Manchester City Council

Homes and property Renters’ Rights Act: information for landlords

If you are a landlord, you must follow the Renters’ Rights Act from 1 May 2026.

View the full government guidance for landlords on GOV.UK

Here’s a brief overview of what’s changed:

Tenancies and evictions

  • ‘No‑fault’ evictions are no longer allowed.
  • You must have a legally valid reason to evict a tenant.
  • Fixed‑term tenancies are banned.
  • Most new and existing tenancies automatically became assured period tenancies on 1 May 2026. So renters can stay in their homes until they end the tenancy or you gain possession.

Rent and payments

  • Rent can usually only increase once a year.
  • Rent cannot increase in the first 12 months.
  • Tenants can challenge rent increases at a Tribunal.
  • Asking renters to bid for the property is banned.
  • You cannot ask for more than one month’s rent upfront.

Fair renting

Tenancy agreements

In most cases, landlords must give tenants a Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet.

  • If you have a written tenancy agreement or written terms from before 1 May 2026, you must give tenants this Information Sheet by the end of May 2026.
  • If the tenancy was agreed entirely verbally before 1 May 2026, you must instead provide written details of the key tenancy terms. For example, rent and responsibilities.

If you break the law

There are consequences if landlords do not follow the rules. These can include fines and penalties.

Find out what happens if a landlord breaks these rules on GOV.UK.

Other landlord types

There are different rules for:

  • student landlords
  • supported or ‘stepping‑stone’ housing.

Visit the government’s ‘Renting is Changing’ website for details.

Need to report an issue?

Contact us if you are worried that a situation is becoming serious; for example:

  • communication has broken down; or
  • there is a risk of homelessness.

Contact us as soon as possible. We’ll review the information and decide what support is needed.

Report a problem to us