Legislation Update · Renters' Rights Act 2025

Everything letting agents need before 1 May 2026.

The biggest change to the UK private rented sector in thirty years. Section 21 gone, fixed-term tenancies abolished, a new Section 13 rent-increase process, a statutory right to request a pet, and the £7,000 Information Sheet trap. This is the kit, the templates and the staff training — all in one place.

31 May 2026 — the deadline nobody talks about Every existing student HMO tenancy needs a Ground 4A prior-notice letter served by 31 May 2026. Miss it and the landlord cannot regain possession next academic year. There is no remedy — the deadline is absolute. Tier 1 of this kit includes the template.
1 May 2026Commencement
34 pagesCompliance guide
5 templatesReady to serve
42 slidesStaff training video
from £125Three tiers
What's actually changing on 1 May 2026

Seven changes every letting agent must understand and operationalise.

Every one of these is a change to how tenancies are created, managed, increased, or ended. Every one of them has a procedural knock-on for your firm — the tenancy agreements you use, the notices you serve, the conversations you have with landlord clients.

01

Fixed terms abolished

Every new tenancy from 1 May 2026 is periodic from day one. No ASTs. No 6- or 12-month minimums. Existing tenancies convert automatically.

02

Section 21 gone

No-fault evictions end. Possession only via Section 8 on specified grounds — with stricter notice periods than before.

03

New rent-increase process

Section 13 is the only route. Once per year. Two months' notice. Open-market rate. Official Form 4A mandatory.

04

Pets — statutory right to request

Tenants can request a pet. Landlords can only refuse on reasonable grounds. Process and timelines are prescribed.

05

Discrimination ban

Refusing benefits claimants or families with children is now unlawful. Extends to advertising and pre-viewing filtering.

06

Bidding war ban

Landlords must publish a rent, and cannot accept more than the advertised rent except in specific circumstances.

07

The £7,000 Information Sheet trap

Every existing tenant must receive the official Information Sheet in May 2026. Email with a link is NOT valid service. Miss it — fine up to £7,000.

Three tiers

The kit, the course, or your own-branded version.

All three tiers are live. Buy the one that fits your firm's needs, or bundle with AML training for a deeper discount.

● Available Now
£125
One-off · Instant download · 7-file kit
RRA Agent Compliance Kit
The written reference kit every letting agent needs. Guide, templates, audit log, deployment plan.
  • 34-page Agent Compliance Guide — every change, every deadline, every penalty
  • Form 4A Drafting Guide — the five pre-service checks and completion worksheet
  • Information Sheet Cover Letter — template for May 2026 tenant service
  • Ground 4A Prior Notice — student HMO template (31 May 2026 deadline)
  • Landlord Client Communications Pack — 3 pre-drafted emails, Feb/Mar/Apr
  • Compliance Audit Log — Excel with 4 tabs for full audit trail
  • Kit README — 4-week deployment plan for the compliance lead
Get the Kit — £125 →
● Available Now
£440
One-off · Course + Kit · Unlimited staff
RRA Staff Training Course
The whole Tier 1 kit, plus a 42-slide video training course for every member of your team. Includes knowledge check and signed staff declarations.
  • Everything in Tier 1 (all 7 kit files)
  • 42-slide video training course — 6 modules, ~45 minutes
  • Module-by-module knowledge check
  • Staff Declaration form — signed training record
  • Line Manager Sign-Off Record — countersignature template
  • Training register template — your audit trail
  • Unlimited staff, no per-seat fees
Get the Course — £440 →
● Available Now
£980
One-off · Custom branding · Reseller rights
RRA White Label Licence
Everything in Tier 2, rebranded with your agency's name, logo and colours. Reseller rights to charge landlord clients.
  • Everything in Tier 2 (kit + video course + declarations)
  • Your agency name throughout all files
  • Your logo on every slide and every document
  • Your brand colours applied to the slide deck
  • Full source files included (editable Word & PowerPoint)
  • Reseller rights — sell to your landlord clients
  • White Label Reseller Guide — setup and positioning
  • Priority email support for brand setup
Get White Label — £980 →
Bundle with AML training

AML + RRA Compliance Pair

The full £350 AML Training Course and the full £440 RRA Staff Training Course — bundled for agencies that sit across both sides of the business. Save £170 versus buying each separately.

