Renters Rights Act: Your Pre-May 1 Compliance Checklist

One month. That is what is left before the Renters Rights Act changes the way private renting works in England.

The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Phase 1 commences on 1 May 2026. For landlords who have been half-watching from the sidelines, that timeline is now very short.

Most of the coverage so far has focused on what the Act does: Section 21 gone, periodic tenancies only, new grounds for possession. What has been covered less clearly is what you, as a landlord with existing tenants, actually need to do before the date arrives.

This is that list. Nine items, roughly in order of urgency. Work through them and you will be compliant. Miss them and the penalties start at £7,000 per breach.

1. Deliver the RRA Information Sheet to Every Existing Tenant by 31 May 2026

This is the one with the hardest deadline. The government published an official Renters Rights Act information sheet on 20 March 2026. Every landlord with an existing written assured or assured shorthold tenancy that was created before 1 May 2026 must provide this sheet to every tenant named on that agreement.

The deadline is 31 May 2026, not 1 May. You have slightly more time on this one than the commencement date itself.

Delivery requirements are specific and matter. You must either:

• Print the sheet and give or post it to the tenant
• Send the PDF as an email attachment

Sending a link to the PDF is not valid. The sheet itself must be delivered. A verbal mention is not valid. A text with a URL is not valid.

The PDF is published at: gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026

If your property is managed by a letting agent, the agent must also provide the information sheet. Both of you are obligated to do so, even if one has already acted.

Verbal tenancies with no written record fall outside this requirement. If you have no written agreement at all, you do not need to serve the information sheet, but you will need to provide a written statement of the key terms of the tenancy instead.

Missing this deadline carries a fine of up to £7,000 per tenancy. There is no grace period beyond 31 May.

2. Accept That All Fixed-Term Tenancies Convert on 1 May 2026

If any of your tenants are currently on a fixed-term tenancy that has not yet expired, that fixed term ends on 1 May 2026. From that date, the tenancy automatically becomes an assured periodic tenancy governed by the new rules.

Nothing is required from you to make this happen. It happens by law.

What changes from that point:

• You cannot renew on a fixed-term basis. The Act abolishes new fixed-term assured tenancies for private lets. All new tenancies from 1 May 2026 are periodic from the outset.
• Rent can only be increased via the Section 13 process using Form 4A, with two months' notice, once every 12 months.
• Section 21 is not available.
• Possession must be sought under the updated Section 8 grounds.

The practical adjustment for most landlords is largely administrative. Your existing tenants stay in the property. The terms remain broadly the same. What changes is the legal framework governing how you manage the tenancy going forward.

3. Switch Your Rent Increase Process to Section 13 via Form 4A Only

From 1 May 2026, the only lawful route to increase rent on an assured periodic tenancy is the Section 13 statutory process using Form 4A. All other methods become invalid on that date.

What stops working:

Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements become unenforceable for assured periodic tenancies from 1 May 2026, regardless of what the agreement says. Informal agreed increases without formal notice do not work. The old Form 4 cannot be used after 30 April 2026.

How the new process works:

• Download Form 4A from GOV.UK on or after 1 May 2026
• Complete and serve it on the tenant with the proposed new rent and a start date
• The start date must be at least two months after the tenant receives the notice
• Rent can only be increased once in any 12-month period

The 12-month restriction includes any increase already made under old rules. Check the date each tenant's rent was last raised. If it was less than 12 months ago, you cannot serve a valid Form 4A until that anniversary passes.

For full detail on how this process works, see our article on how to increase rent legally under the Renters Rights Act.

4. Section 21 Transition: Act Before 1 May (and by 31 July for Court Proceedings)

If you have a situation where you were already considering serving a Section 21 notice, or you have already served one, here is how the transition window works.

Serving a notice:

You can serve a Section 21 notice up to and including 30 April 2026. Any notice served on or after 1 May 2026 is invalid. Section 21 does not exist from that date.

Initiating court proceedings:

If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, you can still use it to commence possession proceedings. The deadline for doing so is the earlier of:

• Six months from when the notice was served
• 31 July 2026

After 31 July 2026, no new Section 21 claims can be started, regardless of when the notice was served.

