Rental bidding is banned
Section 56 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 prohibits soliciting, encouraging, or accepting rent above the figure advertised. The advertised rent is the ceiling, not the starting point. Where more than one acceptable offer is received at the asking rent, allocation is on a first-come basis. Harvey W James operates a strict first-come allocation process. See the Tenants page for the applicant-facing version and the Landlords page for the operational version.
RRA s.56 · bidding ban
Rent in advance is banned
Two prohibitions apply. Section 8 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserts a new section 4B into the Housing Act 1988, banning rent in advance once the tenancy is entered into. Section 9 amends the Tenant Fees Act 2019 to ban pre-tenancy payments of rent in advance. A tenant can pay the first month's rent at the start of the tenancy; anything more is unlawful. The compliant alternative for applicants who would otherwise have offered rent in advance — including international students — is the Goodlord Guarantor service, a regulated third-party guarantor product covering up to three years for a one-off fee.
RRA s.8 → s.4B HA1988RRA s.9 · Tenant Fees Act 2019
Discrimination against benefit recipients, families, and certain other groups is banned
Part 1 Chapter 3 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (sections 33 to 43) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current tenants because they have or might have children, because they receive benefits including Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, or because of certain other protected characteristics already covered by the Equality Act 2010. Discriminatory terms in a tenancy are unenforceable. Discriminatory advertising or refusal can carry financial penalties. Harvey W James assesses every applicant on objective criteria — affordability, references, conduct — applied consistently to everyone.
RRA Pt 1 Ch 3 · ss.33–43Equality Act 2010
Rent reviews must go through Section 13, and the Tribunal can be asked to challenge
In-tenancy rent increases are limited to one per 12-month period and must be served via a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, the post-1-May-2026 prescribed form. The minimum notice period is 2 months, and no increase can take effect within 52 weeks of the start of the tenancy or of the last increase (HA 1988 s.13(2)); any other mechanism, including a rent-review clause, is of no effect (s.13(4A)). Section 7 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserts a new section 14(A3) into the Housing Act 1988, allowing the tenant to refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) before the start date in the notice. The Tribunal sets the open-market rent where that is lower than the figure proposed, and otherwise the figure proposed — it cannot order a higher rent than the landlord asked for (s.14ZB(5)). The new rent takes effect from the date in the notice if that falls on or after the Tribunal's determination, otherwise from the first rent period after the determination (s.14ZB(3)).
Section 13 · Form 4ARRA s.7 → s.14(A3) HA1988s.14ZB(5) · never above the notice
Tenants have a right to request a pet
Section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserts sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988. A tenant has the right to request a pet. The landlord must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the request (s.16A(1)(c)); where the landlord reasonably asks for further information within that time, the deadline moves to the 7th day after the tenant provides it, and a superior landlord's consent adds a further 7 days after it arrives (s.16A(2)–(5)). There is no fixed maximum and no deemed consent. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. Reasonable grounds for refusal are listed in section 16B(4) — the most common is where keeping the pet would breach a superior landlord's terms. Unreasonable refusal is a breach of the implied term; the court can order specific performance.
RRA s.11 → ss.16A/16B HA198828-day response
Awaab's Law extends to the private rented sector on a date still to be set
Section 60 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 extends Awaab's Law to private tenancies by amending section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which makes the prescribed hazard-response requirements an implied term of the lease, enforceable by the tenant. Section 60 has not yet been commenced (September 2026), and the requirements and timescales for the private rented sector will be set by regulations under s.10A(3); the government's roadmap (13 November 2025) says it will consult on them. The social-housing regulations already in force (Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/1042, from 27 October 2025) are the model: emergency hazards must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours, significant hazards (notably damp and mould) must be investigated within 10 working days, and the relevant safety work must be carried out within 5 working days of the investigation concluding (with a written summary to the tenant within 3 working days). Until the regulations are made, the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 reasonable-time standard continues to apply.
RRA s.60 → LTA 1985 s.10ASI 2025/1042 · social-housing modelPRS date: regulations to come
The Decent Homes Standard extends to the private rented sector from 2035
Also under section 100 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and Schedule 4, the Decent Homes Standard — long applied to the social-rented sector — extends to private rented properties from 2035 (the government's response to the Decent Homes consultation, 28 January 2026, confirmed 2035 for both sectors). Enforcement runs through Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004 — improvement notices and, for failing to comply, a civil penalty of up to £40,000 under s.249A as an alternative to prosecution — and potential restrictions on letting. Harvey W James will publish the operational specification — required works, evidence, and timelines — once the Secretary of State makes the supporting regulations.
RRA s.100 · Sch 4PRS from 2035 · GOV.UK 28 Jan 2026HA 2004 Pt 1 · s.249A £40,000
A national PRS Database: registration from 15 December 2026, London from 15 July 2027
Part 2 Chapter 3 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (section 75 onwards) creates a national Private Rented Sector Database, and section 82 puts the duty on every residential landlord to hold an active entry for themselves and for each let dwelling by the time a tenant moves in; the separate ban on marketing without both is to be switched on by later legislation (MHCLG confirmed this to us on 15 September 2026). GOV.UK's "Register your rental property" service opens on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands and reaches London on 15 July 2027 (deadline 14 October 2027; £65 per property per year). A council can impose a penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach (section 91), and a court cannot make a possession order while the landlord is in breach, except on Grounds 7A and 14 (section 90). The registration is the landlord's to start; we tell every managed landlord when their window opens and help with the entries as far as the regulations allow. The dates and sections are set out in Register your rental property.
RRA ss.82, 90, 91GOV.UK: London 15 Jul–14 Oct 2027
A new PRS Ombudsman for landlord-conduct complaints — mandatory membership expected in 2028
Part 2 Chapter 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (sections 64 onwards) creates a mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman covering the conduct of private landlords. The government's roadmap (13 November 2025) expects mandatory membership in 2028, once the Secretary of State is satisfied the service is ready; from then every private landlord in England will be required to be a member. GOV.UK's guide to the Act says the Ombudsman will be able to direct apologies, remedial action and compensation of up to £25,000. This is separate from the Property Redress Scheme, which continues to handle complaints about letting agents (including Harvey W James, membership PRS010914 — verify on the PRS register). The two routes are kept distinct in our Internal Complaints Procedure.
RRA Pt 2 Ch 2 · s.64+membership expected 2028 (roadmap)up to £25,000 (GOV.UK guide)
Rent Repayment Orders cover more offences and extend to 24 months' rent
Part 2 Chapter 4 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 expands the Rent Repayment Order regime. Where a landlord has committed certain housing offences — illegal eviction, harassment, breach of a banning order, failure to license an HMO, breach of an improvement or prohibition notice, and others — a tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to recover up to 24 months' rent (extended from the previous 12-month cap). Detailed conditions are in ETC v2.4.0 §75 and on the Internal Complaints Procedure page.
RRA Pt 2 Ch 4up to 24 months' rentETC v2.4.0 §75
Every existing tenant must be served a written information sheet by 31 May 2026
Schedule 6 paragraph 7 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/324), requires every existing assured tenant to be served a government-prescribed written information sheet on or before 31 May 2026. For Harvey W James managed properties, we serve the sheet on the tenant on the landlord's behalf and keep a dated copy on file. For non-managed tenancies, the landlord is responsible.
RRA Sch 6 para 7by 31 May 2026
