Renters Rights Act 2025: A Professional Report

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The Renters' Rights Act: A Manchester Landlord's Guide

The Renters' Rights Act has altered the private rented sector in England more substantially than any housing reform in recent decades. For Manchester landlords, the biggest change is plain: Section 21 has gone, fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies have transferred to periodic tenancies, and landlords must now count on specific Section 8 grounds to secure possession.

For portfolio landlords, HMO owners, and buy-to-let investors across Manchester, South Manchester and Cheshire, this is not simply an administrative update. It touches tenancy agreements, rent increases, possession planning, student lets, advertising, property standards, tenant complaints and compliance records.

This guide explains the key changes and the practical actions landlords should take now.

Section 21 Has Been Abolished

Section 21 previously allowed landlords to recover possession of a property without proving tenant fault. It offered a route to end an Assured Shorthold Tenancy once the appropriate notice and procedural requirements had been met.

That route has now been withdrawn.

Landlords can no longer file a new Section 21 notice. The only valid route to possession is now Section 8, which means the landlord must demonstrate a valid legal ground. This changes the risk profile of letting property because possession is no longer an straightforward process based on notice expiry.

For Manchester landlords looking to transfer, move into a property, reconstruct a house, or run student accommodation, possession strategy now needs to be planned much earlier. Evidence matters. Timelines matter. The correct ground matters.

Existing ASTs Have Converted to Periodic Tenancies

Every existing Assured Shorthold Tenancy transferred to an Assured Periodic Tenancy under the new regime. This means there is no longer a certain end date that landlords can depend on.

A periodic tenancy rolls from rental period to rental period, usually month to month. Tenants can end the tenancy by giving two months' recorded notice, but landlords cannot simply wait for a fixed term to expire and then request possession.

Existing Renters Rights Act tenancy agreements still matter, but fixed-term clauses, minimum-term commitments and break clauses are no longer applicable in the same way. Landlords should examine all tenancy templates and delete outdated Assured Shorthold Tenancy wording before granting new tenancies.

The 31 May Information Sheet Deadline

One of the most time-sensitive compliance duties is the requirement to deliver the Government Information Sheet to existing tenants. Tenants whose tenancies transferred to periodic tenancies must be given the document by 31 May 2026.

Where a tenancy was previously unwritten rather than written, landlords must also issue a Written Statement of Terms.

Failure to deliver the necessary documents can place landlords to civil penalties of up to £7,000 per breach. For landlords with multiple properties, this can quickly become a considerable financial risk.

Landlords should keep evidence of service, including the date, method and tenant details. A simple email record may not be enough if the process is patchy. A rigorous compliance trail is now critical.

The New Section 8 Possession Grounds

Section 8 is now the central possession route for private landlords. Some grounds are compulsory, meaning the court must issue possession if the ground is proven. Others are discretionary, meaning the court judges whether possession is warranted.

Key Section 8 Grounds for Landlords

• Ground 1, where the landlord or a close family member intends to live in the property as their main home.
• Ground 1A, where the landlord intends to sell the property.
• Ground 4A, which supports student-let cycles by enabling possession where a suitable student property needs to be re-let for the next academic year.
• Ground 6, where the landlord intends to remove or considerably redevelop the property.
• Ground 8, where the tenant is in significant rent arrears.
• Ground 8A, which covers repeated arrears.
• Ground 14, which applies to anti-social behaviour.

For Manchester landlords, Ground 4A is particularly important in student areas such as Fallowfield, Withington and Rusholme. Without a practical student possession ground, landlords could have difficulty to coordinate tenancies with the academic year.

Rent Bidding Is Now Banned

The Renters' Rights Act also brings in a rent bidding ban. Landlords and letting agents must advertise a property at a specific rental figure. That advertised figure is the maximum rent that can be taken.

This means phrases such as "offers over", "from £X", "guide price" or "price on application" should not be featured in residential lettings advertising.