If you have a notice that was served some months ago and have been delaying, check whether it is still within its six-month window. If a tenant you need to regain possession from is still in the property and you have a valid outstanding notice, do not wait.

5. Get Familiar with the Updated Section 8 Grounds

From 1 May 2026, Section 8 is your only route to regain possession. The grounds have been updated and some have changed materially. Here are the ones most relevant to everyday landlords.

Ground 8 (serious rent arrears):

The threshold has risen. Tenants must now be in at least three months' arrears (or 13 weeks if rent is paid weekly or fortnightly) for this mandatory ground to apply. The arrears must exist both when you serve the notice and on the day of the court hearing.

The notice period under Ground 8 increases from two weeks to four weeks.

This is a higher bar than the previous two-month threshold. Landlords who previously relied on Ground 8 relatively quickly when arrears built up need to factor in the longer runway required to meet the new threshold.

One important note: if the arrears are caused by a Universal Credit payment delay and the tenant was entitled to receive it, Ground 8 cannot be used on the basis of those arrears alone. Get advice if this applies to your situation.

Ground 1 (landlord or family to move into the property):

This ground has been widened and the notice period substantially increased. You now need to give four months' notice, and Ground 1 cannot be used during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

To prevent misuse, any landlord who regains possession under Ground 1 is restricted from re-letting or remarketing the property for 12 months from when the notice expires.

Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell):

This is a new ground introduced by the Act. It allows landlords to seek possession where they genuinely intend to sell. The same rules apply: four months' notice, not usable in the first 12 months, and a 12-month restriction on re-letting after possession.

Ground 4A (purpose-built student accommodation):

A new ground for student housing, linked to the end of the academic year. Four months' notice required.

For a full list of Section 8 grounds and notice periods, check GOV.UK's guidance for landlords and letting agents: gov.uk/government/publications/grounds-for-possession-guidance-for-landlords-and-letting-agents

6. Review Your Tenancy Agreements and Remove Invalid Clauses

Several types of clause in existing tenancy agreements become invalid or unenforceable from 1 May 2026. Review your current agreements and identify any of the following.

Rent review clauses. Any clause providing for automatic, agreed, or scheduled rent increases on a periodic tenancy ceases to have legal effect from 1 May 2026. You do not need to amend the tenancy agreement for this to apply. The clause simply has no force from that date. But it is worth being clear with your tenant so neither of you relies on it.

Advance rent beyond one month. The Act restricts landlords from requiring more than one month's rent in advance at the start of a tenancy. Any clause requiring two months' rent up front, or multiple months in advance as a condition of renting, is not enforceable under the new rules.

Rent bidding provisions. Any clause or practice that allows or encourages tenants to bid above the listed rent is banned. Advertising a property with a rent range or accepting offers above the listed price is prohibited from 1 May 2026.

Blanket pet bans. The Act does not give tenants an automatic right to keep pets, but it does require landlords to consider pet requests and not unreasonably refuse them. Landlords can require tenants to take out pet insurance as a condition of permission. An outright clause refusing all pets in all circumstances will be difficult to enforce and may draw challenge. Review how your agreement handles pet requests.

Clauses discriminating against benefits claimants or families with children. The Act makes it unlawful for landlords to advertise properties as unavailable to those on housing benefits or with children, or to include such conditions in tenancy agreements.

7. Check Your Safety Certificates Are Current

This is not a new obligation, but it is more important than ever. Under the updated Section 8 rules, possession claims can be weakened or struck out if safety certificates are not in order. Courts and tribunals will scrutinise compliance when landlords bring possession proceedings.

Check the following for every property:

Gas safety certificate. Must be renewed annually and served on the tenant within 28 days of inspection. A copy must be given to any new tenant before they move in.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Must be carried out at least every five years and served on tenants within 28 days. New tenants must receive a copy before occupation.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Required on a let. Must have been provided to the tenant. The minimum EPC rating requirement for rentals is subject to ongoing government consultation, but the certificate must be current.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. At least one smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance. Landlords must test them at the start of each new tenancy.

