The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its main provisions commenced on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is abolished, assured shorthold tenancies have converted to periodic tenancies, rent increases must follow a statutory process using Form 4A, and rental bidding and rent in advance are prohibited. Each of those is a process with a deadline attached, which is precisely what is hard to run from a different time zone. This page sets out what changed and where the risk sits for an absent landlord.
Section 21 has gone, so possession needs a reason
A landlord can no longer end a tenancy without giving a ground. Possession rests on the statutory grounds, each with its own notice period and evidential requirements, and the paperwork is no longer a formality.
For a landlord abroad the practical consequence is that possession is now a process that has to be run properly from the first notice rather than a form that can be sent late and fixed afterwards. A defective notice does not merely delay matters; it usually means starting again.
Tenancies are periodic, so there is no fixed term to rely on
Assured shorthold tenancies converted to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. There is no fixed term ending on a date you can plan around, which changes how you should think about void periods, refurbishment and any intention to sell.
Rent increases run on Form 4A
An increase must follow the statutory process using Form 4A, with the correct notice period, and no more than once in a twelve month period. A tenant may refer a proposed increase to the tribunal.
This is the single most common thing to get wrong from abroad, because it is a date driven process. Miss a step and you do not simply lose the increase for that period; you may have to begin the process again from the start, which can cost a year of the uplift.
The information sheet deadline has already passed
Landlords of existing tenancies had to serve a prescribed information sheet by 31 May 2026, with penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to do so. If you let a Nottingham property through 2026 and are not certain that was done, it is worth establishing now rather than discovering it during a possession claim.
What is still coming
A Private Rented Sector Database begins its rollout from late 2026, which will require registration of landlords and properties. A landlord ombudsman is expected in 2028, bringing a complaint route for tenants that sits outside the courts.
Both are easier with a UK agent already in place, and both are the sort of obligation an absent landlord discovers late.
Why an agent matters more than it did
Before May 2026 an absent landlord could run a tenancy on goodwill and a fixed term. Now the same tenancy involves a statutory increase process, statutory grounds, prescribed information and, shortly, a database registration. None of it is difficult. All of it is date driven, and dates are what go wrong at four thousand miles.
Our overseas landlord management service is 12% of the rent (including any VAT) and includes acting as your UK licence holder. Compliance with the Act is part of the management, not an extra.
Questions we are asked
When did the Renters' Rights Act 2025 take effect?
It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its main provisions commenced on 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025.
Can I still use a section 21 notice?
No. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026. Possession must rest on one of the statutory grounds, each with its own notice period and evidence.
How do I increase the rent now?
Through the statutory process using Form 4A, with the correct notice period and no more than once in a twelve month period. The tenant may refer the increase to the tribunal.
What was the information sheet deadline?
31 May 2026 for existing tenancies, with penalties of up to £7,000 for failure. If you are not certain it was served on your tenancy, establish it now.
Do my old fixed term tenancies still run?
Assured shorthold tenancies converted to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, so there is no fixed term end date to plan around.
Sources
Renters' Rights Act 2025, chapter 26
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025
General information about the law and practice in England. Not tax advice or legal advice.
