Citizens Advice supports more than 200 people a day with disrepair, ‘no fault’ evictions and rent hikes as new private rental sector laws come into force
Citizens Advice supports more than 200 people a day with disrepair, ‘no fault’ evictions and rent hikes as new private rental sector laws come into force
From 1 May 2026 landlords will no longer be able to issue Section 21 ‘no fault’ eviction notices to tenants in the private renter sector.
The ban is just one of several changes coming into force as part of the Renters’ Rights Act which is the biggest overhaul of the private rental sector in England in a generation.
In March, Citizens Advice helped 2,335 people with a ‘no fault’ eviction, a process which can force people to uproot their lives and put them at risk of homelessness. The charity also supported more than 1,800 people with issues relating to disrepair, such as damp and mould, as well as more than 1000 with rent increases across the month.
The charity - which successfully campaigned for ‘no fault’ evictions to be abolished as well as improved rights for private renters - says the new legislation will deliver a much needed boost to renters. The Act will give renters greater security and the confidence to challenge unacceptable landlord behaviour.
The changes coming into force will affect tenants both before and during their tenancies. Citizens Advice shares its top tips for current and renters-to-be which includes everything they need to know about how the legislation will impact them.
Amy Hughes, Advice Manager at Citizens Advice said:
“The Renters’ Rights Act is a huge moment for private renters. It will address the historic power imbalance in the private rental sector and give tenants the security they deserve in their homes.
“Our advisers have seen the devastating impact ‘no fault’ evictions can have. Now landlords will only be able to evict tenants for specific reasons, like rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or where they need to sell the property.
“For too long, tenants have faced the threat of eviction for simply speaking out against bad landlord behaviour or poor conditions. The new laws will see an end to these retaliatory practices and deliver a welcome boost to private renters’ rights."
What private renters need to know: changes coming into force from May 1st
No more Section 21 evictions: From 1st May, landlords will no longer be able to issue Section 21 eviction notices to tenants. After this date landlords will only be able to evict tenants for specific grounds - for example rent arrears.
Any Section 21 notice issued before 1st May 2026 must be valid and followed by court proceedings within six months of being issued or the end of July 2026 or whichever comes first. If a valid notice has been served, the tenancy will not convert to the new rules and will remain an Assured Shorthold Tenancy until possession proceedings have concluded. A tenancy will also be prevented from converting to the new rules if a landlord has served a valid Section 8 notice before 1st May.
No more fixed-term tenancies: All tenancies will become assured tenancies and all fixed-term tenancies, like a 12-month tenancy, will become rolling periodic tenancies, meaning they won’t have a set end date. Tenants won’t need to do anything and it will mean they have better protection from eviction as well as greater flexibility if they do need to move.
More information for tenants: All landlords will need to provide prospective tenants with ‘a written statement of terms’ before they agree to a tenancy. This should include basic information such as how much rent will be and the landlord’s name and address. Failure to provide this information could result in a landlord being fined. Any existing tenants in a tenancy which converts under the new rules will need to be provided with a prescribed information sheet by May 31st 2026.
New rules on leaving a tenancy: When tenants decide they’d like to leave their tenancy they’ll have to give their landlord two-months notice in writing. For those in a joint tenancy, one tenant can serve notice on behalf of all tenants, ending the agreement for everyone. The notice period can only be shorter if it’s agreed in writing by both the landlord and all joint tenants.
Two months notice for rent increases: Landlords must give tenants two months’ notice of rent increase. Landlords will only be able to put the rent up once a year. If tenants think the increase is unreasonable, they’ll be able to challenge it via a tribunal.
Right to ask to have a pet: Tenants will have the legal right to ask if they can keep a pet, which means no more blanket bans on pets in rented accommodation. Tenants will have to write to their landlord asking permission and including information about the pet. Landlords then have 28 days to reply and can only refuse if they have a good reason. Tenancy clauses which previously banned pets will no longer be valid.
No more than one month’s rent in advance: Landlords will no longer be able to ask for more than one month’s rent in advance. Rent bidding wars will also be banned, meaning neither landlords or letting agents will be able to encourage or accept offers over the advertised rent.
Ban on discrimination: Landlords will no longer be able to specify things such as ‘no children’ or ‘no benefits’ on rental adverts or tenancies but some exceptions may apply for children.
Contact your local Citizens Advice if you need any help or more information on renting from a private landlord.
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For more information contact: press.office@citizensadvice.org.uk
Tel: 03000 231 080
Out-of-hours contact number: 0845 099 0107
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Notes to editors:
In March 2026, Citizens Advice helped 2,335 people with a ‘no fault’ eviction, the equivalent of 106 a day, this compares to 2,012 in 2025. More than 1,829 private renters also sought support from the charity for issues relating to disrepair in March 2026 compared to 1,666 in March 2025, the number of private renters seeking support with rent increases remained the same at just over 1,075. Across March 2026, this equates to 214 people helped per day with ‘no fault’ evictions, disrepair and rent hikes.
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