Advice and Support: For Tenants

• Ending Your Tenancy - Under periodic tenancies, you can end your tenancy by giving written notice (usually two months) that aligns with your rent period.
• Challenging Rent Increases - If you believe a rent increase is unfair, you can challenge it through the prescribed process.
• Pets - Submit your request in writing. Landlords must respond with valid reasons if refusing.
• Facing Discrimination - If you are refused because of children or benefits, keep evidence and seek advice promptly.
• Property Standards - Report issues like damp or mould and other hazards to your landlord. If your landlord fails to respond or take any action please contact the private sector housing team by emailing heretohelp@gloucester.gov.uk or alternatively call 01452 396396. Keep records and escalate if hazards persist.

Changes to private rented tenancies

Most existing assured shorthold tenancies will automatically become assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026.

If you agree a new tenancy agreement with a private landlord on or after 1 May, it will be an assured periodic tenancy.

Assured periodic tenancies will run on a rolling basis, for example, weekly or monthly. It will no longer be possible to have an assured tenancy agreement with an end date.

If your tenancy agreement has an end date in it after 1 May 2026, this will no longer apply.

If you are currently a tenant and already have a written tenancy agreement, you will not need a new one. Instead, your landlord or their letting agent must give you a government-produced Information Sheet telling you about the changes to your tenancy before 31 May 2026. If they do not do this, they could receive a fine.

If you do not have a written tenancy agreement, your landlord will need to give you certain written information. This will explain the key terms of the agreement. Your landlord will probably give this to you in a tenancy agreement.    

If you start a new tenancy on or after 1 May 2026 your landlord will need to give you certain written information. Your landlord will probably give this to you in a tenancy agreement.

Other changes from 1 May 2026

Rent in advance

Your landlord cannot ask for, encourage or accept a payment of rent before you have signed the tenancy agreement.

When you have signed the tenancy agreement, you can be asked to pay a maximum of 1 month’s rent in advance.

Keeping a pet

You will be able to ask to keep a pet in the property. Your landlord must consider your request and should give you a reason if they refuse.

Rental discrimination

A landlord cannot discriminate against a tenant because of a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. They also cannot refuse to rent a property to a tenant who is on benefits or has children.

Rental bidding

Your landlord cannot accept or encourage offers above the advertised rent.

Rent increases

Your landlord can only increase the rent once a year and not in the first year of a new tenancy. They must use Form 4A and give you at least 2 months’ notice. You will be able to challenge a proposed rent increase that is above the market rent.

Ending your tenancy

If you want to end an assured periodic tenancy after 1 May 2026, you will be able to end it by giving 2 months’ notice:

• in writing for example, by letter, email or text
• on the day when the rent is due or the day before the rent is due

You will need to continue to pay rent during the notice period.

You and your landlord can agree to end the tenancy earlier.  

You and your landlord can agree in writing to have a shorter notice period.

If your landlord wants to end your tenancy

If your landlord wants to end your assured periodic tenancy, from 1 May 2026 they will need to give you a reason for evicting you when they ask you to leave. These reasons are called grounds for possession.

Landlords will have to use the correct forms and give you the correct amount of notice. This is usually 4 months but it can be shorter for some grounds.

From 1 May 2026 you can no longer be evicted using the ‘no fault’ section 21 process, even if your tenancy agreement says you can.

If the court process was started before 1 May 2026, in some cases it can be completed after that date.

Some of the reasons that your landlord can legally use to evict you from 1 May 2026 are listed below:

• if your landlord needs to sell or move into the property, they will not be able to evict you for this reason within the first 12 months of the tenancy
• if you are a student, your landlord may be able to use the ground for student houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) to evict you if you do not move out at the end of the academic year
• if you have not paid your rent on time
• if you, others living with you, or visitors commit antisocial behaviour in or near the property

You can find full details of all the grounds for possession on GOV.UK.

If your landlord has given you a correct notice of eviction and you do not leave by the end of the notice period, your landlord can apply to court to get their property back. This is called applying for a possession order.

If you think your landlord is not following the rules

You can get support, for example, from Shelter and Citizens Advice.

Your local council will have new powers to investigate and take action if your landlord breaks the law.

For some offences, like failing to licence a property, you can apply to the First-Tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO). The Tribunal may order your landlord to repay you some or all the rent you paid for a period of up to 2 years.