The Renters Rights Act is one of the biggest shake-ups to renting in England in a long time. From 1 May 2026, it brings in stronger protections for renters, clearer rules for landlords, and higher standards across what’s called the ‘private rented sector’.
If you rent in London — where demand for good, quality rental homes is high, choice can feel limited and competition is… well, spirited — these changes are designed to make renting fairer, clearer and a lot less stressful.
At Quintain Living, we’re genuinely pleased to see the Renters Rights Act coming in. As a professional build-to-rent operator, many of the things the Act introduces — longer term security, transparent rents, faster repairs, better quality homes, pet-friendly homes and just better customer service — are already what we believe in and how we’ve been operating since 2016.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
- What the Renters Rights Act actually does
- How your rights are changing
- Why these reforms are good news for renters
- And what to look for when choosing where to live in London
No legal jargon. No doom-mongering. Promise.
So, what is the Renters Rights Act?
The Renters Rights Act is new legislation designed to improve renting in England. It replaces earlier proposals you might have heard called the Renters Reform Bill and focuses on fixing some of the biggest frustrations renters face — like insecure tenancies, unclear rules, and homes that don’t always meet a decent standard.
Around one in five households in the UK rents privately, so these changes affect a lot of people. The idea is simple: give renters more confidence, clarity and control over their homes. The Act applies to new and existing tenancies – so where you rent now and in the future so you have to ask yourself will (and is) your current or future landlord(s) compliant with the Act. If you they can’t tell you what they’re doing to be compliant, that’s a red flag.
The key changes at a glance
Here’s what the Renters Rights Act brings to the table:
- Rolling tenancies from day one (no more fixed contracts)
- Clearer, more transparent rules around rent increases
- A ban on rental bidding wars
- Better protection against discrimination
- The right to ask to keep a pet
- Higher standards for the condition of homes
- Elimination of no-fault (Section 21) evictions
- A free, independent Ombudsman if things go wrong
Let’s break that down.
Why the Renters Rights Act is good news (for renters and decent landlords)
The Renters Rights Act is aimed at tackling the parts of renting that have, frankly, been exhausting for a lot of people: sudden evictions, unclear accountability, slow repairs and a general feeling of imbalance. It’s about making it fairer, more transparent and more grown-up.
A lot of these issues come from fragmented ownership and differing standards of agents. Some individual landlords, it would be fair to say, don’t prioritise their tenant’s happiness or satisfaction. Their business doesn’t depend on residents being happy, unlike Build-to-Rent operators like Quintain Living and others. Purpose-built rental homes, owned and managed by one professional operator, who will be fully compliant with the Act, renting from build to rent operators is one way to take out the guesswork. In many ways, the Act simply sets out what good renting already looks like.
Rolling tenancies from day one
Fixed-term tenancies are being phased out and replaced with open-ended, rolling tenancies or ‘periodic’ tenancies as it’s referenced in the Act.
You’ll be able to end your tenancy at any point by giving two months’ notice, which means more flexibility when life inevitably throws you a curveball and circumstances change.
What this means for you:
You’re not locked into something that no longer works — your home can move with your life, not against it.
Clearer, fairer rent increases
The Act also tightens up how rent increases work:
- Rent reviews can happen once a year
- Increases must reflect market rates in the local area for comparable homes (and the service that comes with that home)
- Rent rises can’t be pre-written into contracts
- Renters can challenge increases they believe are unfair and not comparable with prices in the local area for comparable homes and the service that comes with it
What this means for you:
Overall London renters will get fewer nasty surprises and a much clearer sense of where they stand. We’ve always made sure residents have clarity on what they’ll be paying.
No more rental bidding wars
If you’ve ever been encouraged to “offer a bit more” just to secure a home, you’ll appreciate this one. Under the new rules, landlords and agents won’t be able to accept rent above the advertised price.
What this means for you:
A fairer, calmer search — and a better chance of getting the home you actually want. We always believed the price you see is the price you pay at Quintain Living.
Better protection against discrimination (and better news for pet owners)
Landlords won’t be able to refuse tenants simply because they:
- Have children
- Receive benefits
- Have a pet
Some landlords might have in the past decided they don’t want families. Now you have the legal right to not be prevented because you have kids and you can request to keep a pet, landlords can only refuse with a reasonable, evidenced justification. And as those on benefits, same but you need to show you can afford to pay the rent every month.
What this means for you:
Fewer arbitrary barriers — and fewer awkward conversations about your very well-behaved dog. Or being stopped from even viewing if you’ve got kids or benefits.
