Renters’ Rights Act, six months on: Who are the winners?

02 November 2026

It’s now six months since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force. There were months of headlines and speculation beforehand and plenty of landlords were bracing for the worst. So what has actually changed and have there been any winners?

There is growing evidence that it is now harder for tenants to secure a home than before the Act.

Tenants are no longer able to ‘outbid’ other interested parties to secure a property by offering more rent and it is much more difficult for a landlord to regain possession of a property following the Act. The cumulative effect of this is that Tenants are increasingly relying on having better references, being in a more stable job, or having more savings to secure a property. It is increasingly common for Landlords to interview tenants before agreeing a letting.

Rent reviews have changed too. The now abolished Section 21 notice was generally used as leverage to negotiate a rent increase, so negotiations were very much in favour of the Landlord. Rent reviews are now limited to a maximum of once a year and tenants can refer the matter to the first-tier tribunal if they feel the rent is unreasonable.

The referral is relatively cheap, and the new rent is set from when the tribunal awards its findings, so tenants are using this process to simply delay an inevitable increase. Where there is insufficient evidence to justify an increase there are cases where the tribunal actually reduces the rent. So Landlords need to take proper advice and ensure their agent has strong comparable evidence to justify the new rent.

More is on the way, including the Private Rented Sector Database, so there is still plenty to keep on your radar.

Six months is early to judge the full impact but we are seeing available stock levels fall, rents increase, and more hurdles for tenants to secure a home. However, once they are in their new home the Act puts tenants into a stronger position than they once were. But will there be enough Landlords left to provide the rental homes needed?

At Dutch & Dutch, we’ve been helping landlords across North West London for over 125 years. If you’re unsure how the changes affect your property or you’d like to review your current letting arrangements, our team would be happy to help. Call us on 020 7443 9860.