Section 21 Is Gone: What It Means for Newcastle Renters

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its core reforms took effect on 1 May 2026. It is the largest reform of the private rented sector in England for around four decades.

For Newcastle, which has one of the larger private rented sectors of any English city relative to its population, driven substantially by student housing across Jesmond, Heaton, Sandyford and Shieldfield, the changes matter more than in most places.

Here is what changed for tenants.

Section 21 has been abolished.

The headline change is the end of the Section 21 notice, commonly called no-fault eviction, under which a landlord could regain possession without giving a reason.

Landlords must now use a Section 8 notice, citing one or more legal grounds, supported by evidence. The Act introduced several new mandatory and discretionary grounds to cover circumstances landlords previously relied on Section 21 for, including selling the property and moving family in.

Those grounds carry their own notice periods and evidential requirements, and a court can refuse possession where a discretionary ground is not made out.

The practical effect is that a tenant can no longer be required to leave simply because the landlord wishes it, without a reason recognised in law.

Fixed terms have gone.

All assured shorthold tenancies converted into rolling assured periodic tenancies, and no new fixed-term tenancies can be created.

That means there is no longer a fixed end date. The tenancy continues until either the tenant gives notice or the landlord obtains possession on a valid ground.

Tenants can generally end a periodic tenancy by giving two months' notice, which is a significant increase in flexibility compared with being locked into a twelve-month fixed term.

For students, that changes the traditional pattern of signing a year in advance for a fixed term running to the following summer, and the sector has had to adapt.

Rent increases follow a set process.

Rent can still rise, but only once a year, and only through a formal Section 13 notice giving at least two months' notice before the new rent takes effect.

Tenants have the right to challenge an increase they consider above market rate, through the First-tier Tribunal, and the increase cannot take effect until determined.

That right only works if tenants use it, and awareness of it is currently low.

Rental bidding has been banned.

Landlords and letting agents can no longer accept offers above the advertised rent.

If a property is listed at a price, that is the price it must be let at. The practice of inviting sealed bids or encouraging prospective tenants to outbid one another is prohibited.

In a city where student and professional lettings can be competitive, this is a meaningful protection.

Landlords also cannot require more than one month's rent in advance, which addresses the practice of demanding six or twelve months upfront from tenants who could not otherwise pass affordability checks.

Discrimination rules have changed.

It is no longer permitted to discriminate against prospective tenants because they have children or because they receive benefits.

Blanket "no DSS" advertising and policies were already unlawful under discrimination law in certain circumstances following court decisions. The Act puts the position beyond argument and applies it explicitly.

Tenants can request a pet.

The Act introduces a right for tenants to request permission to keep a pet, which a landlord must not unreasonably refuse.

The request and response follow a defined process, and a landlord may be able to require pet insurance in some circumstances.

This does not apply automatically to tenancies signed before 1 May 2026, which fall under transitional rules.

Existing tenancies were treated differently.

Tenancies entered into before 1 May 2026 were subject to transitional arrangements. A Section 21 notice validly served before that date could still be relied upon, and certain new duties did not immediately apply.

Landlords with existing tenancies were required to provide tenants with a government Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, explaining how the tenancy had changed. Failure carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

If you were renting before May and have not received that document, it is worth asking for it.

Some arrangements are outside the Act.

The reforms apply to assured and assured shorthold tenancies in England. Certain arrangements are excluded, including lodger agreements where a resident landlord lives in the same building, company lets and tenancies where the property is not the tenant's main home.

Social housing provided by private registered providers is not covered until 2027.

Purpose-built student accommodation operates under separate arrangements in some respects, so students in halls should check what applies to their agreement.

Where to get help in Newcastle.

Newcastle City Council's private sector housing team handles complaints about conditions and licensing, and the Act strengthened local authority enforcement powers, removing the previous expectation of informal warnings before formal action.

Citizens Advice and Shelter both provide free housing advice, and the students' unions at both universities offer housing advice to their members.

Full government guidance is published at gov.uk under the renting is changing campaign.

Share your thoughts.

Has your tenancy changed since May, and were you told about it?