The Renters' Rights Act became law in 2025 — but “when does it actually affect ME” is the question most landlords still can't answer.
Two dates matter most for a self-managing landlord right now. Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are being phased out, moving lettings to open-ended periodic tenancies by default — plan for tenancies that don't have a fixed end date to force a review around.
Separately, and easy to miss: a legally-mandatory national PRS Landlord Database is phasing in through 2026 into 2028 — every landlord will need to register, and letting or advertising an unregistered property risks real civil penalties once it's live (up to £7,000 rising to £40,000, or prosecution, for repeat/serious breaches).
Councils also gained stronger inspection powers from 27 December 2025 — enforcement isn't theoretical anymore.
See exactly where your paperwork stands against all of this today, not just the headline changes.
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