Renters' Rights Act: Why Landlord Records Matter
On 1 May 2026 the first phase of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force in England. For a self-managing landlord, the headline is that section 21 "no fault" evictions are gone. What that means day to day is less about paperwork you've never seen before and more about being able to show what happened when something is disputed.
This post sets out what changed, what's still to come, and why a dated record of calls and messages is a sensible habit. It is general information, not legal advice: check GOV.UK for your own situation, or speak to a solicitor or a landlord association.
What changed on 1 May 2026
According to the GOV.UK implementation roadmap, phase 1 applies to new and existing tenancies and includes:
- Section 21 abolished. Landlords can no longer use it to end a tenancy.
- Periodic tenancies. Most private tenancies become periodic, and tenants can end them with two months' notice.
- Reformed possession grounds, including extended grounds for anti-social behaviour and serious, persistent rent arrears.
- Rent increases once a year, by a revised section 13 notice given at least two months before the increase.
- No rental bidding, and no asking for more than one month's rent in advance.
- Pets. Landlords have an initial 28 days to consider a tenant's request to keep a pet and must give valid reasons for refusing.
- Written information. New tenancies need written information about the tenancy. For existing tenancies, landlords had to give tenants the government Information Sheet (or, for verbal tenancies, a written summary of the main terms) on or before 31 May 2026.
What's still to come
| Phase | When | What |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From 1 May 2026 | The changes above |
| 2 | From late 2026 | Private rented sector database (mandatory registration, with an annual fee still to be confirmed); landlord ombudsman set up, with mandatory membership expected in 2028 |
| 3 | Dates subject to consultation | Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law extended to private rentals |
These dates were taken from the GOV.UK roadmap on 11 October 2026 and may move. Treat the roadmap as the source of truth, not this table.
Why records matter more without section 21
Under section 21, a landlord could end an assured shorthold tenancy without giving a reason. Now, to end a tenancy against the tenant's wishes you need to rely on a possession ground, and a ground like rent arrears or anti-social behaviour is something you may have to demonstrate, not just assert.
The same goes for smaller disputes. When a tenant says they reported a repair three weeks ago, or you say you gave notice of an inspection, the question is what can be shown. Memory and "I think I called on a Tuesday" don't carry much weight.
A useful record has four parts for each contact:
- Date and time.
- Which property and tenancy it relates to.
- Who was involved and how they got in touch (call, text, voicemail).
- What was said or agreed, and what happens next.
The more of it that is captured at the time rather than reconstructed later, the better. The communication guide covers what to log and how long to keep it, including the data protection points.
Where calls and messages fall through
Most landlords already keep formal paperwork: the tenancy agreement, the deposit certificate, the gas safety record. What goes missing is the informal contact, because it happens on a personal mobile mixed in with everything else:
- A repair reported by phone while you were driving.
- A tenant asking about a pet, or about a rent increase.
- A voicemail about arrears that you meant to follow up.
- An agreement about access that lived only in a text thread on a phone you have since replaced.
Rules like the 28-day window for pet requests and the two-month notice for rent increases are time-based. A dated record of when a request arrived is what lets you show you responded within the window.
Keeping tenant contact on a dedicated number, separate from your personal one, makes this easier: calls and messages for each property end up in one place instead of scattered across your phone. It's the same reason we've argued against giving tenants your personal number. TenantCall is built for that kind of per-property log.
A short checklist
- Confirm any phone agreement in writing the same day.
- Log repair reports, access requests and rent conversations with a date.
- Note the date a pet or other request arrived, and when you replied.
- Put the date a section 13 notice was served in the same place as the rest.
- Keep only what you need, and review it from time to time.
- Recheck GOV.UK when each phase date passes.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Renters' Rights Act come into force?
The first phase of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect on 1 May 2026 in England, for both new and existing tenancies. It abolished section 21 'no fault' evictions and made most private tenancies periodic. A second phase, covering the private rented sector database and the landlord ombudsman, is due to begin from late 2026, with mandatory ombudsman membership expected in 2028. Check GOV.UK for current dates, as the rollout is phased.
Does the Renters' Rights Act require landlords to keep records of calls and messages?
GOV.UK's implementation roadmap does not set out a requirement to keep a log of calls and messages. The practical point is different: with section 21 gone, a landlord who needs to rely on a possession ground, or who disagrees with a tenant about what was reported or agreed, will be asked to show what happened. A dated record of contact is a sensible way to be able to do that. This is general information, not legal advice.
How often can a landlord increase the rent under the Renters' Rights Act?
Under phase 1 of the Act, rent can be increased only once a year, using a revised section 13 notice that must be given at least two months before the increase takes effect.