What Changed for London Renters on 1 May 2026?

Answer first: On 1 May 2026 the first part of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 started in England. Landlords and letting agents must now state one asking rent and cannot ask for, encourage or accept offers above it. They cannot take rent before you sign, and after you sign they can usually ask for no more than 1 month's rent in advance. Section 21 "no-fault" evictions have ended, and most private tenancies are now rolling "periodic" tenancies with no end date. Rent can go up only once a year, by a Section 13 notice (Form 4A) with at least 2 months' notice, and you can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal.

These rules cover most private tenants in London, because London is in England. Some parts of the Act have not started yet. This guide says which parts are live and which start later.

General information, not legal advice. Your rights depend on your tenancy and your facts. Check GOV.UK, or contact Shelter or Citizens Advice, before you act on your own case. Sources were checked on 1 October 2026.

The changes at a glance

1. No more bidding above the advertised rent

A landlord or letting agent must put a specific rent in any written advert or offer. GOV.UK says a price range is not allowed. The ban covers online listings, printed adverts and social media posts.

They cannot:

• ask you to offer more than the advertised rent;
• encourage a bidding war, for example by telling you about other people's higher offers; or
• accept an offer above the advertised rent.

If you think a landlord or agent broke the rule, GOV.UK says you can report it to your local council. Keep the advert, the messages and any written offer. The council can fine a landlord or agent up to £7,000. GOV.UK says you can report it even if you made a higher offer yourself after they encouraged you.

2. A limit on rent in advance

Two rules work together:

1. Before you sign: the landlord or agent must not ask for, encourage or accept any rent.
2. After you sign: if you pay rent monthly, the most they can usually ask for in advance is 1 month's rent.

Before signing, they can still ask for a holding deposit (up to 1 week's rent). They can also ask for a tenancy deposit, which has its own cap. Our London deposits and fees guide explains those caps and how to get money back.

GOV.UK lists some exceptions, for example some tenancies arranged by a council for people who are homeless. If you are asked for more than 1 month's rent, GOV.UK says you can contact your local council. The council can require a landlord to repay rent in advance that was asked for unlawfully.

3. Section 21 "no-fault" evictions have ended

From 1 May 2026, a private landlord in England cannot give you a Section 21 notice, even if your tenancy agreement says they can.

To end your tenancy, your landlord now needs a legal reason, called a "ground for possession". They must give you a Section 8 notice that names the ground and gives the correct notice. The notice period depends on the ground. GOV.UK says it is usually at least 2 months and can be up to 4 months.

Some grounds have extra limits:

• Selling, or moving in. A landlord who wants to sell, or to move in themselves or a family member, cannot usually use that ground in the first 12 months of the tenancy. Shelter says the notice for selling is at least 4 months.
• Student houses. A special ground lets some landlords end a full-time student tenancy at the end of the academic year, with 4 months' notice that ends between 1 June and 30 September.

If you stay after the notice ends, your landlord must ask a court for a possession order. A landlord cannot remove you by force. GOV.UK says an illegal eviction is a criminal offence.

Notices served before 1 May 2026 can follow the old rules. If you got a Section 21 or Section 8 notice before that date, get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.

4. Rolling "periodic" tenancies

Most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. A new private tenancy that starts on or after that date is also an assured periodic tenancy. It runs from one rent period to the next, for example monthly, and it has no end date.

What this means for you:

• You can leave with notice. You can usually end the tenancy with at least 2 months' notice in writing, for example by letter, email or text. The notice must end on a rent day or the day before.
• A shorter period needs agreement. You and your landlord can agree a shorter notice in writing. In a joint tenancy, the other tenants must also agree.
• You pay rent until the end. Rent is due until the tenancy ends, unless your landlord agrees that you can go early.

If your agreement still says "assured shorthold tenancy" or shows an end date, the new rules apply anyway. The government information sheet says a landlord cannot put anything in the agreement to switch the new rules off.

GOV.UK says landlords had to give existing tenants the government's Renters' Rights Act information sheet by 31 May 2026. If you had no written agreement, your landlord had to give you a written statement of the main terms instead.

Not every renter has this kind of tenancy. GOV.UK says it does not apply if your landlord lives with you and shares your accommodation. It also does not apply to council tenancies, or when the annual rent is over £100,000 or under £1,000 in London. If you rent a room in your landlord's home, read our flatshare guide.

5. How rent increases work now

The only way to raise the rent for an assured tenant is now the Section 13 process:

• the landlord must use Form 4A ("Landlord's notice proposing a new rent");
• they must give you at least 2 months' notice before the new rent starts;
• they can raise the rent only once a year, and not in the first 12 months of a new tenancy; and
• a rent review clause in your agreement cannot be used for new increases after 1 May 2026.

There is no fixed cap on the size of a rise. The new rent should not be higher than the open market rent. That is the rent the landlord could expect for the home if it were let again on the open market.

How to challenge an increase

If you think the new rent is above the market rent, you can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide. Shelter says:

• you must apply before the date the new rent is due to start;
• the application costs £47, and you can get help with the fee on a low income; and
• for notices from 1 May 2026, the tribunal cannot set a rent higher than your landlord asked for. It can set the same rent or less.

The new rent normally starts from the next rent period after the tribunal decides. It is no longer backdated to the date in the notice. GOV.UK says the tribunal can also delay the increase by up to 2 more months in cases of undue hardship.

A tribunal decision is not certain to lower your rent. Compare rents for similar homes nearby before you apply. Shelter says to send a copy of your application to your landlord.