At Quintain Living, pet-friendly homes have always been part of the plan, families with children – come on in! And we don’t exclude anyone provided they can demonstrate they can afford to pay their rent.
Higher standards for rental homes
The Act will in time extend the Decent Homes Standard to private rentals and applies Awaab’s Law, which requires serious hazards like damp and mould to be dealt with promptly. No firm date has been by the government as to when this officially will be added to the Act but early view is 2027.
What this means for you:
Safer, warmer homes — and the confidence to ask for repairs without worrying about consequences. At Quintain Living, you pay for what you get - a stylish apartment of quality, you’ll find no damp or mould. Our apartments are brand new or nearly new having been built between 2016 – 2025. And if anything did go wrong or was a worry - we’ve special Resident & Maintenance teams who care about fixing anything as fast as practically possible.
An end to no-fault evictions (finally)
One of the biggest changes is the end of Section 21 no-fault evictions.
Once the Act is in force, landlords won’t be able to ask you to leave without a proper, legally defined reason. Evictions can still happen in specific circumstances — like serious rent arrears or anti-social behaviour — but not “just because”.
What this means for you:
More security, more peace of mind, and less lying awake wondering if your home will still be yours in a few months’ time. At Quintain Living, we want our residents to stay as long as they want (not how long we want). we’ve always let residents who pay their rent and abide by their Tenancy Agreements stay as long as they want. Not as long as we want!
A new Ombudsman if things go wrong
A new, free, independent Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will help resolve disputes quickly and fairly, without jumping straight to court. Current indication from the UK government is that this new body will come in after 1 May, details and processes are yet to be confirmed.
What this means for you:
Clear backup if something isn’t right with an impartial, fair adjudicator
What the Renters Rights Act means when you rent with Quintain Living
The Renters Rights Act sets new minimum standards across the rental market. At Quintain Living, many of these principles are already part of everyday life — and where anything changes, we’ll be fully aligned when the Act comes into force. Here’s how the law translates into the lived experience of renting with us.
How the Renters Rights Act shows up in real life at Quintain Living
| How the Act is changing renting | What it means for London’s renters | Renting with Quintain Living | QL before the Act | QL after the Act |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling tenancies (also called Periodic tenancies) | Flexibility | Like all landlords we used to do fixed term contracts but our contracts worked around you and could be from 3 months to 3 years. From 1 May all tenancies will be open-ended, rolling tenancies | ✓ | |
| Clearer rental pricing rules | Fewer surprises | Transparent pricing and fair ‘rent reviews’ | ✓ | ✓ |
| No bidding wars | Fair access | Clear, advertised pricing and whoever decides to reserve the flat & completes referencing first gets the apartment. First come, first served | ✓ | ✓ |
| Decent Homes (& Awaab’s Law) | Safer, well maintained homes | Stylish, quality apartments – purpose-built for renters. Well maintained and cared for inside and outside the four walls of your home | ✓ | ✓ |
| Better, faster repairs | Faster fixes | 24hr support from concierge, Resident & Maintenance teams | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clear accountability | Someone responsible | One professional landlord, steady & secure who wants you to stay & enjoy your home | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pet rights | Fewer barriers | Pet-friendly flats by design plus pet parks in the neighbourhood. The Act now allows anyone to rent a home with their pet and at no extra cost | ✓ | ✓ |
| End of no-fault evictions | Greater stability | Professionally owned and managed, rental homes for those who pay their rent and respect the conditions of their Tenancy Agreement | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ombudsman protection | Independent support | Clear escalation routes & a landlord that plays by the rules* | ✓ | ✓ |
*The Ombudsman process the Act will bring in after 1 May will be different to the existing process via the TPO however we have always worked to rules and regulatory guidance from notable industry bodies such as part of TPO (the Property Ombudsman) and Propertymark
What this means for London renters
In a city where demand is high and choice can feel limited, the Renters Rights Act helps tip the balance back towards renters — improving security, raising standards and removing some of the more stressful parts of the process.
It won’t magically make rents cheap (supply and demand still exist), and ultimately like any product or service, you get what you pay for, but it does make the system fairer once you’ve found your home.
Renting in London after the Renters Rights Act
The Renters Rights Act encourages renters to expect more from where they live — and that’s no bad thing.
At Quintain Living in Wembley Park, London, we offer professionally managed, pet-friendly apartments designed for long-term renting, with on-site teams, shared social spaces and a real, genuine sense of community. After all Wembley Park was voted one of the “Best Places to Live 2025” by The Sunday Times recently.
If you’re looking for a home that already reflects the spirit of the Renters Rights Act, take a look at Quintain Living apartments.
