What was the Act trying to fix?
The RRA was designed to rebalance the private rented sector including stronger protections for tenants, an end to no-fault evictions, and better enforcement tools for local authorities. The scale of the issue is clear from the data: in 2024/25, 38% of those owed the prevention duty were threatened with homelessness because an AST was ending. That single trigger is now gone, and a different, more complex one, has taken its place.
Who does it apply to, and when?
This is worth being really clear on with your team. The Act applies to private rented sector tenancies from 1 May 2026 and to social housing tenancies provided by Private Registered Providers from October 2027 (assured tenancies). It doesn't apply to licences, such as those that might be issued by supported housing providers. Some provisions have different start dates, and certain tenancies are excluded from specific parts of the Act, for example, restrictions on rent in advance don't apply to social housing tenancies or to tenancies created for local authorities to discharge homelessness duties.
Tenancy versus licence
Your advisors need to be able to answer the question: does this person have an assured tenancy that's covered by the Act, or a licence that isn't? The case law on hostels, supported housing, property guardians and temporary accommodation is all relevant here, and it's worth making sure your team is confident with the distinction.
The end of Section 21
All ASTs converted to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. The tenant notice period has increased from one to two months. But the real impact for housing teams is the shift in the homelessness duty trigger: it's now a Section 8 notice (with the specified date falling within 56 days) rather than a Section 21 notice. That means virtually every assured tenant served with a Section 8 notice will trigger the prevention duty, but these cases will be more complex, because Section 8 is ground-based and raises questions of fault, defences, and evidence that Section 21 never did.
Possession grounds
Your advisors need to understand these in the context of their casework. The distinction between mandatory and discretionary grounds matters for assessing whether someone is likely to become homeless and for intentionality decisions. Key changes to flag: new supported housing grounds (5E, 5F, 5G, 5H and Ground 18), the Ground 8 arrears threshold moving from two to three months (with a Universal Credit delay exception), a 12-month protected period blocking Grounds 1 and 1A, and the fact that unregistered landlords can't obtain possession orders. Tenant defences including invalid notices, retaliation, and Decent Homes should be part of the same conversation.
Prevention and relief duties
A few significant changes here that are easy to miss. PRSOs are now offers of assured tenancies rather than ASTs, which changes the legal basis for a core discharge mechanism. The section 195A reapplication right has been removed so anyone who accepts a PRSO and later becomes homeless now needs to meet the full priority need threshold again. Personal Housing Plan consequences have been limited so that refusing a step only ends the initial duty, not the main duty. And Breathing Space (the Debt Respite Scheme) is a practical tool your advisors should be routinely signposting to.
Rent increases and the tribunal
Rent can only go up once a year via Section 13 and rent review clauses are no longer permitted. The big shift for tenants is that the tribunal can no longer set a rent higher than the landlord proposed, removing the main disincentive to challenging an increase. Increases aren't backdated, hardship deferrals are available, and rent bidding is banned. Your team needs to be able to explain all of this clearly to tenants worried about affordability.
Enforcement
The duty to enforce is now mandatory, not discretionary, and local authorities must report on it to the Secretary of State. Civil penalties go up to £40,000 for serious or repeat breaches. Rent Repayment Orders have been expanded. And landlords must register on the PRS Database and with the Ombudsman when they are launched later in 2026, without registration, they can't obtain possession orders. If your housing, enforcement, licensing, and environmental health teams aren't already coordinating on this, that needs to happen.
