InformationLandlord and Tenant rights and responsibilities information

Private Sector Housing service works with landlords, tenants and managing agents to ensure that privately rented properties are maintained to a healthy and good standard across East Devon.

Renters Rights Act 2025

Overview

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now law. It introduces the most significant changes to private renting in decades, aiming to make renting fairer and more secure for tenants while providing clarity for landlords. A guide to the Renters Rights Act can be found here.

The Key Changes are:

Abolish Section 21 evictions and move to a simpler tenancy structure where all assured tenancies are periodic – providing more security for tenants and empowering them to challenge poor practice and unfair rent increases without fear of eviction.
Ensure possession grounds are fair to both landlords and tenants, giving tenants more security, while ensuring landlords can recover their property when reasonable. The Act introduces new safeguards for tenants, giving them more time to find a home if landlords evict to move in or sell their property, and ensuring unscrupulous landlords cannot misuse grounds.
Provide stronger protections against backdoor eviction by ensuring tenants can appeal excessive above-market rents which are purely designed to force them out. As now, landlords will still be able to increase rents to market price for their properties but only once a year following a formal notification procedure.
Introduce a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman that will provide quick, fair, impartial and binding resolution for tenants’ complaints about their landlord. This will bring tenant-landlord complaint resolution in line with established redress practices for tenants in social housing and consumers of property agent services.
Create a Private Rented Sector Database to help landlords understand their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance (giving good landlords confidence in their position), alongside providing better information to tenants to make informed decisions when entering into a tenancy agreement. The database will support local councils – helping them target enforcement activity where it is needed most. Landlords will need to be registered on the database to use certain possession grounds.
Give tenants strengthened rights to request a pet in the property, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.
Apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector to give renters safer, better value homes and remove poor-quality homes in local communities.
Apply ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private rented sector, by setting clear legal expectations about the timeframes landlords in the private rented sector must take action to make homes safe where the home contains serious hazards.
Make it illegal for landlords and agents to discriminate against prospective tenants in receipt of benefits or with children – helping to ensure everyone is treated fairly when looking for a place to live.
End the practice of rental bidding by prohibiting landlords and agents from asking for or accepting offers above the advertised rent. Landlords and agents will be required to publish an asking rent for their property, and it will be illegal to accept offers made above this rate.
Strengthen local authority enforcement by expanding civil penalties, rent repayment orders, introducing a package of investigatory powers and bringing in a new requirement for local authorities to report on enforcement activity.

The key provisions of the Renters Rights Act 2025 will be introduced in 3 main phases which are set out in the governments published Roadmap

Phase 1 – Tenancy Reform - From 1 May 2026 for private rented sector tenancies (PRS)

Abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions – landlords in the PRS will no longer be able to use section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict their tenants.
Introduce Assured Periodic Tenancies in the PRS – most new tenancies and existing tenancies in the PRS will become Assured Periodic Tenancies. This means tenants will be able to stay in their property for as long as they want, or until a landlord serves a valid section 8 notice (new grounds for possession will be introduced). Tenants will be able to end their tenancy by giving two months’ notice. Currently this only applies to private rented tenancies but changes to social housing tenancies in 2027.
Reform possession grounds in the PRS so they are fair for both parties. Landlords will only be able to evict tenants when they have a valid reason. Possession grounds will be extended to make it easier for landlords to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour, or who are in serious persistent rent arrears.
Limit rent increases to once a year in the PRS – landlords will have to follow the revised section 13 procedure and provide the tenant with a notice detailing the proposed rent increase at least two months before it is due to take effect.
Ban rental bidding and rent in advance – landlords and letting agents will not be able to ask for, encourage, or accept an offer that is higher than the advertised rent. Landlords and agents will not be able to request more than one month’s rent in advance.
It will be illegal to discriminate against renters who have children or receive benefits – landlords and letting agents will not be able to do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits. This includes withholding information about a property (including its availability), stopping someone from viewing it, or refusing to grant a tenancy.
Require landlords in the PRS to consider tenant requests to rent with a pet – landlords will have an initial 28 days to consider their tenant’s request, and they will have to provide valid reasons if they refuse it.
Strengthen both local council enforcement and rent repayment orders - civil penalties will be expanded, and there will be a new requirement for local councils to report on enforcement activity. Rent repayment orders will be extended to superior landlords, the maximum penalty will be doubled (up to 24 months), and repeat offenders required to pay the maximum amount.

