Renting is Changing

From Private Housing...

From 1st May 2026, new rules come in that will change how renting works for most people.

Many student renters will be affected by these changes. The new rules will impact new tenancies as well as ones that are already in place. The main changes are explained below.

New type of tenancy agreement

Students who rent a private flat or house will have a new type of tenancy agreement called a "assured periodic tenancy". This will replace the existing "assured shorthold tenancy". All assured shorthold tenancies will automatically become assured periodic tenancies on the 1st of May.

These new tenancies will not have a minimum fixed term. Instead, tenants can give two months notice to leave at any time. There are new rules for landlords too about how they must end tenancies, explained in the next section.

The rules of these new tenancy agreements will not apply to students living in Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSAs) or university halls of residence. They also won't apply to students who live with their landlords.

If tenants are on joint tenancy agreements with other people, then one person giving two months notice to end the tenancy will also end the tenancy for all the other tenants. So it's very important you discuss and agree with your housemates before giving any notice to the landlord.

End of Section 21 Notices

At the moment, landlords using the current "assured shorthold" tenancy agreements can evict a tenant without giving any reason, using something called a Section 21 notice. After 1st May 2026, issuing this notice will no longer be allowed.

Landlords will have to give a reason to end one of the new assured periodic tenancies. The reasons can be things like if the tenants haven't paid rent, or if the landlord needs to sell the property, or wishes to move in themselves. There is also an exemption for students allowing landlords to end the tenancy at the end of the academic year.

Student Exemption – Ground 4A

Landlords will be able to give a notice to require students to leave the property at the end of the academic year. This will be known as a Ground 4A notice.

This will only apply in some circumstances:

• The landlord must be renting the property to a new set of students in the next academic year.
• The property must be an HMO (house in multiple occupation).
• The notice will have to be given four months in advance, and specify a date in the months of June - September only when the landlord wants the students to move out. This notice cannot be used at other times of the year.

It will also only apply if the landlord has given the student a written statement of their wish to rely on Ground 4A at the beginning of the tenancy, and a minimum of 6 months has passed since the tenancy began.

Students in PBSAs or 'private halls'

Private student halls will be exempt from the new tenancy rules. For example, they will be able to give a fixed term contract where students can be asked to leave at the end, without giving any reason. They will also be allowed to ask for rent in advance in large amounts.

Companies managing these sites must agree to join an approved code of practice of they wish to use these new agreements. The code of practice will give students the right to terminate their contracts in certain circumstances, and it will also give them the right to make complaints.

These new agreements won't apply to students already in private halls on 1 May 2026. It will only apply to new tenancies. Therefore those students already in private halls on that date will have an assured periodic tenancy.

Students with 'licence agreements'

The main changes to the law only apply to tenancies, not licences. A tenancy is where you have your own space that the landlord cannot enter without prior notice.

For example, if you live with your landlord, or your landlord provides cleaning services or meals to your room, you don't have a tenancy. After the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, it will still be possible for landlords to grant licences rather than tenancies.

Students should be wary of some landlords trying to avoid the new changes by granting ‘sham licences’. This is when a landlord calls something a licence when it should be a tenancy.

It is very uncommon for a contract to be a genuine licence, unless:

• you live with your landlord
• you live in halls run by your university

We recommend booking a contract check with us if you are asked to sign a licence agreement so that we can give specific advice to you.

Other changes

The Renters’ Rights Act will make several other changes to rental law.  Most of these changes will only affect students who rent from a private landlord and who have an ‘assured periodic tenancy’. Some of these changes will take effect later.

These are the headlines of other changes that are due to come into force on 1 May 2026:

• Ban on rental bidding: Landlords and letting agents will no longer be allowed to invite higher ‘bids’ to rent a property. Tenants can challenge the rent by asking for the rent to be assessed by the Property tribunal in the first 6 months of the tenancy.
• Ban on rent in advance: Landlords of houses and flats will be banned from demanding large payments of rent up front at the start of a tenancy. This won't apply to live-in landlords or private halls. We expect this may impact international students who rely on paying rent in advance, or landlords often refuse to rent to them. Students in this position may need to sign up to a guarantor scheme. Students can pay rent in advance voluntarily once the tenancy starts but cannot be required to do so by their landlord. Some students may prefer to do this to help them with budgeting.
• Rent increases: Landlords will have to follow a set procedure to increase the rent including giving tenants 2 months’ notice of the proposed increase. Tenants can challenge the increase in the property Tribunal. As rent increases are limited to once per year this may not affect students unless they are renting the same place for more than one academic year.
• Written statement of terms: Landlords will have to give tenants a written statement of terms of their tenancy and any other required information.  This will usually be in the form of a written tenancy agreement. For existing tenants, where there is already a written agreement, landlords will need to give tenants an ‘Information Sheet’ on or before 31 May 2026. This has been published by the government to inform tenants about the changes made by the Renters’ Rights Act.
• Prohibiting rental discrimination: There will be tougher laws when landlords choose tenants to prevent discrimination against tenants with children and tenants receiving benefits.
• Renting with pets: Landlords will need to give a good reason if they say no to pets and follow a procedure.
• Rent repayment orders: Tenants will have increased rights to reclaim rent from their landlords who commit criminal offences. For example, not applying for an HMO licence, or harassing tenants.
• Enforcement and investigatory powers: Councils will get stronger legal powers to take on criminal landlords and civil penalties will be increased. (New investigatory powers for Councils will come into force earlier on 27 December 2025)

These are some changes that are due to take effect later:

• Private Rented Sector Database: Details about properties (including safety certificates) and landlords will be put on a public database. You will be able to check out any landlord you are considering renting from, in advance. The roll out of the Database is expected to commence from late 2026.
• Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman: Landlords will have to join a complaints scheme. The government has said implementation of the Ombudsman will happen after the introduction of the Database. It is expected that mandatory membership of landlords will be in place in 2028.
• Decent Homes Standard: There will be a new minimum standard for safety and comfort in rented properties. Landlords will face fines if they breach this. There is no confirmed implementation timeline at the moment. The government has proposed a long-term deadline of either 2035 or 2037 with the expectation that landlords should start works to meet the new standard earlier.
• Awaab’s Law: This is named after a boy who died from illness caused by damp and mould in his home. Landlords will be required to start repairs according a specified timetable. Implementation timescales have not yet been confirmed for this.

View the updated Housing Guide here.

For more information on all of the changes click here.