🏠 The Renters’ Rights Act: What Landlords Need to Know and How to Stay Protected
- Houseshare Heroes
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
By Houseshare Heroes | October 2025
The Renters’ Rights Act is the biggest shake-up to the UK rental sector in decades and it’s set to change the way every landlord operates.
With fixed-term tenancies being abolished, new pet ownership rights, and restrictions on how landlords can choose tenants, the balance of power is shifting firmly towards renters.
At Houseshare Heroes, we’re already building systems to ensure our landlords stay compliant, profitable, and fully protected. Here’s everything you need to know.
⚖️ What the Renters’ Rights Act Means for Landlords
The Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) expected to come into effect in Spring 2026 aims to make renting “fairer and more secure.”
In practice, that means:
All tenancies will now start as periodic (rolling) tenancies there will be no fixed terms.
Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are being abolished.
Landlords must join a redress scheme and register on a new PRS database.
Tenants gain new rights around keeping pets, challenging rent increases, and ending tenancies with just two months’ notice.
⏰ Tenants Can Now Give Notice on Day One
Yes, you read that correctly. Under the new law, a tenant can move in and immediately give two months’ notice to leave.
Here’s how it works:
The tenancy starts on day one (say, 1st March).
The tenant serves notice the same day.
The tenancy ends on 1st May the earliest lawful end date.
That means a landlord could spend hundreds of pounds setting up a tenancy (advertising, referencing, inventory, admin), only to have the tenant leave after just eight weeks with no guaranteed minimum term to recover those costs.
'This is the single biggest change and risk introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act.'
💣 The Financial Impact on Landlords
Here’s a realistic breakdown of what this could mean for single let landlords:
If a tenant gives notice on day one, you’ll pay these costs again in just two months’ time eating directly into your profit margin.
For HMO landlords, the impact is multiplied by the number of rooms and the admin load that comes with frequent turnover.
🏘️ Pet Ownership in Shared Houses (HMOs)
Under the new rules:
Landlords can’t unreasonably refuse a tenant’s request to keep a pet.
Requests must be answered within 28 days.
You can’t charge higher deposits or require pet insurance.
However, for shared houses (HMOs), landlords have valid grounds to refuse based on:
Other tenants’ allergies, phobias, or health conditions
Shared kitchen, lounge, or garden space where pets can’t be safely contained
HMO licence, insurance, or mortgage prohibiting pets
Reasonable health and safety concerns
In those cases, a written refusal with evidence of your reasoning is fully compliant with the law.
💡 Houseshare Heroes Tip: We’re introducing a “Pet Request Policy” for all managed HMOs, balancing fairness, compliance, and household wellbeing. This means landlords can stay on the right side of the law without upsetting existing tenants.
💷 “Professional Tenants Only”? Be Careful How You Phrase It
The RRA and the Equality Act 2010 make it illegal to reject someone simply because they:
Claim housing benefit or Universal Credit
Have children
Have a service animal
But that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain standards.
You can still:
Require affordability checks and references
Request guarantors
Advertise as “suitable for professionals” if it reflects lifestyle compatibility (quiet household, shared working routines, etc.)
Comply with mortgage or insurance clauses restricting tenant types (this remains a lawful exemption)
💡 Houseshare Heroes Tip: We will review every landlord’s mortgage, license, and insurance to make sure your tenant criteria are compliant and defensible.
🔌 Lifestyle Clashes in HMOs: What the Law Doesn’t Fix
The RRA may protect tenants’ rights, but it doesn’t prevent household friction. In HMOs, mixed lifestyles for example, working professionals and tenants on benefits who are home all day often cause:
Unequal gas and electric usage
Conflicts over cleanliness or noise
Disputes about visitors, cooking times, or hygiene
These aren’t discrimination issues they’re management realities.
💡 Houseshare Heroes Tip: We include “fair usage” clauses in all tenancy agreements and monitor utilities using smart meters to prevent excessive use or household tension.
🧱 How to Protect Your Investment Under the RRA
The end of fixed terms doesn’t mean the end of control but landlords will need to adapt.
Here’s how to protect your income:
✅ Screen Smarter
Ask new applicants how long they intend to stay and check their rental history. A short-term mindset often reveals itself early.
✅ Use “Intention to Stay” Clauses
While not legally binding, these clauses set clear expectations and help reduce casual churn:
“The tenant confirms their intention to occupy the property for at least six months.”
✅ Offer Stay Incentives
Reward longer stays with small benefits like a discounted rent after 6 months, or a complimentary deep clean after 12 months.
✅ Automate Re-Letting
Digital onboarding, e-signatures, and online inventories reduce the cost and time of frequent move-ins and move-outs.
✅ Budget for Turnover
Hold one month’s rent per property as a turnover buffer to absorb short-notice exits without stress.
✅ Protect with Rent Guarantee
Rent Guarantee and Legal Protection policies cover missed rent and repossession costs essential under the new regime.
🧩 Quick Summary
🦸♂️ Houseshare Heroes: Keeping Landlords Covered
At Houseshare Heroes, we understand that these changes could feel daunting especially when you’ve worked hard to build a steady, profitable portfolio.
That’s why we’ve already created our Renters’ Rights Act Landlord Protection Plan, designed to ensure these changes don’t affect your bottom line.
We’re introducing:
A digital tenant stability tracker
Long-stay screening and loyalty programs
Automated re-let and compliance systems
Integrated rent guarantee and legal cover options
A full RRA Readiness Audit for all landlords under management
So, while others are worrying about lost income, our landlords will be ahead of the curve fully compliant and financially secure. Thinking of investing in HMO's but don't know where to start check out our FREE HMO Training Series: www.houseshareheroes.co.uk/free
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