Phase 2 – From Late 2026

This will introduce the PRS Database and PRS Landlord Ombudsman:

Stage 1: Regional use of database for Landlords and Local Councils. The government has proposed a staged regional roll out the database from late 2026. Signing up to the PRS Database will be mandatory for all PRS landlords and they will be required to pay an annual fee. Fees will be confirmed closer to launch. Regulations will require landlord registration, payment of a fee and the provision of key information by landlords.
Stage 2: National rollout of the landlord database and introduction of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will provide a redress service for private rented sector tenants when things go wrong. It will also support landlords with tools, guidance and training on handling complaints from tenants. The Ombudsman scheme will be mandatory for PRS landlords. Landlords will be required to fund the service through a fair and proportionate charging model.

Phase 3 – From 2035

Introduce a Decent Homes Standard (DHS) to the PRS for the first time. This will ensure that all PRS properties meet a minimum standard of housing quality. Local councils will have more with powers to take enforcement action if PRS properties fail to meet the decent homes standard. It is proposed that it is brought into force in 2035 or 2037 so that landlords have time to improve the standards of their homes.
The Government has consulted on plans to require all domestic privately rented properties in England and Wales to meet Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) of an Energy Performance Certificate ‘C’ or equivalent by 2030 unless a valid exemption is in place.
It is proposed to extend Awaab’s Law to the PRS, setting clear legally enforceable timeframes within which PRS landlords must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards. This will empower tenants to challenge dangerous conditions in their homes. The government will consult on the details of this policy, including implementation timescales, in due course.

Advice and Support:

For Tenants

Ending Your Tenancy - Under periodic tenancies, you can end your tenancy by giving written notice (usually two months) that aligns with your rent period.
Challenging Rent Increases - If you believe a rent increase is unfair, you will be able to challenge it through the prescribed process.
Pets - Submit your request in writing. Landlords must respond within 28 days with a valid reason if refusing the request.
Facing Discrimination - If you are refused because of children or benefits, keep evidence and seek advice promptly from Trading Standards.
Property Standards - Report issues like damp or mould and other hazards to your landlord. If your landlord fails to respond or take any action, please contact the private sector housing team by completing the online form on the Council’s website Private rented property complaint - East Devon by emailing pshousing@eastdevon.gov.uk or call 01395 571572.

Further information for tenants can be seen at national advice services such as Shelter and Citizens Advice.

For Landlords

As a landlord, it is your responsibility to read the Renters Rights Act guidance in full. You must make the necessary changes to your letting practices to ensure you’re ready and compliant with the new law when it’s implemented on 1st May 2026. The government has launched an awareness campaign for landlords and written a landlords readiness checklist. In summary:

Update tenancy agreements to periodic templates - If you?already?have?a written record of the terms of the tenancy agreement, then you won’t?need to change or?reissue?the tenancy agreement. Instead, you’ll need to provide the tenant with a government-produced information sheet explaining how the tenancy has changed. The government will publish this information sheet in March 2026.
If your existing tenancy?doesn’t?have any written record of the terms of the agreement – perhaps because it?is based on a verbal agreement between you and your tenant?– then you’ll?need to provide certain information about the tenancy to your tenant in writing. You will need to do this instead of providing the information sheet. The government will publish further guidance on this in March 2026.
Familiarise yourself with revised Section 8 grounds for seeking possession of your property.
Remove rent bidding practices and ensure compliance with rent increase rules. As a landlord you will only be able to increase the rent annually if you have written to your tenants two months before the rent increase.
Get ready for the PRS database and Ombudsman - Gather rent deposit scheme details; tenancy agreement; maintenance certificates (Gas Safety, Energy Performance Certificates, EICR); private water supply sampling and risk assessments Private Water Supplies - East Devon and property licences Houses in Multiple Occupation - East Devon ready for registration.
Respond to Council Investigations - Councils can request documents and enter commercial property agent premises or landlord’s offices. Keep accurate records and respond promptly to Council enquiries.
Advertising and Applications - Ensure adverts and policies do not discriminate against families or benefit recipients.

What will happen if a landlord does not comply with the Renters Rights Act 2025 - As a landlord, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the new requirements and take any necessary actions to make sure you comply. If you don’t comply with the law, local councils may impose a civil penalty on you of up to £40,000, start a criminal prosecution as well as other legal actions such as rent repayment orders (RRO's).

Several national organisations are already providing advice, training and toolkits for landlords to support them to prepare for the Renters Rights Act.

The South West Landlords Association (SWLA) Homepage - South West Landlords Association

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) landlords support package and compliance checklist.

