Renting comes with rights and responsibilities on both sides, and the law is
changing significantly. Knowing where you stand helps tenants feel secure and
helps landlords stay on the right side of the rules.

Deposits and repairs

If you rent privately with an assured shorthold tenancy, your deposit must be
protected in a government-approved
tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days, and you should be
given the scheme details. When it comes to repairs, the landlord is
responsible for the structure and exterior and for keeping the heating, hot
water, gas, electrics and sanitation in working order — that duty is set by
the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and can’t be signed away in the tenancy
agreement.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025

The Renters’ Rights Act became law in October 2025 and brings the biggest
shake-up of private renting in decades. From 1 May 2026:

  • Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are abolished. Assured
    shorthold tenancies end, and all private tenancies become periodic
    assured tenancies with no fixed end date.
  • A landlord who wants possession must use a Section 8 notice
    and prove a valid ground (for example serious rent arrears, or wanting to
    sell or move in).
  • Tenants can leave by giving two months’ notice, and rent
    can normally be increased only once a year.

Wider reforms also extend a “Decent Homes Standard” and Awaab’s Law (strict
timescales for dealing with hazards like damp and mould) to the private
sector.

Eviction must be lawful

However a tenancy ends, a landlord can only evict through the proper legal
process — serving the correct notice and, if needed, getting a court order and
using bailiffs. Changing the locks, cutting off services or pressuring a
tenant to leave is illegal eviction and harassment, a
criminal offence councils can act on.

What to do next

Tenants worried about their home should get free advice from Shelter or
Citizens Advice; for help with the rent itself, see our
housing and rent support
page. If the property is in disrepair, our
housing disrepair guidance
explains how to claim.

Sources

GOV.UK (Renters’ Rights Act 2025; tenancy deposit protection; evicting
tenants); Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11 (legislation.gov.uk); Shelter
England. Reviewed: 3 September 2026.