Renters' rights: the final pieces in the jigsaw

Once the new regime commences, existing assured shorthold tenancies will turn into periodic assured tenancies, and no new fixed-term assured tenancies can be granted.  In order to help tenants understand their new rights, the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026 set out:

• the information that must be included in a written statement that must be given by a landlord to the tenant of either (i) a new tenancy entered into on or after 1 May 2026 or (ii) an oral tenancy entered into before 1 May 2026. This can be included in the written tenancy agreement, or provided separately – see the box below for a summary of this information.
  
  
• the information sheet that the landlord of a written assured tenancy or AST that was granted before 1 May 2026 must give to the tenant by 31 May 2026.  This must be done by either posting or handing them a print-out of the sheet, or by sending it to them by email.  Note that emailing them a link to the PDF is not enough - a copy needs to be sent to every named tenant on the tenancy agreement.

Failure to comply could lead to a fine of up to £7,000.

The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Prescribed Forms and Transitional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026 contain several prescribed forms for use in the new regime, including the new section 8 notice form and the new section 13(2) notice regarding a proposed rental increase.

Under the new regime, landlords will only be able to increase rent once a year, by serving a section 13 notice with at least two months' notice.  Tenants will be able to challenge the initial rent and subsequent increases at the First‑tier Tribunal.  The draft First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Fees (Amendment) Order 2026 establishes the fees for applications in the First-tier Tribunal in connection with the renters' rights regime, including a fee of £47 for applications to appeal a rent increase.  Some commentators have suggested that this fee should be sufficiently large to prevent some vexatious appeals.

As discussed in an earlier briefing, some types of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation will benefit from an exemption from the new regime.  The Student Accommodation (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026 clarify that the relevant types of student accommodation are as follows:

• Property that is solely or principally occupied by students at an educational establishment which is a member of one of the approved codes and that educational establishment manages or controls the building; and
  
  
• Property that is solely or principally occupied by students and managed or controlled by an educational establishment which is a code member.

The approved codes are the:

• NUK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Developments for student accommodation managed and controlled by educational establishments dated 5th September 2024; and
  
  
• Universities UK/ GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice for Student Housing dated 11th March 2025

Landlords must serve the statutory information sheet on tenants by 31 May 2026, and must make sure that all new tenancies entered into after 1 May 2026 contain the required terms.  Letting agents must also provide the information sheet to the tenant, even if the landlord has already done so.

In addition, owners and/or operators of student accommodation must ensure that each property's owner, operator and/or manager is a member of one of the approved codes; and, for all tenancies that are in place for the 2025/26 academic year, send each student a ground 4A notice (by way of Form 3A) (as well as an information sheet) by 31 May 2026.