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Headline Changes - Renters' Rights Act 2025

Headline Changes for Students

This is NOT legal advice but guidance

From 1st May 2026 most renters’ rights are changing. The changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will depend on your rental arrangements, and it is important you understand how the changes will affect you.

Always check what type of tenancy you have

Students renting direct from their educational establishment usually have either a licence to occupy or a common law tenancy. Most students renting from private landlords, including private halls of residence, will currently have either a licence to occupy or an assured shorthold tenancy.

Are there any exceptions?

1.Students renting from their educational establishment or a registered social landlord will not be affected by changes introduced on 1^st May 2026.

2. Students in private sector purpose-built accommodation whose tenancy is granted on or after 1st May 2026 could be affected differently, depending on whether their accommodation is accredited under an approved code of practice. Read our guidance HERE

Who will be affected?

1. Students already renting in private-sector purpose-built accommodation will be affected in the same way as students renting privately, but NOT in purpose-built student accommodation

2. Students renting privately, but NOT in purpose-built student accommodation will become assured periodic tenants on 1^st May 2026.

What are the headline changes?

The changes will happen automatically and you will not need a new tenancy agreement. From 1 May 2026 (regardless of what your existing contract says):

Your landlord cannot evict you without a reason
Your tenancy will be a rolling monthly arrangement, not a fixed term
You will have to give notice to quit if you want to end your tenancy
You are entitled to pay your rent monthly
Rent increases must follow the correct legal procedure
Your landlord can’t unreasonably refuse permission if you ask in writing for permission to keep a pet

1. The abolition of "no-fault" evictions

Landlords cannot serve you with a valid section 21 (no-fault eviction) notice after 30 April 2026. If your landlord serves a valid section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, changes to your tenancy will be postponed until 6 months from expiry of the notice or, if sooner, 31 July 2026.

After the section 21 route has been closed, your landlord can only evict you if they give you proper notice, based on a valid legal reason, which must be proven in court.

2. When can a landlord evict you?

1. If you’re at fault: Landlords can give you notice to evict at any point in the tenancy if you do something wrong. For example:

Anti-social behaviour
Damaging the property
Falling into significant rent arrears (at least 3 months behind)

Important for students: Being accused of noise or antisocial behaviour is one of the ways landlords can evict you under the new rules. Be mindful of noise complaints from neighbours.

2. If the landlord’s circumstances change: The new rules mean for the first year of your tenancy, your landlord can’t evict you because they want to sell or move back in. After the first year, they can, but they must give you four months’ notice.

3. If your landlord warned you that they intend to let to students next year: This applies only if you live in a house in multiple occupation (or HMO). If you've already signed a tenancy for next academic year the landlord must serve you warning notice by 31 May 2026 that your tenancy may be ended on “Ground 4A” in the future and your landlord will need to give you formal notice of the date they want you to leave.

Get advice from Unipol or your Students' Union advice service immediately if your landlord issues notice to evict you.

3. Rolling monthly tenancies from 1 May 2026

From 1st May 2026, all tenancies will be “periodic” rather than “fixed term” and become rolling.

This means tenancies will no longer have a fixed end date. Whatever your tenancy agreement (contract) says, your tenancy will run on a month-to-month basis. Your tenancy carries on until you (with new rights) or the landlord (with more restrictions) ends it.

4. Giving notice to quit your tenancy

You can leave your tenancy by giving at least two months’ written notice to quit and vacating the property before your notice expires. Find out more about giving notice HERE.

Giving Notice if you are in a Joint Tenancy

If you are renting with other people in a ‘joint tenancy’ and one of them gives two months’ notice to leave, it ends the tenancy for ALL of you. If you or one of your housemates wants to leave a joint tenancy, it’s important you discuss with your housemates and landlord to explore options for continuing with a replacement tenant and new tenancy for those who want to stay in the property. Find out more about Giving Notice to Quit if you are in a joint tenancy

Landlords can still end your tenancy between 1 June and 30 September each year but this only applies if you live in an HMO (a house let to three or more people), using a Section 8 Possession Ground known as Ground 4A. It is likely that many landlords who let to students will use this Ground to enable them to let the property out during the letting period with some certainty that hey will be able to get their property back for a new group of students. Find out more about how Ground 4A works HERE

5. Monthly rent payments

From 1st May 2026, landlords can no longer demand more than one month’s rent in advance once a tenancy agreement has been entered into. This stops landlords asking for months of rent up front – particularly to students without UK-based guarantors

6. Formal rent increase procedure

From 1st May 2026, landlords can only increase rent once per year during a tenancy, in line with the local market rents and must give you at least two months’ notice before the increase is due to take effect. Your landlord must use the correct form (a Section 13 Notice). The notice will explain your right to challenge any increase you think is too high at a Tribunal. Before going to a Tribunal, it is always advisable to try and negotiate, particularly if you are wanting to remain in the property for a further year.

Important limitation: Landlords can still charge more for a new tenancy than they charged for the last one. So, if you move out and new tenants move in, the landlord can charge them more than they charged you.

Find out more about Rent Payments HERE

7. Pets in student accommodation

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes the rules for pets in private rented housing in England. From 1st May 2026, even if the contract says "no pets" a tenant has the right to write to the landlord to ask permission to keep a pet, and their landlord cannot unreasonably refuse.

The rules won't apply to someone who is not yet a tenant. Someone who is looking for rented accommodation can still make a request to keep a pet when they move in, but the rules about how the landlord must respond won't apply.

Remember if you keep a pet in your student accommodation, you will be liable for ant damage or nuisance it causes.

Find Out More About Requesting a PET HERE