Even if a tenant willingly proposes more than the advertised rent, receiving that offer can violate the rules. This makes correct pricing more critical than ever.

In busy Manchester markets, including Didsbury, Chorlton, Salford Quays and sought-after student areas, landlords need reliable comparable evidence before listing. Setting the rent too low may reduce yield. Pricing too high may extend void periods. There is no longer a compliant bidding process to revise the rent upwards later.

Property Portal Registration

The Act creates a new Private Rented Sector Database, commonly known as the Property Portal. Landlords and privately rented properties must be registered.

The portal is intended to store key compliance information, including gas safety records, electrical safety certificates, EPC details, deposit information, licensing status and enforcement history.

A landlord who has not signed up may be unable to submit a valid Section 8 notice. This makes registration a possession issue as well as an practical duty.

Manchester landlords should organise property files now. Each property should have a clear folder holding certificates, licence references, tenancy documents, deposit evidence and repair records.

Decent Homes Standard for Private Lets

The Decent Homes Standard is being extended to the private rented sector. This sets a statutory baseline for property condition.

A rented property must be in a satisfactory state of repair, have adequate modern facilities, supply suitable thermal comfort and be free from serious Category 1 hazards.

This is especially pertinent for older Manchester housing stock, including Victorian terraces, period conversions, older HMOs and properties that have been occupied for many years without substantial refurbishment.

A licensed HMO will not automatically comply with the Decent Homes Standard. Licensing and property condition standards intersect, but they are not interchangeable. Damp, mould, excess cold, unsafe electrics, deficient heating or substantial fall risks can still cause compliance problems.

Awaab's Law and Damp and Mould Duties

Awaab's Law sets rigorous duties on landlords when tenants flag damp, mould or serious hazards. Landlords must inspect within defined timescales, give written findings, and start remedial action within the prescribed period.

For Manchester landlords, the key issue is process. A informal repair system dependent on text messages, email chains or spoken updates is no longer adequate.

Every report should be noted. Every inspection should be recorded. Every outcome should be noted in writing. Where remedial work is needed, landlords should log instructions, contractor attendance, completion dates and tenant communication.

Pets, Benefits and Anti-Discrimination Rules

Tenants now have a statutory right to request a pet. Landlords can reject only where there is a justifiable ground, such as a leasehold restriction, inappropriate property type or animal welfare concern. A blanket "no pets" policy is not likely to be acceptable.

The Act also restricts blanket refusals against tenants with children or tenants drawing benefits. Landlords can still appraise affordability, referencing, income and suitability. What they cannot do is reject an entire group wholesale.

Lettings adverts should be examined closely. Phrases such as "no DSS", "professionals only" or "no children" may carry enforcement risk.

Private Rented Sector Ombudsman

Private landlords must also be a member to the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman. This gives tenants a formal route to refer complaints about repairs, communication, conduct, deposits and property management.

For professionally managed landlords, the Ombudsman should be workable. Proper records, swift responses and well-documented repair trails will assist address complaints. For landlords with deficient communication or informal systems, the liability is much more significant.

Manchester Landlords Action Plan

Landlords should now conduct a structured compliance review.

• Serve the Government Information Sheet and keep proof of service.
• Review all tenancy agreements and remove outdated fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancy wording.
• Audit any historic Section 21 notices and replace failed strategies with Section 8 planning.
• Check rent adverts for rent bidding compliance and banned wording.
• Prepare documents for Property Portal registration.
• Assess older properties against the Decent Homes Standard.
• Create a formal damp, mould and hazard reporting workflow.
• Register with the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.

For Manchester HMO landlords, student-let landlords and portfolio investors, the Act necessitates a more structured approach to property management. Compliance is no longer something to examine only at the start of a tenancy. It now touches every stage of the landlord and tenant relationship.

The most prudent approach is to treat the Renters' Rights Act as an operational reset: assess every property, every tenancy, every advert and every repair process before a problem becomes an enforcement issue.