The Renters' Rights Bill

By Rebecca Le Jeune, Third year Poltics and International Relations

Last month, the Renters’ Rights Bill was officially recognised as law, marking the biggest overhaul of renting rules in more than three decades. The Renters’ Rights Act, formalised at the end of October, is set to reshape the rental landscape for England’s 11 million private tenants and 2.3 million landlords. For Bristol’s large student population, the reforms bring a mixture of new protections, new uncertainties, and it brings significant shifts in how student lettings will operate.

Although the government has not yet confirmed the precise implementation dates, there is speculation that the bill will begin operation in May of 2026. The main changes are now clear.

The headline news for students is that the Act delivers major gains in security, affordability, and living standards.

Students will see an end to Section 21 no-fault evictions, new limits on rent increases, a cap on upfront payments that will particularly benefit international students, and the introduction of a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman that will offer an accessible and low-cost route to resolve disputes. These changes are designed to strengthen students’ position in the rental market and reduce some of the stress associated with moving each year.

'Park street' | *Epigram / Charlotte Kerby*

A further reform expected to have a significant impact on students, especially international students, is the cap on upfront rent. The Act bans landlords from requiring large lump-sum payments at the start of a tenancy. Instead, they are limited to requesting no more than one month’s rent in advance. International students, many of whom have historically been asked for six to twelve months upfront due to guarantor requirements, stand to benefit considerably from this change. While landlords may still ask for additional rent in advance after a tenancy agreement has been signed, students are under no obligation to agree.

Another notable aspect of the Act is the introduction of the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, along with the enforcement of Awaab’s Law, which requires landlords to fix serious hazards such as damp and mould within strict timeframes. Crucially, landlords will no longer be allowed to evict tenants for making legitimate complaints about conditions. This could significantly improve living standards for students, many of whom report issues with damp and poor maintenance in older Bristol properties.

Fourth year Law student Sophie commented on the act stating that it seems like a good reform and is a step in the right direction, but implementation and its efficacy in terms of access by student tenants in the face of landlords is of concern.

Student housing itself becomes more complex under the new rules, as the Act treats different types of student accommodation differently. Landlords of shared student houses in the private rental market, known as HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) will have access to a new 'student ground for possession,' known as Ground 4A. This allows them to reclaim the property for the next cohort of students, but only if all the tenants are full-time students, the contract was not signed more than six months in advance, and four months’ notice is given. This provision aims to preserve the traditional academic-year turnover for larger student houses, even under the new periodic tenancy system.

Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), such as university halls and private student buildings, will continue operating largely as they currently do. Providers will still be able to issue fixed-term contracts and can give as little as two weeks’ notice in some circumstances. New PBSA tenancies will shift to a different legal category known as 'common law' tenancies, which fall outside the main tenancy reforms and allow fixed terms to remain in place. As a result, Bristol students living in PBSA are likely to experience fewer immediate changes than those in private student houses.

Other changes include new protections against discrimination, meaning landlords will no longer be able to reject prospective tenants simply because they receive benefits or have children. Requests to keep pets must also be reasonably considered, though landlords may still require tenants to take out pet insurance.

Altogether, the Renters’ Rights Act delivers substantial new protections for student tenants. Students will gain stronger security against eviction, more control over when they leave a tenancy, restrictions on rent increases, an end to bidding wars, lower upfront costs, and improved safety standards. They will also have access to better complaints mechanisms through an Ombudsman and clearer rights when raising issues such as damp or disrepair.

At the same time, students may face new challenges as the market adapts. The predictability of year-long contracts in shared houses may change. Some smaller student properties may exit the student market if landlords find the new regime less favourable. Screening processes may become stricter, with greater emphasis on guarantors and references.

As a summary for students:

You gain: