If you manage residential blocks (or advise landlords who own flats within them), the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is one of those changes that won’t just affect “tenancy agreements” — it will reshape day-to-day expectations around ending tenancies, handling rent changes, managing complaints, and proving standards.
The Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, with the biggest changes due to go live on 1 May 2026 for the private rented sector in England.
1) The big headline: Section 21 goes, and tenancies become “rolling”
From 1 May 2026, Section 21 (“no fault”) evictions are abolished and the default structure becomes a single periodic assured tenancy (no fixed end date).
In plain English: tenants can stay until they choose to leave (with notice) or until the landlord can rely on a valid legal ground for possession.
For blocks, this matters because churn affects everything — noise complaints, move-in damage, communal wear, fob control, parking management, and contractor access. Expect a shift toward longer average tenancies and a bigger focus on good tenancy management rather than “end of term” turnover.
2) Possession becomes more “reasons-based” (Section 8 grounds)
Landlords will still be able to recover properties — but they’ll need to use Section 8 grounds. Government guidance highlights that grounds are being reformed and expanded to cover situations like selling, moving in, or dealing with antisocial behaviour, while adding safeguards to prevent misuse.
Practically, this increases the importance of records: complaints logs, inspection notes, correspondence, and evidence of reasonable steps taken.
For block managers, the helpful stance is to make documentation “easy by default”: a simple incident log, consistent resident updates, and clear contractor reports.
3) Rent increases: fewer surprises, more structure
On 1 May 2026, reforms also take effect around rent increases, aiming to make them fairer and reduce retaliatory pressure.
For landlords with flats in managed blocks, this means a bit more discipline in how increases are set and evidenced.
What block management can do here is straightforward but valuable: help ensure service-charge communications, major works updates, and building condition reporting are clear — because those conversations increasingly sit in the same “value and fairness” basket for residents.
4) New rules on renting practices (pets, bidding, discrimination, rent in advance)
The government’s landlord-facing guidance summarises several changes starting 1 May 2026, including:
- Fixed terms removed (tenancies become periodic)
- Rent in advance limited (for new tenancies)
- Measures to stop rental bidding wars
- Stronger rules around discrimination (for example, against families with children or people on benefits)
- A clearer framework around requests to keep pets
In blocks, the “pet” point tends to be the live wire: leases, house rules and freeholder policies still matter, so landlords will need to balance tenancy rights with building-level restrictions.
5) What’s coming next: database, ombudsman, standards
The House of Commons Library sets out a three-phase rollout.
After the May 2026 tenancy changes (Phase 1), Phase 2 introduces a private rented sector database (rolled out regionally from late 2026) and then a new PRS Ombudsman (government expects it to be ready in 2028).
Phase 3 focuses on raising standards — including bringing in a Decent Homes Standard for the PRS and consulting on extending Awaab’s Law into the PRS.
A simple “next 30 days” checklist for block managers and landlord clients
- Identify which flats in your blocks are privately rented and who manages them day to day.
- Create a tidy evidence trail: complaints, inspections, contractor reports, and resident comms.
- Review your move-in/move-out procedures (fobs, parking permits, refuse, lifts, bookings).
- Agree access and responsiveness standards with landlords/letting agents (especially for repairs).
- Build a calm comms rhythm: fewer surprises, clearer updates, simpler summaries.
How Langford Estates can help
These reforms are easiest when buildings are well run and well documented.
Langford Estates supports landlords and management clients by strengthening the day-to-day systems that sit behind successful renting: consistent inspections, organised compliance records, responsive facilities coordination, and contractor management that actually closes actions out.
The result is a better resident experience, fewer escalations, and a stronger paper trail if a dispute ever needs to be resolved.