Fact sheet: Renters’ Rights Act
The legislation applies mainly in England. However, measures in relation to rental discrimination against tenants who receive benefits or with children will also extend to Wales and Scotland. The application of these measures will be made through a Legislative Consent Motion by the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
Tenancy reform, the changes
The legislation amends sections of the Housing Act 1988, meaning that all assured tenancies will be periodic and can no longer have fixed terms. The length of the rent period of an assured tenancy will be limited so that rent periods must be either monthly or no more than 28 days long.
If the rent is paid per calendar month, it will be a monthly periodic tenancy. For the few tenancies where the tenant pays weekly, it will be a rolling weekly tenancy. A tenant will be able to end a tenancy by giving two months’ notice in writing. The end date of the tenancy will need to align with the end of a rent period.
NB: Landlords cannot specify a particular form of written communication. A shorter notice period is allowed if both parties agree in writing – agreement may be set out in the tenancy agreement or in a separate document. Tenants may withdraw a notice to quit under an assured tenancy if the landlord agrees to allow flexibility for both landlord and tenant.