As the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) approaches its key implementation dates, different types of landlords will face different challenges. Based on the government’s six-segment model, here is your tailored action plan to stay compliant and profitable.
The RRA 2026 Action Plan by Landlord Segment
| Your Segment | Biggest Risk Under RRA | Immediate Action Step |
| Small-scale Retired | The “Paperwork Burden” of the new Digital Portal and Ombudsman. | Audit your documents: Ensure all Gas Safety, EICR, and EPCs are valid and digitized for the late 2026 portal rollout. |
| Small-scale Short-term Investor | The abolition of Section 21 and the shift to monthly rolling tenancies. | Review Financing: Check if your mortgage lender requires “fixed-term” tenancies (most are updating their terms now to allow for periodic ones). |
| Small-scale Investor (Retirement) | Higher eviction thresholds (3 months of arrears instead of 2). | Build a “Buffer” Fund: With the mandatory arrears ground rising to 3 months, ensure you have a cash reserve to cover longer void periods during possession claims. |
| Corporate Landlord | New “Bidding War” bans and annual rent increase caps. | Standardize Pricing: You must now publish a fixed rent and cannot accept higher offers. Ensure your marketing team is trained on the “no-bidding” rule. |
| Large-scale Business | Stricter enforcement of Awaab’s Law and Decent Homes Standards. | Maintenance Audit: You manage the most homes; a single damp/mould issue across multiple units could lead to massive fines under the new local council powers. |
| Moderate-scale Business | Compliance with the “Right to a Pet” and “No DSS” discrimination bans. | Update Vetting: Remove any “No Benefits” or “No Pets” wording from adverts immediately to avoid the new £7,000 civil penalties. |
Important Dates for Your Diary
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Now (Dec 2025): Local Authorities gain enhanced powers to inspect properties and demand documents.
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January 2026: Government to publish the new draft tenancy agreement templates.
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May 1, 2026: Phase 1 Live. Section 21 is abolished for all tenancies. All fixed-term agreements automatically become “Assured Periodic Tenancies.”
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May 31, 2026: Deadline to provide existing tenants with a government-published “Information Sheet” explaining their new rights.
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Late 2026: Phase 2 Begins. Regional rollout of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database.
Pro Tip: The “July 31st” Possession Trap
If you serve a Section 21 notice before May 1, 2026, it remains valid—but only for a very short window. You must issue court proceedings by July 31, 2026, at the latest. After this date, the Section 21 route is gone forever, regardless of when the notice was served.
Would you like me to draft a template letter you can send to your tenants in March 2026 to explain these changes?
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