New landlord rules 2026: every change and deadline in one place

2026 is the biggest year for landlord rules in England in a generation. Most of the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May, Making Tax Digital started in April, and the new landlord register opens in December. If you let out a home, whether you planned to or not, here's every change, what you should already have done, and the dates still to come.

For a plain-English walk through what changed for your tenancy, see our guide to the Renters' Rights Act for accidental landlords.

The timeline at a glance

• 27 December 2025. Councils gained new powers to investigate landlords and agents, including demanding documents and entering business premises.
• 6 April 2026. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax began for landlords with more than £50,000 of qualifying income.
• 1 May 2026. The main Renters' Rights Act changes took effect: section 21 abolished, rolling tenancies, new possession grounds, and new rules on rent, pets and discrimination.
• 31 May 2026. Deadline to give existing tenants the government's Information Sheet.
• 31 July 2026. Last day to issue court proceedings on a section 21 or section 8 notice served before 1 May.
• 15 December 2026. The landlord register opens, starting with the West Midlands. Other regions follow month by month, with London opening on 15 July 2027.
• 6 April 2027. Making Tax Digital extends to landlords with more than £30,000 of qualifying income, then £20,000 from April 2028.
• 14 November 2027. The last regional deadline to register, for landlords in the South West.
• 2028. Joining the new Landlord Ombudsman is expected to become compulsory for landlords.
• 1 October 2030. Privately rented homes are due to need an EPC rating of C or above, up from E today, subject to a cost cap.
• From 2035. The Decent Homes Standard is expected to apply to private rentals. Awaab's Law, which sets deadlines for fixing hazards such as damp and mould, has no date yet for private landlords.

What changed on 1 May 2026

These rules apply to private assured tenancies in England, including most that started before May.

• Tenancies roll month to month. Assured shorthold and fixed-term tenancies became assured periodic tenancies with no end date. Tenants can leave with two months' notice. Writing a fixed end date into a new tenancy can bring a fine of up to £7,000.
• Section 21 has gone. You can only end a tenancy using a ground for possession, served on the new Form 3A with the right notice period.
• New grounds to sell or move in. Both need four months' notice, can't end a tenancy in its first 12 months, and trigger a 12-month ban on re-letting or marketing the home.
• A higher arrears threshold. The serious arrears ground now needs three months' rent owed, and four weeks' notice.
• Rent rises once a year. Increases go through a section 13 notice on Form 4A, with at least two months' notice, and tenants can challenge them at a tribunal. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer work.
• No bidding wars, less rent upfront. Adverts must state the rent, and you can't invite or accept offers above it. You can't take rent before the tenancy is signed, and no more than a month's rent between signing and the start date.
• Pets. Tenants can ask in writing to keep a pet. You must reply within 28 days and can't refuse without a good reason.
• No blanket bans on families or benefits. You can't refuse a tenant because they have children or receive benefits.

Paperwork you should already have sent

Several of the new rules came with documents you had to give tenants. Check each one, and check you can prove it.

• The Information Sheet, for existing tenancies. If a tenancy started before 1 May 2026 and had written terms, every named tenant should have received the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. The fine for missing it is up to £7,000. Your agent had to give it too, even if you did.
• A written statement of terms, for new and verbal tenancies. Tenancies agreed from 1 May 2026 need a written statement of the key terms before the tenancy is agreed. Verbal tenancies from before May needed one by 31 May.
• The usual start-of-tenancy documents. The How to Rent guide, gas safety record, electrical safety report and EPC, plus deposit protection and the prescribed information within 30 days.

Keep proof of how and when each document was given. Possession now depends on grounds and evidence, so a missing record can cost you later. If an agent holds your file, our handover checklist lists what you should be able to get back.

What's coming in 2026 and 2027

The landlord register. From 15 December 2026, England's new private rented sector database opens one region at a time, at £65 per property per year. You register yourself; an agent can supply details but can't do it for you. Find your region's dates in our guide to the landlord register.

The Landlord Ombudsman. The government is setting up a new ombudsman for private landlords, and membership is expected to become compulsory in 2028. Tenants will be able to complain about their landlord directly, whoever manages the property.

Making Tax Digital. If your qualifying income is over £30,000, you'll need digital records and quarterly updates from April 2027. Our guide for landlords with a letting agent explains how agent statements fit in.

Three things to do this month

1. Check the Information Sheet went out. Ask your agent for the date, the method and the names it went to. If anyone missed it, send it now.
2. Diary your next rent review. Note when the rent last went up. A new rent can't take effect until 12 months have passed, and you need to give at least two months' notice on Form 4A.
3. Find your register window. Look up when registration opens in your region and gather your certificates, so you're ready on day one.

This guide covers England and is general information, not legal advice. Dates were checked in October 2026.