If any of these are expired, overdue, or were never properly served, get them sorted before May 1. Filing a possession claim with outstanding certificate gaps is not a position you want to be in.

8. Check Whether Your Property Has Entered a Selective Licensing Zone

This is less directly connected to the Renters Rights Act, but the timing is relevant. A wave of selective licensing schemes launched or is launching in 2026, and several of them go live on or around the same date as the Act.

Several London boroughs, including Hackney and Harrow, have selective licensing schemes launching around this period. Check the relevant council's website directly to confirm exact start dates and whether applications are open in your area.

For a full breakdown of which councils are live, which are imminent, and how to check whether your property is in a zone, see our selective licensing guide: Is Your Rental Property Now in a Licensing Zone?

Operating an unlicensed property in a designated zone is a criminal offence. Under the Renters Rights Act, Rent Repayment Orders for unlicensed letting can now cover up to 24 months of rent for repeat offenders, up from 12 months previously. The financial exposure has increased materially.

9. Making Tax Digital: Check If This Applies to You (From April 6)

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment went live on 6 April 2026 for landlords whose gross qualifying income exceeded £50,000 in the 2024 to 2025 tax year.

If you are in scope, you should already have started. The first quarterly update is due by 7 August 2026, covering the period from 6 April to 5 July 2026.

If you have not yet checked whether you are affected, do so now. Qualifying income is your gross rent before expenses, combined with any self-employment income. Employment income, dividends, and savings do not count.

For full detail, see our article: Making Tax Digital: What Landlords Earning Over £50k Need to Do Now.

What the Penalties Look Like

Getting this wrong is not a minor inconvenience. The Renters Rights Act significantly strengthens enforcement powers.

Civil penalties: Local councils can issue civil financial penalties of up to £7,000 per breach without going to court. More serious or repeated offences can attract penalties of up to £40,000, or criminal prosecution with an unlimited fine.

A repeat offence is generally defined as a second breach within five years of the first. The £40,000 ceiling and criminal exposure apply in those circumstances.

Rent Repayment Orders: Tenants and councils can apply for Rent Repayment Orders requiring you to repay rent received during a period of non-compliance. These have always existed for selective licensing offences, but from 1 May 2026 the RRO window doubles to 24 months for repeat offenders.

The combination of higher civil penalties, wider RRO exposure, and abolition of Section 21 means the consequences of getting compliance wrong are meaningfully higher from May 1 than they were before.

What Changes for New Tenancies from 1 May 2026

If you are letting a property for the first time after 1 May 2026, or beginning a new tenancy, the framework is different from day one.

New tenancies are periodic from the start. You cannot offer a fixed term. The tenancy begins as an assured periodic tenancy and continues on that basis until either party terminates it using the correct procedure.

Rent increases follow Section 13 and Form 4A from the outset. The first rent increase cannot take effect until at least 52 weeks after the tenancy began.

Deposit limits remain unchanged. The maximum deposit is still five weeks' rent for annual rents under £50,000, or six weeks' rent above that threshold. Deposit protection rules continue to apply in the same way.

Pet insurance can now be required as a condition of granting permission for a pet, but you cannot ban pets in blanket terms without considering the request.

The Short Version

The Act is not a reason to panic, but 30 days is not a lot of time if you have not started. The nine items above, worked through in order, will get most landlords to a compliant position before the date arrives.

Most of these are not onerous. Serving the information sheet takes ten minutes. Checking your safety certificates takes a phone call to your agent. Reviewing your tenancy agreement for invalid clauses is an afternoon's work.

The one that is genuinely time-sensitive is the Section 21 situation. If you have a property where you need to regain possession and you have not yet served notice, the window closes on 30 April. After that, you are on Section 8 only.

Everything else has a bit more runway. But do not leave it to the last week.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Tax rules and legislation change frequently — always verify current rates with HMRC or GOV.UK and seek independent professional advice before making investment decisions.