The government has published a remarkable 24 guides to aspects of the Renters Rights Act.
They appeared at the end of last week and over the weekend following the announcement that phase one of the act would be implemented from May 1 2026.
From that date, all existing and new private tenancies in England will move onto the new system. All existing assured shorthold tenancies will automatically convert to the new tenancy system. All new tenancies signed on or after this date will follow the new rules, including the cap on rent in advance and the new processes for rent increases and pets.
Any Section 21 notice served before May 1 2026 remains valid until it expires (six months from service) or until the tenant vacates. As set out in the Act, all new tenancies must have a written tenancy agreement that includes specific information to be set out by the government in secondary legislation.
Landlords won’t need to change or re-issue existing written tenancy agreements. Instead, they will need to provide tenants with a copy of this government-produced information sheet, explaining how the reforms may have affected the tenancy.
If an existing tenancy doesn’t currently have a written tenancy agreement — because it is based on a verbal agreement or because it is a protected tenancy — landlords will need to provide the tenant with a written document that covers the required information.
However, the very fact that there are 24 guides show the complexity of this first phase of implementing the Act. In the second half of next year phase two will give details of the mandatory Landlord Ombudsman scheme and the new private rental sector database.
This article is taken from Landlord Today