Three-quarters of landlords have made no preparations for the abolition of Section 21, despite the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force in May 2026.
A survey of 497 UK landlords by Inventory Base, a property inspection and inventory software provider, reveals widespread gaps in landlords’ preparedness ahead of the biggest overhaul of rental law in decades. While awareness of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is relatively high, understanding remains patchy at best and many landlords have yet to adjust.
The first phase of reforms will abolish Section 21 no-fault evictions, replace fixed-term tenancies with open-ended assured periodic tenancies, limit rent increases to once every 12 months, cap rent in advance and require landlords to consider tenant requests to keep pets reasonably.
Small landlords dominate the sector
The research shows the sector remains dominated by small-scale landlords. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents own a single rental property, and a further 30% own between two and four. Management of their rental properties is evenly split, with 48% doing it themselves and 52% using letting agents.
Only one in five landlords describes themselves as highly confident in understanding how the Act will affect their business, while nearly a quarter say they are not confident at all. More than a quarter (28%) also say they remain unclear about the legislation and the changes it introduces.
Fixed-term tenancies ending
Awareness that fixed-term tenancies will be replaced with open-ended periodic agreements is at 84%, yet 69% say they have no plans to change their processes. Only 11% have already done anything about it, and 14% plan to do so before May 2026. Over a third (37%) fear increased difficulty regaining possession, 15% have concerns over reduced income certainty, and 12% expect higher tenant turnover, although a confident 36% report no concerns at all.
40%, though, have updated or plan to update contracts to periodic tenancies, 24% have revised notice periods, 22% have removed fixed terms, and 13% have updated or removed break clauses.
Section 21 preparation remains minimal
Preparation for the abolition of Section 21 Notices has been minimal. The survey shows that 75% of landlords have nothing whatsoever to prepare for it, with only a small minority having reviewed the new rules in detail, updated documentation or sought legal guidance.
And confidence levels are low. Only 12% say they feel ready to rely on the new possession grounds, while 43% admit they are poorly prepared or not prepared at all. Key concerns include selling the property (32%), rent arrears thresholds (28%) and court delays or enforcement issues (28%).
Pet and rent rule changes overlooked
Restrictions on rent in advance are among the least understood elements of the Renters’ Rights Act. Just 51% of landlords are even aware of the new rules, and 76% say they have no plans to change how much rent they request upfront. Only 11% have already made changes, and 14% plan to do so. 45%, however, say they are adjusting their approach to comply with the new annual rent increase regulations.
It’s a similar story for pet reforms. While 92% are aware that landlords cannot unreasonably refuse tenant requests to keep pets, 71% have made no operational changes. Their biggest concerns are around property damage, hygiene, allergies, noise and insurance limitations, with another 14% claiming they have no specific worries.
Any kind of practical adjustments are rare. Only 6% plan more frequent inspections and inventories. Just 5% have updated tenancy agreements to allow pets by default. 9% have introduced a formal pet request process, and as few as 4% have reviewed insurance arrangements. The majority (76%) have made no changes at all.
Industry warns of compliance risks
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Inventory Base, says:
“Most landlords know the Renters’ Rights Act is coming, but far fewer have grasped what it means in practice. This is not a cosmetic change; it rewrites how possession works, how rent is handled, how tenancies are structured, and what landlords will need to evidence if something goes wrong.
“The margin for error is shrinking fast, and those who wait until spring 2026 will find themselves dealing with delays, disputes, and income risk that could have been avoided with basic preparation now.”
