The private rented sector in England is going through its most significant legal overhaul in decades. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its first phase of changes took effect on 1 May 2026, touching almost every part of how a tenancy is created, managed, priced and ended. For landlords and tenants in Kent, understanding the detail matters more than reacting to headlines. This guide sets out what the Act actually requires, in plain terms, so you can adapt your practices with confidence rather than guesswork.
The end of assured shorthold tenancies
The most fundamental change is structural. The Act spells the end of Assured Shorthold Tenancies, also known as ASTs, the most common type of agreement if you rent to private individuals. In their place, every tenancy becomes an assured periodic tenancy with no fixed end date. Both section 21 notices and assured shorthold tenancies in the private rented sector have been abolished from 1 May 2026. If your existing tenancy started as a fixed term, it converts automatically to a rolling periodic arrangement. This is not optional and does not require new paperwork from either party to take effect.
For tenants, this brings more flexibility. There will be no more fixed-term tenancies, they will all become rolling monthly or weekly Assured Periodic tenancies, meaning if you want to move you now only need to give two months' notice rather than pay rent for the rest of a fixed term. For landlords, it means rethinking how you plan void periods, refurbishment windows and long-term portfolio strategy, since you can no longer rely on a tenancy ending on a set date.
Section 21 is gone: possession now runs through Section 8
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, meaning landlords can no longer evict tenants without providing a valid reason, a point confirmed for Kent renters directly by Kent HomeChoice. In practice, landlords are now required to use the Section 8 process instead and will also need to attend a hearing for a court to decide whether to grant possession or not. This removes the accelerated, paperwork-only route that many landlords relied on.
The practical consequence is that evidence now matters enormously. The abolition of Section 21 means there is a greater focus on landlords to prove grounds for possession and support their claim with evidence, for example logging rental payments accurately to prove non-payment, or holding a solicitor's letter as evidence if the ground is a property sale. To balance this out, Section 8 grounds for possession have been amended to give landlords more specific reasons for eviction, including arrears, anti-social behaviour, and genuine intention to sell or move in. Keep a clear paper trail from day one of any tenancy: rent statements, correspondence, inspection notes and any warnings given. If you plan to rely on the sale or moving-in grounds, be aware that during the first 12 months of any new tenancy, landlords are not allowed to move back into the property or attempt to sell it unless they sell to another landlord who will take over the tenancy.
Rent increases: one route, once a year
Rent reviews have also been standardised. Under the Renters' Rights Act, landlords can only increase rent once every 12 months using the Section 13 process, giving at least two months' written notice using the prescribed form. Rent review clauses can no longer be used as an alternative route, and informal rent increases agreed with the tenant outside Section 13 are not enforceable, though a tenant can agree to pay less than the figure stated in a notice.
Tenants who disagree with a proposed increase have a formal escape route. If a tenant thinks a rent increase is too high, they can refer it to the First-tier Tribunal and continue paying their existing rent until a decision is made. Importantly for landlords, the Tribunal's role is to decide whether the rent is fair compared with similar local properties, and any new rent only applies from the date of the Tribunal's determination, not backdated. In cases of genuine financial hardship, the Tribunal can also delay the increase by up to two months. The lesson for landlords is to review rents annually and keep evidence of comparable local lettings, rather than letting rent drift far below market value and then attempting a large single increase that invites a challenge.
Rent in advance and upfront payments
The Act also tightens what can be requested before a tenancy starts. For new tenancies there is an absolute prohibition on accepting or inviting rent payments before the agreement is signed; after signing, landlords can require one month's rent in advance, and during the tenancy any provision requiring more than one month's rent in advance is void. If you have relied on requesting several months' rent upfront as a way of vetting tenants, that option is closed, and landlords should instead consider tenant guarantees or loss of rent insurance, provided any alternative still complies with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 as amended.
Pet requests: a new statutory process
Blanket no-pets policies are no longer workable. Landlords are expected to consider each pet request on a case-by-case basis and cannot have a blanket ban on pets. There is a strict timetable attached: if a tenant submits a written pet request, landlords must respond in writing within 28 days, and missing that window means the request is treated as granted by default. If further information is needed, the landlord must reply within seven days of receiving that information, or within the remainder of the original 28-day period, whichever is later. A refusal is still possible, but only where there is a sound, defensible reason, for example that the property is unsuitable such as a large dog in a small flat without outdoor space. Diarise every request the day it arrives and put your decision, and the reasoning behind it, in writing.
Property standards: Decent Homes and Awaab's Law
Physical standards are being brought closer to social housing rules. The Decent Homes Standard, already applicable to social housing since 2001, will extend to private landlords, requiring properties to be safe, well maintained and in good repair, with local authorities able to issue fines of up to £7,000 for non-compliance. Separately, the incorporation of Awaab's Law places obligations on landlords to investigate and address dangerous issues such as damp and mould within a strict, legally defined timeframe. The precise date of implementation for the private sector is still to be confirmed, but landlords should not wait for enforcement before tightening up damp, mould and repair reporting procedures.
The PRS Database and the new Ombudsman
Transparency is being formalised through two new structures. The Renters' Rights Act introduces a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman Service, designed to give tenants a free, fair and accessible route to resolve complaints about landlord conduct, alongside a PRS database requiring all landlords of assured tenancies in England to register themselves and their properties. The database is part of a later phase, currently in testing and due to begin rolling out region by region from late 2026, at which point all private landlords will be legally required to register. The stakes for ignoring this are real: failure to register with either scheme may result in civil penalties, fines up to £5,000, and an inability to get a possession order except under the anti-social behaviour or specific safety grounds.
A practical compliance checklist
Whatever stage your portfolio is at, a few habits will keep you compliant. Review every tenancy agreement to remove clauses that rely on fixed terms, rent review provisions or advance rent above one month, since these are now void or unenforceable. Build a record-keeping system for arrears, correspondence, inspections and any grounds you might later need to prove in court. Set a diary reminder for any pet request the moment it arrives, and treat the 28-day window as non-negotiable. Keep gas safety, electrical and energy performance records current and easily retrievable ahead of database registration. Finally, if you use a letting agent, confirm they are already tracking these deadlines on your behalf, because the administrative burden of the new regime is considerably higher than under the old system.
What this means for tenants
For tenants, the changes are broadly protective. If a landlord wants you to move out, they now have to give a valid reason, and they cannot raise your rent more than once a year without giving two months' notice. The abolition of Section 21 removes the risk of an unexplained eviction notice at any point outside a fixed term, and some renters previously felt unable to report disrepair for fear of exactly that. Tenants should still keep their own records: rent payment history, any repair requests and dates, and copies of every notice served, since these matter equally if a dispute reaches a tribunal or court.
Staying ahead of the detail
The Renters' Rights Act is being implemented in phases, with tenancy reform first, followed by database registration, the Ombudsman, and further property standards later. The rest of the Act will follow in further stages, so treat this as an evolving compliance area rather than a one-off task. A good letting agent who tracks notice periods, prescribed forms and registration deadlines is now less of a convenience and more of a practical necessity for anyone letting property in Kent or elsewhere in England.