The Renters' Rights Act 2025: Complete Guide for Bath Landlords

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 represents the biggest change to private rented sector legislation since theHousing Act 1988. For landlords in Bath, this means adapting to new rules onevictions, property standards, pets, rent increases, and much more.

Overview: What theAct Changes

The Act introduceschanges across multiple areas:

• Evictions: Section 21 "no-fault" evictionsabolished; all evictions must use evidenced Section 8 grounds

• Tenancy structure: Fixed-term tenancies replaced withperiodic tenancies by default

• Property standards: Decent Homes Standard extended toprivate rentals

• Hazard response: Awaab's Law requires specific timelinesfor addressing hazards

• Pets: Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse pet requests

• Rent increases: Limited to once per year via specificprocedure

• Dispute resolution: New Private Rented Sector Ombudsman

• Registration: Mandatory property portal registration

Section 21 Abolition

From 1 May 2026, landlords canno longer serve Section 21 notices. Every eviction must demonstrate specificgrounds under Section 8. These grounds have been expanded and include landlordor family member moving in, sale of property (new ground), redevelopmentrequiring vacant possession, rent arrears (two months or more), repeated latepayment, antisocial behaviour, and breach of tenancy terms.

Periodic Tenancies byDefault

The Act abolishes fixed-termtenancies for new assured tenancies. All tenancies will be periodic (rolling)from the start.

Implications forLandlords:

No minimum commitment fromtenants: Tenants can give two months' notice at any time. This increasesturnover risk, particularly for properties that are expensive to preparebetween tenancies.

No break clause periods: Theconcept of break clauses becomes irrelevant when either party can end thetenancy with notice.

12-month protection period: Tobalance tenant flexibility, landlords cannot use certain grounds (like sellingor moving in) during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

Decent Homes Standard

The Decent Homes Standard,previously applicable only to social housing, is being extended to the privaterented sector. Implementation will be phased, with full compliance expected by2035-2037.

A decent home must: • Meet thecurrent statutory minimum standard for housing (free of Category 1 hazardsunder the Housing Health and Safety Rating System) • Be in a reasonable stateof repair • Have reasonably modern facilities and services • Provide areasonable degree of thermal comfort

Bath's housing stock presentsparticular challenges. Many properties are Georgian or Victorian, with solidwalls that don't accommodate cavity insulation. Listed building restrictionscan limit upgrade options.

Awaab's Law: HazardResponse Times

Named after Awaab Ishak, whodied in 2020 from exposure to mould in his family's housing association flat,this provision requires landlords to address hazards within specifictimeframes.

Mandatory Response Times: •Emergency hazards (immediate health risk): 24 hours investigation, 24 hoursrepair • Damp and mould: 14 days investigation, 7 days after investigation torepair • Other hazards: Reasonable time

You need systems in place toreceive and record hazard reports promptly, assess whether a report constitutesan emergency, respond within the appropriate timeframe, and document allactions taken.

Pet Requests: NewRules

The Act requires landlords toconsider pet requests and provides that they cannot be unreasonably refused.

How the Process Works: 1.Tenant submits a written pet request 2. Landlord has 28 days to respond inwriting 3. If refusing, landlord must provide reasons 4. Tenant can challengeunreasonable refusal via the Ombudsman

Reasonable grounds for refusalare likely to include superior landlord (freeholder) prohibiting pets, propertyunsuitable for the specific animal, genuine health and safety concerns, andinsurance invalidation that cannot be mitigated.

You can require tenants to havepet damage insurance as a condition of consent.

Rent IncreaseRestrictions

Under the new framework, rentcan only be increased once per year through a specific process: • Only one rentincrease per 12-month period • Minimum two months' notice via Section 13 notice• Must reflect market rent • Tenant can challenge at First-tier Tribunal

If a tenant challenges yourrent increase at Tribunal, the Tribunal will assess whether the proposed rentreflects market rate. They can set a rent lower than you proposed, equal toyour proposal, or higher—if evidence shows market rate exceeds your proposedincrease.

Private Rented SectorOmbudsman

The Act creates a new Ombudsmanservice that all private landlords must join. This provides a disputeresolution mechanism short of court proceedings.

The Ombudsman can investigatecomplaints from tenants about landlord behaviour, make binding decisions ondisputes, award compensation to tenants, and require landlords to take specificactions.

Property PortalRegistration

A new national property portalwill require registration of all rental properties. Details are still beingfinalised, but are expected to include landlord identity and contactinformation, property address, compliance certificates (gas, electrical, EPC),and tenancy information.

Non-registration will be anoffence, and local authorities will have enforcement powers.

ImplementationTimeline

• 27 October 2025: Royal Assent

• 1 May 2026: Section 21 abolished; new tenancy structurebegins

• 2026 (date TBC): Property portal opens; Ombudsmanmembership required

• 2026-2027: Awaab's Law compliance required

• 2028: EPC C required for new tenancies

• 2030: EPC C required for all tenancies

• 2035-2037: Full Decent Homes Standard compliance

Compliance Checklistfor Bath Landlords

Immediate Actions (Before May2026): • Review all current tenancies and consider Section 21 timing if needed• Update tenancy agreements to reflect new requirements • Implement robusttenant referencing procedures • Review and update inventory and inspectionprocesses • Establish system for receiving and documenting hazard reports •Review pet policy and prepare standard response templates

Ongoing Requirements: •Register with Property Portal when it opens • Join PRS Ombudsman scheme whenrequired • Respond to hazard reports within Awaab's Law timeframes • Processpet requests within 28 days • Use Section 13 procedure for rent increases • Maintainall compliance certificates (Gas Safety, EICR, EPC)

Longer-Term Planning: • Assessproperties against EPC C requirement • Plan improvement works for propertiesbelow EPC C • For heritage properties, consult conservation officer onpermitted improvements • Review property against Decent Homes Standard criteria

Navigating theChanges Successfully

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 isextensive, but it's not the end of profitable landlording. Landlords whounderstand the changes, prepare thoroughly, and maintain professional standardswill continue to operate successfully.

The key shifts are: •Prevention over cure—thorough tenant selection matters more than ever •Documentation is protection—records of inspections, communications, andmaintenance will be crucial if disputes arise • Responsivenessmatters—timeframes for hazard response are now legally defined • Professionalsupport adds value—the complexity of compliance makes expert help increasinglyworthwhile

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