The Renters' Rights Act: What It Means For You

Section 21 Is Gone

From 1 May 2026, your landlord cannot evict you without a legal reason. The 'no fault' eviction, where a Section 21 notice could end your tenancy with no explanation, has been abolished.

Section 21 was the single biggest driver of homelessness in the private rented sector. Landlord lobby groups spent years fighting its abolition. It is gone.

What if I received a Section 21 before 1 May 2026?

Not automatically void. Your landlord can still apply to court using one, but only until 31 July 2026. After that date, no Section 21 notice can be used for any purpose.

If you have one, call us. Section 21 notices also frequently contain technical errors: wrong dates, missing prescribed information, incorrect service. Any of these can invalidate them. Don't assume it's valid because it arrived on headed paper.

What replaces Section 21?

Your landlord must now serve a Section 8 notice citing a specific legal ground. The main grounds are rent arrears of three months or more, antisocial behaviour, wanting to sell the property, or wanting to move in themselves. Each ground has conditions and notice requirements that must be precisely met. We cover these in detail in the facing eviction section below.

Your New Periodic Tenancy

Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are abolished for new tenancies from 1 May 2026. All tenancies are now periodic, rolling month-to-month with no fixed end date. Tenancies started before 1 May are treated as periodic from that date. You don't need to sign a new agreement.

What this means for you

You can leave by giving two months' written notice at any time. No penalty clauses. No waiting for a break clause. No paying to exit a fixed term early.

This matters most for people trapped in properties with disrepair. Previously, landlords could refuse to fix problems knowing the tenant was stuck for another six months. That lever is gone.

What about tenancies that were mid-fixed-term on 1 May?

If you were in an existing fixed-term tenancy on 1 May 2026, that tenancy became periodic from 1 May onwards. You cannot be held to a fixed term that runs past that date. If your landlord claims otherwise, contact us.

If your landlord offers you a fixed-term contract

They are breaking the law. Issuing a fixed-term assured tenancy carries fines of up to £7,000. You do not have to sign it. Report it to Newcastle City Council.

Challenging a Rent Increase (Section 13)

From 1 May 2026, your landlord can only increase rent once per year via a Section 13 rent increase notice. They cannot increase it by ending your tenancy and offering a new one at a higher rate. That is specifically prohibited.

You have the right to challenge at tribunal

If you think the proposed increase is above market rate, apply to the First-tier Tribunal. The fee is £47. The Tribunal looks at what comparable properties in your area rent for. If the increase is above market rate, they limit it. They cannot set a rent higher than your landlord originally proposed, so applying carries no downside risk.

To find comparable properties, use Rightmove and Zoopla filtered to your street and property type. Screenshot the listings and save them. These are your evidence.

Rent increases have been used as a stealth eviction, pricing people out of homes they've lived in for years. The tribunal process exists precisely for this. Use it.

Your Repair Rights, Right Now

If you're searching about damp, mould, broken heating, or other disrepair, here's what you need to know: Awaab's Law has not yet arrived in the private rented sector. It has no implementation date. But you are not without rights.

You already have legal repair rights under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Your landlord is legally obliged to keep the structure and exterior of your property in repair, and to maintain heating, hot water, and sanitation. These are enforceable legal duties, independent of the Renters' Rights Act.

What you can do now

• Report in writing. Email or text your landlord about the repair. Keep the evidence. If they haven't responded within a reasonable time (courts generally consider 28 days reasonable for non-emergency repairs), they are in breach.
• Contact the council. Newcastle City Council's private rented housing complaints team can inspect your property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Severe damp and mould is a Category 1 hazard. From Spring/Summer 2026, councils can now issue financial penalties for Category 1 hazards without going to court.
• Contact us. We've gone to council offices with tenants and not left until something was written down. We can help you do the same.

What about Awaab's Law?

Awaab's Law will eventually introduce strict timescales for dealing with hazards like damp and mould in private rented homes, similar to what already applies in social housing. When it arrives, landlords will have to investigate within 14 days and fix within a fixed timeframe. We will update this page the moment a date is confirmed. Until then, the routes above are what you have, and they are real.

Facing Eviction?

Your landlord must now serve a Section 8 notice citing specific legal grounds. There are mandatory grounds (court must grant possession if the ground is proved) and discretionary grounds (court weighs your circumstances). The difference matters.

Rent arrears

The mandatory rent arrears ground now requires three months of arrears at the point of the court hearing, not just the notice. This is a significant change. If you can bring arrears below three months before the hearing, the mandatory ground fails.

