Section 21 "no-fault" evictions were abolished in England on 1 May 2026, and registration for the Private Rented Sector Database opens on 15 December 2026. For letting agents, the Renters' Rights Act is the strongest reason in a generation for self-managing landlords to hire a professional.
The agents who grow will be those who explain the change simply and package a service around it.
What changed on 1 May 2026
The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Its first phase brought in the following:
- Assured shorthold tenancies replaced by assured periodic tenancies, for new and existing lets.
- Possession only through Section 8 grounds, with evidence.
- Rent increases through the Section 13 process only, with rent review clauses no longer permitted.
- A ban on asking for, encouraging or accepting offers above the advertised rent.
- No blanket refusal of tenants with children or on benefits.
- A written statement of terms for new tenancies, with fines of up to £7,000 for failing to provide one.
What is still to come
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 15 December 2026 | Registration opens for the PRS Database, covering landlords, properties and compliance information |
| 2027 | Reforms extend to the social rented sector |
| 2028 | Mandatory sign-up to the PRS Landlord Ombudsman expected |
| 2035 or 2037 | Decent Homes Standard applied to the private rented sector |
Landlords will pay an annual database fee, which has yet to be confirmed. Once the database is mandatory, agents are expected to be barred from marketing unregistered properties.
Why this is a growth opportunity
Every change above adds paperwork, deadlines or risk for a landlord acting alone. Many accidental landlords have managed for years on a template agreement and goodwill. That model now carries fines.
Three groups are in play.
Self-managing landlords who need help and have never used an agent.
Let-only clients who should now move to full management.
Landlords leaving who need a sales route, often with a tenant in place.
Each needs a different message. Most agents send all three the same newsletter.
Package the service around the Act
Rename and restructure your offer so the benefit is obvious.
- Compliance-managed letting. Written statements, prescribed information, rent increase notices and database registration handled and logged.
- Evidence-ready management. Inspection records, rent ledgers and communication logs kept in a form that supports a Section 8 claim.
- Database registration service. A fixed fee to register the landlord and each property from 15 December, with annual renewal reminders.
- Exit service. A joined-up sales and lettings route for landlords who decide to sell.
Price on the risk removed, not hours spent. A landlord comparing your fee with a £7,000 fine sees the value quickly.
A landlord acquisition campaign for Q4
The database opening date gives you a deadline to market against.
October. Publish a plain-English guide: "What landlords must do before 15 December". Gate nothing. Put your phone number on every page.
November. Run two landlord briefings, one in person and one online. Thirty minutes of content, thirty of questions. Invite local accountants and mortgage brokers to bring clients.
December. Offer a registration check for any landlord, client or not. Follow up every attendee with a short call and a clear proposal.
Track briefing attendance, calls booked and landlords converted. A briefing that produces three new managed properties pays for the whole campaign.
Review your own marketing
The rent bidding ban applies to how you advertise and negotiate. Every listing must state the proposed rent, and your team must not invite higher offers. Brief every negotiator and review your listing templates and call scripts.
Screening language matters too. Remove any wording that excludes families or applicants receiving benefits.
Retention: keep the landlords you have
Reform makes landlords anxious, and anxious clients shop around. Contact every landlord on your books with a one-page summary of what you have already done for them under the Act. Most have no idea how much work you absorbed in May.
Add an annual review call covering rent, compliance dates and the landlord's plans. It is also where exit and portfolio instructions surface first.
FAQs
When was Section 21 abolished? On 1 May 2026 in England, when the first phase of the Renters' Rights Act came into force.
When does the PRS Database open? Registration is due to open on 15 December 2026. Landlords will register themselves, their properties and compliance information.
Can letting agents still accept higher rent offers? No. Agents and landlords must not ask for, encourage or accept offers above the advertised rent.
When does the Landlord Ombudsman start? Mandatory sign-up is expected in 2028, after the database is operational.
Sources
- NRLA: Renters' Rights Act guide and timeline
- RICS: Renters' Rights Act, what's happening and when
- Landlord Action: key dates and what landlords must do
- JLL: Renters' Rights Act guide
This article is commercial commentary, not legal advice.
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