Who the policy applies to and what this means for tenants and landlords – Renters' Rights Act Policy consultation
Consultation starts: Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Consultation ends: Tuesday, 31 March 2026
The policy will apply to:
All landlords including letting agents, managing agents, licensors, property owners, and anyone involved in letting or managing accommodation.
Corporate landlords including company landlords and directors, registered providers of social housing, landlords as part of a company, and any company or body that meets the definition of a landlord.
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) as defined by the Housing Act 2004 – a building or part of a building (like a flat) occupied by at least 3 or more tenants forming more than 1 household (not a single family), who share basic amenities such as a kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. It must be their main residence, and rent must be payable.
What does this mean for tenants and landlords?
Impact on tenants
Tenants will have stronger protection, better housing, and more confidence that landlords must follow the rules.
For tenants, the policy will:
- stop unfair evictions
- prevent landlords from misusing the rules to make tenants leave
- ban discrimination in the letting process
- stop rentbidding, so renting is fairer and more transparent
- improve how we enforce licensing, safety rules and property standards
Impact on landlords
The policy will provide clear guidance on what the law requires of landlords and how we will respond to breaches.
For landlords, the policy will:
- issue bigger financial penalties for rule breaking
- require more professionalism
- ensure landlords understand their responsibilities and follow them
- identify different types of landlords from small-scale to professional operators and issue fines accordingly
- take stronger action on repeat and deliberate rule breaking
- make it more expensive to break the law than to follow it