The Renters’ Rights Act changed the legal framework for the rental market on 1 May 2026. Assured shorthold tenancies were replaced by assured periodic tenancies. Section 21 notices were removed from the letting process. Landlords now work within new rules for rent increases and rental bidding.
A few months in, the shape of these changes feels reasonably clear. What happens next is harder to predict. The lasting impact of the Renters’ Rights Act on the rental market will depend less on the legislation itself and more on how landlords, tenants and letting agents respond to it.
The Act sets the framework. People decide what happens inside it. That is the interesting question to sit with.
Related: The landlord’s guide to creating long-term tenancies
What has already changed, and what comes next
The Renters’ Rights Act has already changed how tenancies and rental pricing are managed. Rent increases must now follow the revised Section 13 process, while rental bidding wars are banned and landlords must state one proposed rent.
The broader changes to tenancy structures and possession rules will also continue to influence how landlords, tenants and letting agents approach the rental market over the coming years.
Landlords and tenants are still working out what day-to-day letting looks like under the new system. Letting agents are adjusting paperwork, processes and advice to match. None of that adjustment happens overnight, and most of it will keep evolving well beyond this first summer.
Tenancies may become longer and more relationship-driven
Periodic tenancies remove the fixed end date that previously marked the end of a letting arrangement. As a result, tenant retention may become a more important part of a landlord’s strategy, with greater focus on maintaining good tenant relationships and encouraging longer stays.
Finding a new tenant carries cost and disruption. A landlord who keeps a reliable tenant in place for several years avoids void periods, referencing fees and the general uncertainty of turnover. Under the new framework, that value may grow further.
Some landlords may start managing tenant relationships more actively rather than only responding when problems arise. Day-to-day practices such as timely repairs and clear communication could carry more weight than before.
Longer tenancies also change how landlords think about their properties. A home that will house the same family for several years may justify different maintenance priorities to one expected to turn over annually. For example, a landlord may choose to invest in durable flooring, repaint less frequently and plan larger maintenance work around the tenant’s longer-term needs rather than between short tenancies. That shift in thinking is likely to happen gradually, property by property.
Tenant experience may move closer to the centre of property management
Responsive management has always been good practice. It may become a bigger priority as landlords place more value on tenant retention.
Responsive communication and prompt maintenance can help create the conditions for longer, more stable tenancies. That was true before the Act. It may simply matter more now that periodic tenancies reward stability. Property management with clear processes behind it, rather than an ad hoc approach, may become increasingly important.
Related: Staying compliant under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: the value of professional letting support
Landlords will lean towards professional management
Running a rental property well takes more than collecting rent and answering the calls. As requirements around record-keeping and compliance continue to develop, landlords should increasingly look for structured support.
Professional property management handles referencing, compliance checks and maintenance scheduling for many landlords. That kind of support may become more valuable as the regulatory picture grows more detailed, particularly for landlords with several properties or limited time to manage them directly.
Nicholas Humphreys provides tailored support for landlords who want that structure in place without taking on the administrative load themselves.
Rental pricing may become more structured
The changes to rental pricing may encourage landlords to take a more considered approach to setting and reviewing rents. Instead of relying on informal assumptions, landlords may place greater emphasis on market evidence and current demand when making pricing decisions.
Landlords can use comparable properties, local demand and recent rental trends to support their decisions. Keeping a clear record of how a rent was assessed may also become more useful when reviewing it over time.
Related: The rent bidding ban: what it means for landlords and how to reduce risk
The effect on rental supply is still an open question
The long-term effect of the Act on the number of landlords remains unclear. A few months of data is too little to draw firm conclusions about how the changes will affect rental supply.
A landlord weighing up short-term letting against other options should reconsider their portfolio. Others, particularly those focused on stable, long-term income, may find that the new framework suits their approach reasonably well. The overall effect on supply will likely vary by property type and by landlord, rather than moving in one direction across the whole market.
Related: A landlord’s guide to preventing complaints and reducing ombudsman risk
Local knowledge still decides how well this plays out
National legislation sets a common framework across England. Rental demand, tenant profiles and property types still vary enormously from one area to the next. That local texture shapes how the Act actually lands on the ground.
A landlord managing a property near a university faces a different tenant mix and different seasonal patterns to one letting a family home. Local letting expertise helps translate national rules into decisions that fit a specific property and a specific market, rather than applying a generic approach everywhere.
The Renters’ Rights Act has set a new framework for the rental market. How that framework develops over the next few years will depend on how landlords, tenants and letting agents adapt to it. Speak to your local Nicholas Humphreys branch to discuss what the changes could mean for your property and your long-term letting plans.
