Renters Rights Act 2025: A Property Portfolio Manager's Analysis

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

The Renters' Rights Act has reshaped the private rented sector in England more significantly than any housing reform in recent decades. For Manchester landlords, the biggest change is clear: Section 21 has gone, fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies have shifted 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 clerical update. It touches tenancy agreements, rent increases, possession planning, student lets, advertising, property standards, tenant complaints and compliance records.

This guide covers the key changes Renters Rights Act and the practical actions landlords should take now.

Section 21 Has Been Abolished

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

That route has now been abolished.

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

For Manchester landlords intending to dispose of, move into a property, reconstruct a house, or operate student accommodation, possession strategy now needs to be considered much earlier. Evidence matters. Timelines matter. The correct ground matters.

Existing ASTs Have Converted to Periodic Tenancies

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

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

Existing tenancy agreements still matter, but fixed-term clauses, minimum-term commitments and break clauses are no longer applicable in the same way. Landlords should examine all tenancy templates and eliminate outdated Assured Shorthold Tenancy wording before issuing new tenancies.

The 31 May Information Sheet Deadline

One of the most immediate compliance duties is the requirement to serve the Government Information Sheet to existing tenants. Tenants whose tenancies transitioned to periodic tenancies must be sent the document by 31 May 2026.

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

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

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

The New Section 8 Possession Grounds

Section 8 is now the central possession route for private landlords. Some grounds are obligatory, meaning the court must award possession if the ground is proven. Others are optional, meaning the court decides whether possession is appropriate.

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 authorising possession where a qualifying student property needs to be re-let for the next academic year.
• Ground 6, where the landlord intends to remove or extensively renovate the property.
• Ground 8, where the tenant is in severe rent arrears.
• Ground 8A, which concerns repeated arrears.
• Ground 14, which refers to anti-social behaviour.

For Manchester landlords, Ground 4A is notably important in student areas such as Fallowfield, Withington and Rusholme. Without a viable student possession ground, landlords could face challenges to align tenancies with the academic year.

Rent Bidding Is Now Banned

The Renters' Rights Act also creates a rent bidding ban. Landlords and letting agents must market 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 spontaneously puts forward more than the advertised rent, receiving that offer can violate the rules. This makes precise pricing more critical than ever.

In active Manchester markets, including Didsbury, Chorlton, Salford Quays and popular student areas, landlords need strong comparable evidence before listing. Undervaluing the property may lower yield. Overvaluing the property may increase void periods. There is no longer a compliant bidding process to correct the rent upwards later.

Property Portal Registration

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

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 listed may be unable to issue a valid Section 8 notice. This makes registration a possession issue as well as an practical duty.

Manchester landlords should prepare property files now. Each property should have a well-ordered folder containing certificates, licence references, tenancy documents, deposit evidence and repair records.

Decent Homes Standard for Private Lets

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

A rented property must be in a reasonable state of repair, have appropriate 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 rented out for many years without significant refurbishment.

A licensed HMO will not automatically satisfy the Decent Homes Standard. Licensing and property condition standards converge, but they are not interchangeable. Damp, mould, excess cold, dangerous electrics, deficient heating or severe fall risks can still produce compliance problems.

Awaab's Law and Damp and Mould Duties

Awaab's Law places firm duties on landlords when tenants flag damp, mould or serious hazards. Landlords must investigate within set timescales, issue written findings, and commence remedial action within the stipulated period.

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

Every report should be documented. Every inspection should be documented. Every outcome should be noted in writing. Where remedial work is needed, landlords should note 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 decline 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 lawful.

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 exclude an entire group categorically.

Lettings adverts should be scrutinised diligently. Phrases such as "no DSS", "professionals only" or "no children" may pose enforcement risk.

Private Rented Sector Ombudsman

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

For professionally managed landlords, the Ombudsman should be manageable. Good records, swift responses and clear repair trails will support respond to complaints. For landlords with weak communication or informal systems, the risk is much more significant.

Manchester Landlords Action Plan

Landlords should now undertake 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 professional approach to property management. Compliance is no longer something to assess 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: review every property, every tenancy, every advert and every repair process before a problem becomes an enforcement issue.