6. Other changes that started on 1 May 2026

• Pets. You can ask in writing to keep a pet. GOV.UK says the landlord must reply within 28 days and cannot refuse unreasonably. Allergies in the household, a home too small for the animal, or a freeholder's ban can be reasonable reasons.
• Benefits and children. A landlord or agent cannot refuse to rent to you because you get benefits or have children. They also cannot discriminate because of a protected characteristic under the Equality Act.

What has not started yet

The government's implementation roadmap puts other parts of the Act in later phases:

• A private rented sector database, a register of landlords and rental homes. GOV.UK said on 9 September 2026 that it will launch on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and reaching other areas over 12 months. All landlords letting property must be registered by 14 November 2027.
• A landlord ombudsman. The roadmap says it will be set up in phase 2, with landlord membership expected to become mandatory in 2028.
• A Decent Homes Standard for private renting. The roadmap proposes 2035 or 2037, subject to consultation.
• Awaab's Law for private renting. The roadmap says the timescales are subject to future consultation.

Dates in a roadmap can change. Check GOV.UK for the current position.

Where to look for a London flat under the new rules

Because of the bidding ban, the rent in a written advert is the most a landlord or agent can accept. Listings still sit across property portals, letting agents' own websites, landlord-direct listings and flatshare sites. Our London rental sites roundup compares those kinds of site.

RentReboot watches those kinds of London site and emails you the listings that match your budget, neighbourhoods and size. There is a free plan and an optional Premium plan. Set up London flat alerts, then use this guide before you make an offer or pay anything.

Renters' Rights Act FAQs

Can a London landlord still accept an offer above the asking rent?

No. Since 1 May 2026, landlords and letting agents in England cannot ask for, encourage or accept offers above the advertised rent. They must state one rent in written adverts, not a range. GOV.UK says you can report a breach to your local council, which can fine the landlord or agent up to £7,000.

How much rent can a landlord ask for in advance?

None before you sign the tenancy agreement. After you sign, a landlord who charges monthly rent can usually ask for no more than 1 month's rent in advance. A holding deposit and a tenancy deposit are separate payments with their own caps.

Can my landlord still give me a Section 21 notice?

Not on or after 1 May 2026. A private landlord in England now needs a legal ground, given in a Section 8 notice. If you got a notice before 1 May 2026, the old rules may still apply, so get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.

Does my fixed-term tenancy still end on its end date?

Most private tenancies in England became rolling assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, so an end date in the agreement no longer applies. You can usually leave with 2 months' notice in writing. Your landlord needs a legal ground to end the tenancy.

How often can my landlord raise the rent now?

Once a year, using a Section 13 notice on Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice, and not in the first 12 months of a new tenancy. A rent review clause cannot be used for new increases after 1 May 2026.

How do I challenge a rent increase?

Apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the date the new rent starts. Shelter says the fee is £47, with help for people on a low income. For notices from 1 May 2026, the tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the landlord proposed. The outcome is not guaranteed, so compare local rents first.

When do the landlord database and ombudsman start?

GOV.UK said on 9 September 2026 that the private rented sector database will launch on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands. The government roadmap places the landlord ombudsman in phase 2, with membership expected to become mandatory in 2028. The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law for private renting come later.

More London renter guides

• How Much Deposit Can a London Landlord Ask For?: holding and tenancy deposit caps, banned fees and how to get money back.
• Lodger or Tenant? Renting a Room in a London Flatshare: your rights in a shared flat, checks before you pay, and room costs.
• The best sites to find a flat to rent in London
• London flat alerts

Sources

Checked on 1 October 2026. The law and official guidance can change. Recheck these sources before you rely on them.

1. GOV.UK: Renters' Rights Act overview for tenants: periodic tenancies, end of Section 21, rental bidding, rent in advance, rent increases, leaving, pets, benefits and children.
2. GOV.UK: Assured periodic tenancies, a guide for tenants: who has an assured periodic tenancy and who does not, including the London rent limits.
3. GOV.UK: Rental bidding: one asking rent, no ranges, reporting to the council, fines up to £7,000.
4. GOV.UK: Rent in advance and deposits: no rent before signing, 1 month after signing, exceptions, council repayment powers.
5. GOV.UK: Rent increases: once a year, Form 4A, 2 months' notice, open market rent, rent review clauses.
6. GOV.UK: How to end your tenancy: 2 months' notice, timing, joint tenants.
7. GOV.UK: If your landlord wants to end your tenancy: grounds, Section 8 notice periods, student ground, court, illegal eviction.
8. GOV.UK: If you want a pet to live with you: written request, 28-day reply, reasonable refusals.
9. GOV.UK: The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026: conversion to periodic tenancies, rules that cannot be switched off, notices served before 1 May 2026.
10. GOV.UK: Landlords now to fulfil new legal duty for Renters' Rights Act: the 31 May 2026 information sheet and written statement duty.
11. GOV.UK: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act: tribunal cannot exceed the proposed rent, no backdating, hardship deferral of up to 2 months.
12. GOV.UK: Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025, our roadmap: phases for the ombudsman, Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law.
13. GOV.UK: Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters (9 September 2026): database launch on 15 December 2026 and registration by 14 November 2027.
14. Shelter England: Renters' Rights Act changes for private renters: summary of the 1 May 2026 changes.
15. Shelter England: Ask a tribunal to set the rent: deadline, £47 fee, rent cannot exceed the landlord's figure, start date of the new rent.
16. Shelter England: Eviction rights if your landlord is selling: 4 months' notice and the first 12 months rule.