In one month’s time – on 1 May – the law that lets landlords evict tenants without a reason ends. The Renters’ Rights Act is the biggest change to private renting in England in 35 years, and it takes effect automatically: no new tenancy agreements needed, no action required from tenants.
Every private renter in Putney is affected. In Wandsworth, where over a third of all households rent privately (a higher proportion than anywhere in London outside the inner boroughs), that means tens of thousands of people. The 25–34 age group accounts for nearly a quarter of Putney’s population, almost double the national average, and they are disproportionately the ones renting. This law was written for them.
Landlords need to read this too. There are deadlines before 1 May, and penalties for missing them.
For tenants: what you gain on 1 May
No-fault evictions end. From 1 May, a landlord cannot evict you unless they have a legal reason. Previously, a Section 21 notice could end any tenancy with two months’ notice and no explanation required. That power disappears at midnight on 30 April. Landlords must use Section 8, which requires a specific ground such as rent arrears or the landlord needing the property back, and must make the case to a court if you challenge it.
Your fixed-term tenancy becomes a rolling tenancy automatically. If you currently have an assured shorthold tenancy with a fixed end date, it converts to a periodic (rolling) tenancy from 1 May. Nothing you need to sign, nothing you need to arrange. The tenancy continues, month by month.
You can leave at any time with two months’ notice. Previously, leaving before the end of a fixed term could mean paying rent until it expired or finding a replacement tenant. Under the new rules, two months’ notice ends your tenancy with no penalty, at any point.
Rent increases are capped to once a year. Your landlord can only raise the rent once every 12 months, and must give two months’ notice via a formal Section 13 notice. They cannot simply demand more at renewal. If you think the increase is above market rate, you can challenge it at a tribunal.
Rental bidding wars are banned. Landlords and letting agents cannot accept offers above the advertised asking price. If you have been outbid on a rental property in Putney recently, that practice ends on 1 May.
No large rent-in-advance demands on new tenancies. From 1 May, landlords can only take a maximum of one month’s rent upfront when a new tenancy starts. The practice of demanding two, three or six months in advance (common in a competitive market) ends.
For landlords: what you must do
If you are considering a Section 21 notice, act before 4:30pm on 30 April. After that moment, Section 21 ceases to exist. This is an absolute deadline: there is no extension and no transitional arrangement for notices served late. Any Section 21 served after 30 April will be invalid.
If you served a valid Section 21 before 30 April but have not yet made a court application, you have until 31 July 2026 to do so. After that date, any pre-commencement Section 21 notices expire.
By 31 May: provide the government’s Information Sheet to every existing tenant. The government is publishing a prescribed Information Sheet explaining the new rights. Landlords must give it to every current tenant by 31 May 2026. Failure to do so carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000. Wandsworth Council will be the enforcement authority.
Evictions from 1 May must use Section 8. You can still recover a property if a tenant is in serious arrears, if you want to move back in, if you are selling, or on other grounds, but you must use the Section 8 process and make your case to court if the tenant disputes it. Penalties for serious or serial breaches of the new regime run from £7,000 to £40,000.
What is not changing on 1 May
The Act creates two other major reforms that are not yet in force. The Private Rented Sector Database, a national register requiring all landlords to register their properties, begins a regional rollout in late 2026. A new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, providing an independent dispute resolution service, is expected around 2028. The extension of the Decent Homes Standard to privately rented homes is further away still.
On 1 May you get the core protections. The infrastructure around them follows later.
The Putney context
In August 2025, we reported that Putney renters spend over half their income on housing. In December 2025, our long-read on six housing policy changes included the Renters’ Rights Act as one of the reforms heading this way. Now it arrives.
The same period has seen a documented exit of buy-to-let landlords from the Putney flat market, driven by the combination of tax changes, higher mortgage costs, Wandsworth’s new licensing requirements, and for many the anticipation of this Act. That means some renters may find their landlord looking to sell once the new rules are in force. The new eviction protections will apply in those situations too, but tenants facing a landlord wanting vacant possession should get advice early.
Wandsworth’s licensing scheme, and the questions about whether the council has the capacity to enforce it, will now extend to enforcement of the new national regime. The council has not made a public statement on its enforcement approach to the Renters’ Rights Act. We will update this story when it does.
Where to find out more
The government’s official guidance for tenants and landlords is at GOV.UK. The National Residential Landlords Association has a detailed guide for landlords at nrla.org.uk. Citizens Advice has a plain-English guide to your rights at citizensadvice.org.uk.
If you are a tenant facing an eviction notice, a landlord with questions about the transition, or a local resident with a story about how the new rules affect you, get in touch: news@putney.news.
And the protections for landlords against bad tenants can be expected when? The need to protect landlords from bad tenants has been recognised, even by the government, but although the protections have been promised, they show no signs of appearing. My tenant did a runner leaving thousands of pounds of unpaid rent and there was virtually nothing I could do. When I sell my small flat, that will be another rental property off the market.