DASH Services has launched free eLearning courses to support the implementation of the Renters Rights Act. The courses can be accessed here.

Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Renters’ Rights Act 2025? - It is a major reform of private renting in England, designed to make renting fairer and more secure for tenants while providing clarity for landlords. The act abolishes “no-fault” evictions, introduces periodic tenancies, and strengthens enforcement powers of local councils.

Has the Act passed into law? - Yes. The Bill received Royal Assent in October 2025 and is now law (the Act).

When do the changes take effect?

Council investigatory powers: Active from 27 December 2025.
Tenancy reforms (end of Section 21, periodic tenancies, rent rules): From 1 May 2026.
PRS Database and Landlord Ombudsman: Expected late 2026.
Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law for PRS: Timings to be confirmed 2035

Does this apply everywhere in the UK? - Currently, the Act applies to England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate housing legislation.

What happens to Section 21 evictions? - Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are abolished. Landlords must use updated Section 8 grounds (for example selling the property, landlords moving in, serious rent arrears or anti-social behaviour).

What is a periodic tenancy? - All assured shorthold tenancies (AST) will convert to rolling periodic tenancies. There are no fixed terms; tenants can give notice to leave, and landlords can seek possession only on valid grounds.

Do existing tenancies change automatically? - Yes. Most assured shorthold tenancies will change when Phase 1 starts. Transitional rules apply for notices served before commencement.

How often can rent be increased? - Once per year. Landlords will be required to following the statutory process. Tenants can challenge excessive rent increases via the Landlord Ombudsman.

Can landlords still ask for rent in advance? - Yes, but only up to one month’s rent. Larger upfront payments are banned.

Is rent bidding allowed? - No. Landlords and agents cannot invite bids above the advertised rent.

Can I keep a pet? - You can request permission in writing. Landlords must consider requests and respond within set timeframes and valid reasons if refusing.

What if I’m refused because I have children or receive benefits? - That is unlawful under the Act. Keep evidence and seek advice immediately.

How do I end my tenancy? - Give written notice (usually two months) that aligns with your rent period to the landlord. Check your agreement for landlord details.

What if my home has damp or mould? - Report issues or damp and mould in writing to your landlord first with photos and dates. If the damp and mould continue contact the private sector housing team. Complete an online form on the Council’s website Private rented property complaint - East Devon or email pshousing@eastdevon.gov.uk. Keep records. The Decent Homes Standards legal requirements (including Awaab’s Law timeframes) will soon apply to PRS.

What should landlords do now?

Update tenancy agreements to periodic templates.
Familiarise yourself with revised Section 8 grounds for evictions.
Remove rent bidding practices.
Update adverts for property so they do not discriminate families with children or tenants on benefits.
Prepare for the PRS Database and Ombudsman by collecting compliance and maintenance documents including gas and electrical safety certificates; Energy Performance Certificates and Private Water Supplies records Private Water Supplies - East Devon.

What are the new enforcement powers? - Councils can request documents, enter landlords’ and property agents’ offices and premises, and in defined cases enter properties with a warrant. Penalties for non-compliance have increased to £40000.

What is the Landlord Ombudsman? - A new service launching in late 2026 to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants without going to Court.

How can tenants challenge rent increases or unfair treatment? – By using the statutory process and when operational, through the Landlord Ombudsman.

Further Information

Who can I contact for help? - You can contact the Private Sector Housing team pshousing@eastdevon.gov.uk 01395 571572.

OR national advice services such as Shelter and Citizens Advice.

Tenants

Landlords

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

From 20 March 2020, everyone who has a secure or assured tenancy, or a statutory tenancy, or a private periodic tenancy, can use the Homes Act regardless of when their tenancy began. Anyone who is still on the fixed term of a private tenancy that began before 20 March 2019 cannot use the Act until the end of that fixed term.

The Act applies to the social and private rented sectors and makes it clear that landlords must ensure that their property, including any common parts of the building, is fit for human habitation at the beginning of the tenancy and throughout.

To achieve that, landlords will need to make sure that their property is free of hazards which are so serious that the dwelling is not reasonably suitable for occupation in that condition. Most landlords take their responsibility seriously and do this already.

Where a landlord fails to do so, the tenant has the right to? take action? in the courts for breach of contract on the grounds that the property is unfit for human habitation.? The remedies available to the tenant are an order by the court requiring the landlord to take action to reduce or remove the hazard, and / or damages to compensate them for having to live in a property which was not fit for human habitation.