Overview
- England’s new law, which starts Friday, abolishes Section 21 no‑fault evictions and converts assured shorthold tenancies into rolling agreements.
- Tenants gain immediate protections that curb rent rises to once a year, ban bidding wars, cap upfront rent to one month, and create a clear right to request pets.
- Eviction still requires set legal grounds such as serious arrears or antisocial behaviour, with move‑in or sale permitted after 12 months, and pre‑May notices valid only if court action begins by July 31.
- Landlords face new paperwork deadlines by June 1 for written tenancy statements and information sheets, with councils preparing for enforcement after targeted funding such as £360,234 to BCP Council.
- Penalties increase to up to £7,000 for minor breaches and £40,000 for serious or repeat breaches, with industry figures warning of exits, tighter tenant vetting, and a shift toward larger professional landlords as later phases add a national database and extend Decent Homes and Awaab’s Law by 2035, while tied farm housing keeps a repossession route for new employees.