that any price hikes are fair. Landlords can only increase rent once a year, and they must give two months' notice. Crucially, they can only increase it to the market rate. Tenants also have the right to appeal excessive rent hikes, preventing landlords from using this tactic to force tenants to move out.
It's unclear how this major legislation will affect the private rental sector in England as a whole and whether it will lead to changes in rent levels. However, similar measures have been in effect in other parts of the UK for a long time, such as Scotland, where the average rent is considerably lower than many parts of England. We would love to hear your thoughts on the Renters' Rights Act and its potential impact. Please share your comments below and add Metro as a preferred source on Google.
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