The Renters Rights Act - In Detail

The Renter’s Rights Act came into force at the start of May, and it marked the biggest change to how private rentals work in England in a generation.

There are a host of new protections and legal entitlements for renters, and many potential pitfalls for landlords to consider.

Assured shorthold tenancies have been abolished, and have automatically been converted into rolling tenancies - sometimes known as ‘assured periodic tenancies’.
It means that the tenancy has no automatic end date.

Section 21 notices - also known as "no fault" evictions have been abolished, and Landlords are not allowed to ask for more than 1 months' rent as a deposit. Bidding wars for rental properties are now forbidden, and there are measures to limit rent increases.

But it doesn't apply to all renters in all properties.

What about students? They all rent, but only some students are covered by the Act.

And if landlords don't follow the new laws carefully, they could face fines of thousands of pounds.

So what are the details that property owners and their tenants need to know?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Damon Rose

Contributors:
Siobhan Taylor-Ward, a Housing Solicitor at Lawstop on the Wirral
Nermin Suleman, an associate solicitor at Prosperity Law in Manchester
Tim Wrigley a partner at Wrigley’s Solicitors in Leeds