If you're in arrears, get advice immediately, ideally before a notice arrives. Contact Newcastle City Council housing advice and contact us.

Sale or owner occupation

There are grounds for possession to sell the property or move a family member in. These are mandatory but carry strict conditions, including that the landlord cannot relist the property to let within a set period. The notice requirements must be met precisely. A single error can invalidate the notice. If you receive one, check the paperwork before assuming it's valid.

Notice periods

For most Section 8 grounds, landlords must now give at least four weeks' notice, twice the previous minimum for some grounds. Check the notice period stated in any notice you receive against the ground it cites. A short notice period is a common error that can invalidate a notice entirely.

Discrimination Is Now Illegal

The Act explicitly prohibits landlords and agents from discriminating against tenants or applicants because they have children, are pregnant, or receive housing benefit, Universal Credit, or other benefits. 'No DSS', 'No children', 'Working professionals only': these are now unlawful, not just bad practice.

What to do if it happens

Document everything immediately: screenshot the advert, save any emails or messages, write down what you were told on the phone and when. Then report it to Newcastle City Council's private rented housing complaints team. In your report, state the name and address of the property, the name of the agent or landlord if known, what was said or advertised, and the date. Attach any screenshots.

Councils are much more likely to act when reports are specific, documented, and coordinated if the same agent keeps appearing. If you've been discriminated against by a particular letting agent operating in Newcastle, tell us. We've built cases on this. We track it.

Bidding Wars Are Banned

Landlords and agents must now advertise a specific asking rent and cannot accept, encourage, or solicit offers above that price. Demanding more than one month's rent in advance once a tenancy is in place is also banned.

If an agent asks you to bid above the advertised rent, implies they'll favour applicants who offer more, or asks for large advance payments upfront: screenshot it, keep any messages, and report it to Newcastle City Council.

Pets in Your Home

You now have a stronger right to request to keep a pet. Your landlord must respond within 28 days and must give a reason if they refuse. Refusal must be reasonable.

Your landlord may require you to take out pet damage insurance, which is a reasonable condition. An unexplained refusal, or a refusal based on a blanket 'no pets' policy with no consideration of your specific circumstances, is not. If a refusal seems unreasonable, document the request and response in writing and contact us or your council.

If Your Landlord Breaks the Rules

Local councils now have civil penalty powers to fine landlords without criminal prosecutions. The maximum penalties are £7,000 for a first offence and £40,000 for repeat breaches. Specific offences include failing to give tenants the information sheet, issuing a fixed-term tenancy, accepting rent before signing, demanding more than a month's rent, discriminating against families or benefit claimants, and encouraging above-asking bids.

How to report in Newcastle

Contact Newcastle City Council's private rented housing complaints team. Include: the property address, the landlord's name and contact details if you have them, a clear description of what happened and when, and any written evidence (emails, screenshots, copies of notices). The more specific your report, the more likely it is to result in action.

When complaints from multiple tenants about the same landlord or agent arrive at the same time, councils feel pressure to act. If you suspect others in your building or street have had similar problems, talk to us. Coordinated complaints are not a legal tactic. They are just how accountability works.

The Landlord Database

A new Private Rented Sector database is due to launch from late 2026 in a phased regional roll-out. All landlords will be required to register: themselves, their properties, and their compliance history.

Currently it is very difficult to know whether a landlord has a track record of enforcement actions, complaints, or non-compliance. The database changes that. It also has a built-in lever: landlords who are not registered cannot use certain Section 8 possession grounds. Non-registration becomes leverage for tenants in disputes.

We will update this page the moment the database goes live and we've worked out how to use it effectively.

Student Tenants

A new Section 8 possession ground called Ground 4A allows landlords who let to full-time students to seek possession at the end of the academic year. But it only applies if your landlord notified you before your tenancy began that they might use it.

For existing tenancies, the deadline for that notification was 31 May 2026. If you did not receive written notification by then, your landlord cannot use Ground 4A against you, regardless of what they now claim.

Check your original tenancy documents and any pre-tenancy correspondence. If you're not sure whether you received this notification, contact us and we'll help you work through it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get Support From Food & Solidarity

Food & Solidarity is a member-led mutual aid organisation in Newcastle. We work across food security, housing rights, and direct action. The conditions that create food poverty and the conditions that create housing insecurity are the same conditions.

We've picketed letting agents who issued illegal notices. We've sat in council offices with tenants who couldn't get a response by letter or phone. We've stopped evictions. If you're facing a housing problem under the new law, we'll help you understand your options and act alongside you if needed.