£620
Save £170 vs separate
Buy the Bundle — £620 →
Deployment plan

A four-week rollout, starting the day you buy.

The Tier 1 kit includes a four-week deployment plan designed for a compliance lead to work through. The plan is sequenced so the high-consequence, deadline-driven items (Information Sheet service in May, Ground 4A prior notices by 31 May) are addressed first.

W1

Read the guide, populate the audit log

The compliance lead reads the 34-page guide cover to cover and populates the Tenancy Master List tab of the Excel audit log with every managed tenancy. Student HMOs flagged.

W2

Landlord client emails — Email 1

Send the "heads-up" email to every managed-portfolio landlord client. Personalise the greeting. Log in the audit log.

W3

Ground 4A prior notices — student HMO tenancies

Use the template to serve a Ground 4A prior-notice letter on every student HMO tenancy. Royal Mail signed-for. Log service date in the audit log. Deadline: 31 May 2026 — don't leave this to the last week.

W4

Information Sheet service — existing tenants

Download the official MHCLG Information Sheet from GOV.UK (published 1 May). Pair it with your cover-letter template. Serve on every existing tenant. Log in the audit log. Paper or PDF-email attachment only — a link in an email is NOT valid service.

Common questions

Before you buy

When does the Renters' Rights Act actually commence?

1 May 2026. That's when the main provisions take effect — Section 21 abolition, new tenancy regime, new Section 13 process, pet rights, discrimination ban. Some implementation details (the official Form 4A, the Information Sheet) are published on GOV.UK on that date and cannot be used before.

Is Tier 1 the 'written course', and Tier 2 the 'video course'?

Tier 1 is the reference kit — written guide + templates + audit log. It's what the compliance lead uses to run the rollout. Tier 2 adds a 42-slide video training course designed for every member of your team to watch and certify. Different audiences: Tier 1 for the person running compliance, Tier 2 for the team they're training.

Do I need both tiers, or is Tier 1 enough?

For a small agency where the compliance lead handles everything personally, Tier 1 alone is sufficient. For an agency of six or more where multiple staff need to know the law (viewings, negotiations, landlord conversations, possession process), Tier 2 gives you a documented audit trail that every staff member has been trained.

Which tier should I choose?

If the compliance lead will personally run the rollout and your firm is small, Tier 1 (£125) is sufficient. If you have staff who need to be trained and you need a documented audit trail that every team member has been trained — Tier 2 (£440) adds the video course and declaration forms. If you're a regional group, franchise, or want to resell to landlord clients, Tier 3 (£980) rebrands everything with your agency's logo and gives you reseller rights. Most firms start with Tier 1 or Tier 2.

Can I use the templates for my landlord clients, or only internally?

Tier 1 is licensed for use by a single UK letting agency. You can serve the templates on your own tenants and landlord clients as part of your normal agency service. You cannot redistribute the templates to other agencies or sell them. Tier 3 (White Label) includes reseller rights if you want to offer the kit as a branded service to landlord clients.

What happens if MHCLG changes the Information Sheet or publishes new guidance?

The kit is maintained through commencement and beyond. Material updates to MHCLG guidance trigger an updated kit, which Tier 1 buyers receive at no additional cost for 12 months. After 12 months, a refresh fee may apply.

Do I get the official Form 4A in Tier 1?

No, because the official Form 4A is published by GOV.UK from 1 May 2026 and cannot be substituted. Our kit includes the Drafting Guide for Form 4A — the five pre-service checks, the information you need to gather, and the completion worksheet — so when the official form is published you can fill it in correctly on day one.

Can I buy Tier 1 now and upgrade to Tier 2 later?

Yes. If you bought Tier 1 and later decide you want Tier 2, email us with your Tier 1 order reference and we'll send you a one-off upgrade invoice for £315 (Tier 2 at £440 less £125 credit for your Tier 1 purchase). This is handled by email, not through a SamCart product, so allow a working day for the invoice.

Is this legal advice?

No. This is a document-drafting and training product based on the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and MHCLG guidance current at publication. For specific legal questions about a specific tenancy, consult a solicitor or housing adviser.

Ready?

1 May 2026 is coming.
Be the agent whose clients don't panic.

Three tiers. Pick the one that fits your firm — or bundle with the AML course and save £170.

Or get the AML + RRA Bundle — £620 →