Housing secretary says Renters Rights Act is already reshaping England's market

Angela Rayner said the Renters’ Rights Act is already reshaping England’s private rental market, even though the law received Royal Assent in October 2025 and its main rules began on 1 May 2026. The package applies to 11 million renters in England and ends section 21 no-fault evictions, bans rental bidding wars and caps advance rent payments at one month.

The housing secretary ruled out rent controls in England, leaving ministers to argue that stronger tenancy rights are the right answer to pressure on renters without a blunt ceiling on monthly prices. The act gives tenants greater security, rights and protections, and a November 2025 roadmap said it would help renters stay in their homes longer and avoid homelessness.

The law changes how landlords can end tenancies and how much money they can demand up front, but it does not directly freeze rents for people already struggling with rising costs. For households facing steep monthly bills, the question is whether fewer evictions and tighter bidding rules will matter fast enough to ease affordability pressure.

The reform is the biggest shake-up to renting in England for more than 30 years. An academic comparison called it the most fundamental reform of private rental tenancy law in England since the Housing Act 1988, the statute that still anchors much of the sector.

Caps divide opinion over whether they protect tenants or push landlords out of the market, while landlord groups and property industry voices have warned that tighter controls could deter investment and reduce supply. Around half a million landlords in London are preparing for the changes.