The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gained Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, bringing major changes to the private rented sector (PRS) in England.
After 1 May 2026, when key provisions in the Act are brought into force, Wales will be the only GB nation where private landlords have the power to evict tenants without giving a reason (commonly known as ‘no-fault evictions’).
However, Wales retains the longest eviction notice period of any UK nation, since landlords must give six months’ warning before initiating possession under the no-fault ground.
The Act brings other changes for England. It strengthens enforcement against above-market rent rises, introduces new housing standards, and creates a free service for resolving tenants’ complaints.
Some of the Act’s provisions will take effect in Wales, outlawing certain forms of discrimination against would-be tenants looking for a home.
This article sets out the key elements of the Welsh PRS regime and compares them to the provisions for England in the Renters’ Rights Act, to show how the two nations are diverging.
How secure will Wales’s private tenancies be compared with England’s?
In Wales and England the process for evicting a tenant begins with the landlord serving a notice. After the expiry of the notice period, the landlord can apply for a possession order from the court.
Wales’s Renting Homes legislative framework gives tenants (called ‘contract-holders’ in Wales) 12 months’ minimum security of tenure if they don’t breach any terms in their contract. This is due to the six-month no-fault notice period, plus an initial six-month ban on landlords issuing notice.
Welsh standard contracts may be periodic or fixed term. In England the new Act will end fixed term PRS tenancies. From the Act’s commencement date, all PRS tenancies will become periodic, known as ‘assured tenancies’ (rather than the current ‘assured shorthold’).
This means a tenant in England will be able to move out at any time with two months’ notice, but a landlord will only be able to evict a tenant if they can provide evidence that the eviction is justified.
If they intend to sell the property, live in it themselves, or allow a family member to live there, the landlord must give the tenant four months’ notice. These new grounds can’t be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy.
This effectively guarantees tenants in England 16 months’ minimum security of tenure, compared to 12 months in Wales. And unlike in Wales, the possession must be backed up with evidence, with penalties for misuse.
If tenants are seriously behind with paying their rent, landlords in Wales and England can gain possession more quickly, but with some differences:
- In Wales, landlords may serve notice if a contract-holder is in arrears of two months or more. The notice period is 14 days.
- In England, the Act raises the minimum arrears level to three months’ rent, and increases the notice period to four weeks. The UK Government said this will give tenants more breathing space.
What about rent increases?
Rent control has been a contentious issue during the Sixth Senedd.
Under the 2021 Cooperation Agreement, the Welsh Government committed to publish a White Paper which would include consideration of ways of regulating rents. However the White Paper, published in 2024, said that the Welsh Government didn’t propose to regulate rents.
The Local Government and Housing Committee’s 2023 inquiry on the PRS heard strong views for and against.
In Wales, rent increases are limited to once per year with two months’ notice. In England, the Act establishes the same limits.
However, there will be a difference in tenants’ ability to challenge above-market rent rises.
In England they will be able to go to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The Tribunal may reduce the rent to market levels, but may not increase the rent above what the landlord asked for.
In Wales, only contract-holders whose contracts predate 1 December 2022 can challenge rent rises via the Residential Property Tribunal. But this can be risky because the Tribunal has the power to raise rents above what the landlord asked for. The risk of no-fault eviction is another factor, according to Shelter Cymru and Citizens Advice.
Contract-holders whose contracts began after 1 December 2022 have no legal ability to challenge increases.
Other key differences
|
England |
Wales |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Rent in advance |
Rent in advance will be limited to one month’s rent in advance of most tenancies beginning. |
No limits on rent in advance. |
|
Rent bidding |
The Act will ban rent bidding. Rent levels will be limited to the advertised rent. |
No limits on rent bidding. |
|
PRS Ombudsman |
The Act creates a free service to resolve tenants’ complaints about their landlord. |
PRS Ombudsman will be England only. There is no equivalent in Wales. |
|
PRS database |
Landlords will be required to register themselves and their properties. |
Landlords are required to register with Rent Smart Wales and be licensed if managing a property. Landlords must also register all properties. |
|
Pets |
The Act will prohibit landlords from unreasonably withholding consent to keep pets. Tenants may challenge via the PRS Ombudsman or court. A clause allowing landlords to require tenants to take out pet damage insurance was dropped. |
Landlords and contract-holders can agree additional terms covering the keeping of pets. Any pet clause should allow a contract-holder to ask for permission to keep a pet, and the landlord may not unreasonably refuse a request. Contract-holders may challenge via court, but may also risk a no-fault eviction. |
|
Rental discrimination |
The Act will make it unlawful, subject to certain exceptions, for landlords to discriminate against prospective tenants who have children living with/visiting them, or who receive benefits. |
The Act applies similar discrimination provisions to Wales. The Act gives powers to Welsh Ministers to specify and prohibit other discriminatory rental practices. |
|
Standards and enforcement |
The Act gives powers to the Secretary of State to introduce the Decent Homes Standard to most PRS properties. The Act introduces Awaab’s Law, which currently applies to English social housing, to the PRS. This will require quick responses to significant hazards and emergency repairs. |
The Welsh Government has suggested introducing the Welsh Housing Quality Standard to the PRS in future. Awaab’s Law applies only in England. The Welsh Government is proposing to embed performance standards for responding to reports of serious hazards into the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. |
Article by Jennie Bibbings, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
