Millions of landlords and tenants will be impacted by significant new regulations taking effect this week.
The Renters’ Rights Act, effective May 1, prohibits “no fault” evictions and compels landlords to consider allowing tenants to have pets, as per Citizens Advice.
This legislation is expected to provide much-needed support to renters, addressing issues such as evictions, repairs, unsafe homes, and rent hikes, according to the charity.
A total of 2,335 individuals sought assistance from Citizens Advice for “no fault” evictions in March. Additionally, the organization aided over 1,800 people with home repairs, safety concerns, and more than 1,000 individuals with rent adjustments.
Amy Hughes, Advice Manager at Citizens Advice, emphasized the significance of the Renters’ Rights Act for private renters, noting that it will rectify the power imbalance in the rental sector and offer tenants the security they deserve.
Under the new rules, Section 21 “no fault” eviction notices will be prohibited, with landlords required to provide valid reasons for evictions, such as rent arrears or property sale, giving a four-month notice period.
All fixed-term tenancies will transition to rolling periodic tenancies. Landlords must now furnish tenants with essential details like rental amounts and their contact information.
Tenants will need to give a two-month notice before vacating, while landlords must provide a two-month notice for rent hikes, limited to once per year.
Furthermore, tenants will have the right to request keeping a pet, with landlords only able to refuse with valid reasons. Landlords can no longer demand more than one month’s rent in advance, and rent bidding wars are prohibited.
Discriminatory practices like specifying ‘no children’ or ‘no benefits’ in rental ads or agreements are now banned, with exceptions for children.