About our Renters' Rights Act Policy consultation
Consultation starts: Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Consultation ends: Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Reforms to the private rented sector in England are introducing new rights and responsibilities for landlords, letting agents and tenants. These changes give local authorities stronger powers to act against landlords who do not follow the rules and help us better protect private tenants.
To make sure these new powers are used properly, we've drafted a new Renters' Rights Act Policy. This policy explains how the new laws will affect landlords and tenants from 1 May when they come into force.
The policy sets out how we will use civil penalties (financial fines) to deter landlords from breaking the rules. Our aim is to make enforcement fair, consistent and easy to understand. When deciding the amount of a penalty, we will look at how serious the issue is, whether the landlord has broken rules before, what they have done to put things right, and whether there are multiple offences. There are also discounts for paying promptly.
These changes give tenants stronger protection, improve standards and help ensure that rented homes are safe and well managed. The policy supports a more proactive and consistent approach to tackling poor practice in the private rented sector and helps create a fairer, safer rental market.
Before this policy is introduced, we are running a public consultation so people can read the policy and share their views. It is important not only for current landlords and tenants, but also for anyone who may rent in the future or want to become a landlord.