Renters’ Rights Act Checklist for Dorset Landlords
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now in force and it is vital that Dorset Landlords are proactive to ensure compliance with the new regime.
Nantes are pleased to offer comprehensive guidance on the changes as part of our Renters’ Rights Hub. This article provides some post-implementation guidance for local landlords who wish to ensure compliance with the new regime.
Rent Increases After 1 May 2026
Rent review clauses are no longer valid (after 1st May 2026).
If you need to increase your tenant’s rent, you must use the process under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988.
Under this process you must:
- Increase rent once a year only,
- Provide 2 months written notice to your tenant
- Ensure notice is provided using the prescribed Form.
Nantes will be pleased to offer you legal advice in this regard to ensure you correctly follow the Section 13 procedure and avoid lengthy disputes.
Evicting Tenants Under the Renters’ Rights Act
Section 21 Evictions Have Ended
You can no longer evict a tenant under a Section 21 Eviction. This means landlords can no longer rely on a “no fault” eviction process to regain possession of a rented property. Instead, you must use the Section 8 Eviction process and ensure that the correct legal ground applies.
Section 8 Grounds for Possession
Landlords must now rely on the Section 8 process, where they need to regain possession of a rented property. This means the landlord must identify the correct grounds for possession and comply with the relevant notice requirements before applying to the court.
There are 8 mandatory grounds under Section 8. The 3 most common are:
- Sale of property
- The Landlord or a family member wishes to occupy
- Rent arrears of 3 months’ rent
For the grounds listed at points 1 and 2 above, you must provide your tenant with 4 months’ notice before you can apply to court for a possession order. For the ground listed at point 3 above, you must give 4 weeks’ notice before you can apply to court for a possession order.
There are 10 discretionary grounds under Section 8. The 4 most common are:
- Rent arrears or persistent rent arrears
- Anti-social behaviour
- Breach of tenancy other than rent arrears
- Disrepair
For the above grounds, the court does not have to order possession. There are also varying notice periods, usually between 2 to 4 weeks, before you can apply to the court for a possession order and is dependent on which discretionary ground is used.
NB: the above is an overview of the Section 8 Eviction grounds only; a comprehensive list is available at Gov.uk. If you need to evict a tenant, Nantes can provide detailed advice to reduce disputes and ensure compliance with complex requirements.
Tenant Requests To Keep Pets
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has introduced a formal right for tenants to request to keep a pet.
You cannot unreasonably deny this request to keep a pet, and if you do, you must provide the tenant with your reasoning in writing.
There are some cases where it is reasonable for a landlord to deny a request, for example, where keeping pets is prohibited by the superior lease. Whether the refusal is reasonable is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Nevertheless, if the tenant does not agree with your decision, they can challenge it in court.
Future Landlord Database & Ombudsman Requirements
The Landlord Database and Ombudsman Scheme was introduced as part of the new Renters’ Rights regime. This has not yet been implemented, but you must be aware of the implications.
Private Rented Sector Database
The Landlord Database intends to provide a centralised database of landlords, rented property addresses and safety information, including the EPC, gas and electric certificates. The Government expect this to be established in late 2026. For updated guidance, please see the Gov.uk website.
Landlord Ombudsman Scheme
The Ombudsman Scheme intends to provide landlords with guidance on handling tenant complaints and disputes. It is expected that this scheme will be introduced in 2028. For updated guidance, please see the Gov.uk website.
Need advice on the Renters’ Rights Act 2025?
If you require legal advice on the changes brought in by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, our solicitors have extensive experience advising landlords across Dorset. We can provide practical guidance on tenancy agreements, compliance, rent increases, possession proceedings and dispute resolution.
Contact us in Dorchester, Bridport, Weymouth or Portland, or call 01305 771 000. A member of the team will come back to you shortly.
