As part of our commitment to keeping our clients informed, we’re sharing the latest updates on the Renters’ Rights Bill, a piece of legislation drafted by the Government in September 2024 that’s expected to come into law sometime late 2025 or early 2026.
The Renters’ Rights Bill is a major reform of the private rental sector in England, aimed at improving tenant protections whilst raising standards across the board. But what are the key changes, how might they impact you and what are we doing to help you stay ahead?
Periodic Tenancies
As part of the bill, all tenancies will now move to a periodic format, meaning tenants can give two months’ notice to end their tenancy, aligned with their tenancy dates.
At FleetMilne, we’re updating our systems accordingly and will provide any required documentation to tenants directly.
Upfront Rent Systems
With the changes, collecting more than one month’s rent in advance is no longer permitted.
Going forward, rent will be due on the same date each month as the tenancy start date (instead of aligning with the 1st of the month).
This may impact overseas tenants who typically pay rent in advance. A professional guarantor service from Goodlord will soon be available to address this.
Ending Tenancies – Section 8
Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions are being abolished. Landlords must now use Section 8 and cite specific legal grounds. Here’s a summary of the most common ones:
Landlord or family moving in
4 months (after 12 months)
Mandatory
Landlord or close family needs the property
Selling the property
4 months (after 12 months)
Mandatory
Landlord intends to sell
Serious rent arrears
4 weeks
Mandatory
3+ months (or 13+ weeks) of arrears
Any rent arrears
4 weeks
Discretionary
Any arrears at notice and hearing
Persistent late payments
4 weeks
Discretionary
Repeated late rent payments
Property damage
2 weeks
Discretionary
Tenant has caused deterioration
Breach of tenancy
2 weeks
Discretionary
Breach of any tenancy agreement term
Rent Increases
Rent increases can now only be reviewed once every 12 months, and tenants can appeal rent increases. As part of our service, FleetMilne is able to ensure all proposals are fair and market-aligned, significantly reducing the risk of challenge.
Additional Protection: Goodlord’s Rent Protection policy will now cover the increased rent if a tenant appeals and the increase is upheld.
Pet Requests
Tenants can request to keep a pet and requests can’t be unreasonably refused, but a restriction in the head lease remains a valid reason to decline.
Bidding Ban
Offering above the advertised rent is now prohibited. As part of our service, we’ll agree on a fair market rent before re-marketing to ensure compliance.
Maintenance Timelines
New rules are introducing stricter deadlines, especially for issues like damp and mould. For our clients, we’re updating our internal systems and will seek your prompt authorisation when urgent repairs are needed.
Landlord Ombudsman & Portal
A new portal will require: Mandatory landlord registration, a central compliance database and fines for non-registration.
We’ll guide you through this once the portal goes live. If we’re allowed to handle registration on your behalf, we’ll notify you and explain any associated costs.
FleetMilne is an award-winning estate and letting agent based on Colmore Row, right in the heart of Birmingham city centre.
Known for delivering excellent service for landlords, vendors, tenants, and purchasers, we pride ourselves on providing elite property services with integrity and personability every step of the way – no gaps or cutting corners.
