On 1 May 2026, the UK rental sector had its biggest shake-up in more than three decades.
Section 21 was abolished, fixed-term tenancies were replaced with rolling ones, and tenants got a long list of new rights.
If you’re a landlord, you could be forgiven for thinking the hard part is over. But the Renters’ Rights Act isn’t finished with you yet.
The government has published its roadmap for Phase 2, which includes a national register of every rented property in England, a new annual fee, and a landlord ombudsman.
In this guide, we’ll cover what’s changed since May, what’s coming next, what it will cost you, and the checklist you need to follow to stay on the right side of the law.
1. What’s changed since May
Here are some of the key changes that came into effect with Phase 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act…
Section 21 is gone
Landlords can no longer issue a Section 21 “no-fault” eviction notice. If you want a tenant to leave, you now need to use one of the permitted grounds under Section 8 - such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or wanting to sell or move into the property.
Fixed-term tenancies have been replaced
All assured shorthold tenancies, including existing ones, automatically converted to periodic (rolling) tenancies on 1 May. There are no more fixed terms. Any break clauses or early termination fees written into old contracts no longer apply.
Tenants can leave with two months’ notice
Tenants can now give two months’ notice to end their tenancy at any point. There’s no minimum term they need to stay for.
Rent increases are capped to once a year
Landlords can increase the rent once every 12 months using a Section 13 notice. Tenants have the right to challenge any increase at a First-tier Tribunal if they believe it’s above the market rate. Any rent review clauses written into previous contracts are void.
Bidding wars are banned
Every rental listing must show a fixed rent. Landlords cannot invite, encourage, or accept offers above the advertised figure.
Advance rent is limited
Landlords can no longer request or accept more than one month’s rent in advance. This applies regardless of the tenant’s circumstances.
Discrimination
The Act also cracks down on any form of discrimination in the rental sector. So if anything you do, say or advertise puts someone off renting your property, or stops them from being able to, that’s now illegal.
2. The PRS database
The biggest change coming in Phase 2 is a national database of every privately rented property in England, known as the PRS (private rented sector) database.
It will be rolled out region by region from December 2026 (starting with the West Midlands) - every region should be live by late 2027. Once your region goes live, you’ll have a set window in which to register.
Registration is mandatory for every landlord and has to be renewed for each property annually.
What it will cost
The fee is £65 per property per year. For one or two properties, that’s small. Across a portfolio of ten, it’s £650 a year, every year. So it’s a figure that belongs in your cash flow projections.
What you’ll need to provide
When you register, you’ll need to dig out:
- Your contact details and the property’s full address
- The type of property (flat or house) and number of bedrooms
- Whether it’s tenanted and whether it’s furnished
- The rent
- Your safety certificates: gas safety, electrical safety (EICR) and EPC
The regulations also allow the government to require you to keep your entry up to date whenever something changes, such as a new rent or a renewed certificate.
Why it changes enforcement
At the moment, if a landlord’s gas safety certificate has lapsed, the council usually only finds out when a tenant complains. Enforcement is reactive: someone has to raise a flag.
The database flips that around. In later phases, you’ll need your registration number to advertise a property, and landlords who aren’t registered will struggle to regain possession of a property through the courts.
That solves the problem that sank every previous attempt at landlord registration. This time, councils don’t need to find you. You can’t operate without being on the register.
What we make of it
We think this is a good thing on balance.
We’ve always said that being a good landlord is the right thing to do and it’s good business too. A tool that helps councils catch the landlords who cut corners is hard to argue with.
If you run one or two properties and keep your paperwork in order, registering will probably take ten minutes. Fill in the form, upload your certificates, get on with your life.
However, with a portfolio, those ten minutes add up, especially once you factor in updates every time something changes. And if your properties are already covered by a selective licensing scheme, you may feel like you’re paying to prove the same thing twice.
3. The landlord ombudsman
The other big arrival in Phase 2 is the introduction of a landlord ombudsman - an independent body tenants can complain to if they feel a landlord has treated them unfairly.
Membership is expected to become compulsory in 2028. So that’s one more membership to budget for (the fee hasn’t been confirmed yet).
This is what gives the Act its teeth. Until the ombudsman exists, a tenant who’s been unreasonably refused permission to keep a pet, for example, has nobody to complain to. From 2028, they will.
4. What this means for you
Put it all together and the direction is clear. Being a landlord is becoming a professional job, with extra admin, closer oversight and far less room for doing things on the back of an envelope.
Some landlords are deciding it isn’t worth the hassle, and we understand why. But others are going the other way and treating their portfolio like a business. Around 66,000 new buy-to-let companies were registered in 2025, up 363% in a decade, and more than three-quarters of new buy-to-let purchases now go through a limited company.
If you run your properties well, none of the changes in Phase 2 should worry you. It’s more admin, and a cost to plan for, but it rewards the landlords who were doing things right all along.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register if I use a letting agent?
The legal duty sits with you as the landlord, even if your agent handles the registration.
What happens if I don’t register?
You’ll likely face fines, you won’t be able to advertise the property once registration numbers are required on listings, and you’ll struggle to regain possession through the courts.
Does the £65 fee cover all my properties?
No. It’s charged per property, per year.
When do I need to act?
You have time, but don’t leave it to the last minute. Get your certificates and property details together now, so registering takes minutes when your region goes live.
