The government has released a raft of new guidance for tenants around the Renters’ Rights Act.

Changes outlined include an overview of the Act, guidance for tenants around Rent Repayment Order offences, private renting, assured periodic tenancies, evictions, rental discrimination, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and grounds for possession. There is also guidance around notices of possession served both before and after 1st May.

The government has launched a promotional campaign in recent weeks, particularly targeting social media and local media, while councils have been urged to share guidance via their housing webpages, in tenant newsletters and through licensing communications. It also hopes letting agents and landlords will pass on the information.

Likely

However, it’s likely that some tenants still won’t have seen these campaigns and might will use Google or AI to ask questions about claiming rent back or eviction, when they will hopefully come across these new guidance pages online.

At the end of last year, a TDS charitable foundation study found 51% of tenants had heard about the Act but didn’t know how it would affect them, while 18% had never heard of it at all. Meanwhile, a recent Pegasus Insight report shows that a worrying 25% of landlords still aren’t aware of the forthcoming legislation – despite steep penalties for flouting the new laws.

Glance

Property lawyer at Spector Constant & Williams, David Smith, says at first glance the new tenant guidance could be “creatively misread” - possibly by AI – although he says it will no doubt be improved for clarity over time.

“At this stage I would expect most people in the sector to become fully aware of what will be changing,” he adds. “Agents should probably expect contact from landlords who have managed to miss all this so far.”

The government recently published the information sheet which landlords are expected to hand to tenants by 31st May if the tenancy is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy, was created before 1st May 2026 and has a wholly or partly written record of terms - including a written tenancy agreement.

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