Buy-to-let reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act landed on 1 May 2026, and the Section 21 possession route has been abolished. Rent increases now follow a formal process, and advertising rules have tightened considerably. The rulebook has changed, so your next move matters.
None of this needs to feel like a setback. The new rental rules for landlords are workable once you understand the mechanics behind them. What follows is a practical walkthrough of the decisions ahead, from tenancy paperwork through to whether a letting agent should carry some of the load. Each section covers a single area, so you can use this as a working checklist rather than reading it in one sitting.
Related: The New PRS Database: A Landlord’s Guide to Early Compliance and Registration
Tenancy structures and possession now work differently
Section 21 no longer exists. Existing assured shorthold tenancies within the scope of the reforms became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, whether you asked for that outcome or not. Possession now runs through Section 8, and the ground you rely on decides how quickly you can act.
Fixed terms have gone too. Tenancies now operate on a rolling basis, and tenants can generally leave with two months’ notice, although transitional rules can apply to some existing tenancies.
Grounds for regaining possession
You keep the ability to regain possession, but only for a defined reason, and the notice period depends on which ground applies:
Selling the property
Ground 1A can apply where you genuinely intend to sell the property. However, possession cannot normally be required within the first 12 months of a new tenancy, and a minimum four-month notice period applies.
Moving in yourself or a close family member
Ground 1 can apply where you or a close family member genuinely needs to move into the property. Possession cannot normally be required within the first 12 months of a new tenancy, and a minimum four-month notice period applies.
Rent arrears
Where rent is paid monthly, at least three months’ rent must be unpaid for the mandatory rent arrears ground, with a four-week notice period.
Significant breach of the tenancy agreement
Certain breaches can provide grounds for possession, with the notice period depending on the specific ground.
Review every tenancy you hold against these grounds now. Knowing which route applies before you need it saves weeks later, and it stops a straightforward case turning into a drawn-out dispute. Court paperwork rejected on a technicality costs far more time than getting the ground right at the outset.
Rent setting and increases need a fresh process
Rent review clauses built into older contracts stopped working on 1 May 2026. A Section 13 notice is now the only lawful route to a rent increase, and the process carries firm boundaries.
The Section 13 process
You can generally increase the rent once a year using the prescribed Form 4A, but you cannot increase it during the first year of a new tenancy. You must give tenants at least two months’ notice before any increase takes effect. Tenants can challenge the figure at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it sits above market rate, so gather evidence as you go: comparable listings, recent lettings nearby, and any professional valuation you can point to.
Keeping the paperwork solid
Informal top-ups, verbal agreements, and rent review clauses carry no legal weight now. Anything outside the Section 13 process risks being unlawful, regardless of what the original tenancy agreement said. Getting this wrong is one of the easier ways to lose a rent increase entirely, so treat the paperwork with care. Diarise your annual review date the moment a tenancy starts, rather than waiting until costs force the issue.
Tenant selection and advertising come with new limits
Choosing a tenant used to be a private decision. Two rules now shape how you advertise and select: no rental bidding, and no discrimination based on who the applicant is.
No rental bidding, no discrimination
You cannot invite or accept an offer above the advertised rent. Set the figure you intend to charge and hold that line throughout the process. Discrimination against tenants with children or those receiving benefits is banned outright, so listings marked "no DSS" or "no kids" now breach the law and invite enforcement action from your local council.
Screen applicants on affordability, references, and conduct, not on income source or household makeup. A consistent, well-documented process protects you if a decision is ever questioned, and it makes your letting agent’s job easier too.
Rent in advance
Rent in advance is also restricted. Landlords cannot request or accept rent before the tenancy agreement has been signed, and they can generally request no more than one month’s rent in advance before the tenancy begins.
Related: Rental bidding is banned: how to advertise “asking rent” correctly (and avoid costly mistakes)
Pets are now part of the conversation
Tenants can formally request permission to keep a pet, and refusing without good reason is no longer an option open to you.
Responding to a pet request
You have 28 calendar days to respond to a pet request in writing. Reasonable grounds to refuse do exist, including a superior lease that bans pets outright or a property genuinely unsuited to the animal proposed. A blanket "no pets" policy, or simply not replying, will not hold up if challenged.
Landlords should also consider how pet-related damage will be dealt with, including any relevant insurance arrangements and the existing tenancy deposit rules. Build a clear response process before the first request lands, rather than improvising one under pressure. Treat it as part of your standard onboarding, alongside referencing and deposit protection.
Property management and compliance demand tighter records
Buy-to-let compliance now rests on documentation as much as it does on bricks and mortar. Every tenancy needs a paper trail that would stand up to scrutiny.
Written statements of terms
Existing tenants whose agreement was verbal must receive a written statement of terms summarising the main terms. For tenancies created from 1 May 2026, landlords must provide the required written information about the key terms before the tenancy is agreed.
Safety checks and record-keeping
Gas safety checks, electrical safety reports and other applicable safety requirements remain important. Keep the relevant certificates and inspection records up to date, as compliance failures can lead to enforcement action and create problems when managing a tenancy or seeking possession.
Getting a firm grip on your landlord responsibilities, covering repairs, deposit protection, and safety checks, is the foundation everything else in this list depends on. Keep records in one place, dated and easy to retrieve, rather than scattered across emails and folders. Missing or incomplete compliance records can create problems when landlords need to demonstrate that their legal obligations have been met.
Related: Legal responsibilities of landlords: your essential guide
Financial planning should account for the new landscape
The numbers behind a buy-to-let portfolio have shifted too. Voids, management time, and compliance costs all deserve a fresh look under the current rules.
Voids, cash flow and admin time
Possession can take longer when a ground is genuinely disputed, so build longer potential void periods into your planning around difficult tenancies. Rent increases now follow a slower, more structured timetable, which affects short-term cash flow even where the long-term return still holds up well.
Time spent on notices, tenant communication, and pet requests adds up too, and that time carries a real cost even when no invoice arrives for it. Some landlords are finding that hours once spent on routine admin now stretch further than expected, particularly across a larger portfolio.
Review your figures against the current rules rather than assumptions carried over from before 1 May 2026. A portfolio that worked comfortably under the old system may need retuning under this one, especially where rent increases were previously informal.
Professional management earns its keep under these reforms
Some landlords manage every property themselves and do it well. Others are finding the administrative load harder to justify without support behind them.
A letting agent treats Section 13 notices, pet requests, and written statements of terms as routine work rather than a one-off scramble each time. Compliance deadlines get tracked as a matter of course instead of being missed under pressure. With expert support from Whitegates, landlords can step back from the day-to-day paperwork and focus on the wider direction of their portfolio.
If these reforms have you reconsidering how hands-on you want to be, that decision deserves proper thought rather than a rushed guess. Talk to our estate agents and letting agents about what buy-to-let reforms mean for your properties, and what the right level of support could look like for you.
