Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act: Social Housing
Published 10 April 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 reforms deliver a simpler, more secure assured tenancy structure and strengthen tenants’ rights.
All new, and most existing, assured tenancies will become assured periodic (rolling) tenancies. Section 21 so-called ‘no-fault’ evictions will also be abolished alongside updates to the grounds for possession.
While the Act is being commenced for private landlords from 1 May 2026, it will only apply in relation to assured tenancies of social housing provided by PRPs from October 2027.
For the purposes of the Renters’ Rights Act, a “social housing assured tenancy” means an assured tenancy of social housing (within the meaning of Part 2 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008) where the landlord is a private registered provider of social housing. Most affected social housing will be low-cost rental accommodation as defined in section 69 (which includes being let at a rent below market rate).
This factsheet provides an overview of our implementation plans for social housing assured tenancies. It includes detail on the changes and what work is happening before the reforms come into force for social housing assured tenancies in October 2027.
1 May 2026 changes
From 1 May 2026, the changes will apply to:
- the private rented sector – i.e. tenancies that are not within the above definition of social housing assured tenancies such as market rent homes
- assured tenancies of social housing where the landlord is not a Private Registered Provider (PRP)
Where PRPs of social housing offer non-social housing assured tenancies, they will be impacted by the changes on 1 May 2026 and should refer to the government’s Renters’ Rights Act guidance.
If a landlord is a PRP and the tenancy is an assured tenancy of social housing, it will not be affected by the 1 May 2026 changes outlined in Our roadmap for reforming the Private Rented Sector – instead the new tenancy framework will apply from October 2027.
Until October 2027, for social housing assured tenancies, PRPs must continue to follow the existing rules that were in place prior to 1 May 2026.
This includes:
- using the Section 8 and Section 21 processes in place before 1 May 2026, where relevant and appropriate
- using the forms for assured and assured shorthold tenants in place before 1 May 2026
- where ending a tenancy is necessary, following the grounds for possession, notice periods and procedures in place before 1 May 2026
The forms, for landlords and/or tenants to propose action relating to social housing assured tenancies, are available on GOV.UK.
PRPs should continue to refer to the pre-1 May 2026 guidance in relation to social housing assured tenancies.
From 27 December 2025, leases with a fixed term of more than 21 years are excluded from the assured tenancy system. This means that Shared Ownership leases are no longer part of the assured regime, and therefore the reforms to the assured tenancy regime in the Renters’ Rights Act will not directly apply to Shared Ownership accommodation. The Act does, however, have a bearing on those cases where shared owners have permission to sublet their properties. Further information will be shared shortly.
If PRPs are unsure about whether their homes are social housing meeting the definition of a “social housing assured tenancy” then they should consider seeking legal advice.
October 2027 changes
From October 2027, the Renters’ Rights Act will apply to social housing assured tenancies provided by PRPs.
The Act introduces a new tenancy system, including:
- assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) will become assured periodic (rolling) tenancies
- all new assured tenancies will be periodic from the start
- section 21 evictions will be abolished
- updated grounds for possession will apply
- PRPs will be required to provide tenants with certain information in writing at the outset of tenancies. The government will lay secondary legislation setting out what this must include (further detail on this below)
All existing social housing assured tenancies provided by PRPs will move to assured periodic from October 2027.
From October 2027, new section 13A of the Housing Act 1988 will apply to rent increases for social housing assured tenancies held with PRPs. This will allow landlords to use the section 13A process to increase rent at any point in the first 52 weeks of a tenancy, and then no more than once every 52 weeks after that, provided they give at least one month’s notice. Unlike for PRS landlords, PRPs will continue to be able to use rent review clauses to increase rent, as they do now, and where a rent review clause is used there will be no requirement to serve a section 13A notice.
Annual limits on rent increases will continue to be set under the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard, not through the Renters’ Rights Act.
Accommodation affected by changes from October 2027
All categories of social housing provided by PRPs on an assured tenancy will be affected from October 2027 including:
- social rent homes
- affordable rent homes
- intermediate rent homes
- specialised supported housing
- temporary accommodation
- all other low cost rental accommodation to which the Rent Standard does not apply (see Chapter 5 of the Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing) apart from shared ownership
- rent to buy products
Local Authority Registered Providers offering secure and flexible tenancies are not impacted by the Renters’ Rights Act tenancy reforms. Licences are also outside the scope of the Act.
Preparing for implementation
Tenure Direction consultation
To support the October 2027 changes, the government has published a consultation on a new Tenure Direction to the Regulator of Social Housing.
The Direction sets out what the Regulator must take into account when setting its standards, with a view to achieving, as far as possible, the requirements in the Direction. Registered Providers must then comply with the standards the Regulator sets and deliver the outcomes they contain.
The current Tenure Direction needs updating to reflect the Renters’ Rights Act changes to the tenancy framework. The Tenure Direction will ensure the regulatory framework reflects the Renters’ Rights Act and support implementation.
The consultation will run for 8 weeks, from 2 April 2026 to 28 May 2026. Subject to the outcome of this consultation, we intend to issue the new Tenure Direction to the Regulator by October 2026. The Regulator will then consult on and publish any updates to the regulatory standards needed ahead of the October 2027 changes.
While the Renters’ Rights Act will apply to landlords using the assured tenancy framework, the regulatory standards, set by the Regulator of Social Housing, apply to all social housing landlords registered with the Regulator. This includes Local Authority registered providers.
Secondary legislation
Although the Renters’ Rights Act sets out the main reforms, for social housing assured tenancies we will also need to make secondary legislation to add further detail to some parts of the Act and to bring some of the Act’s measures into force. This will include regulations to set out the information that PRPs will need to provide in writing for their social housing assured tenancies.
The government will make these regulations ahead of the October 2027 implementation date for social housing assured tenancies.
Tenancy agreements
PRPs will need to provide certain information about the tenancy to their tenants in writing, most likely through a written tenancy agreement. The detail of what information PRPs must provide will be set out in secondary legislation.
If an existing social housing assured tenancy already has a written record of the tenancy’s terms, then PRPs will not need to change it or issue a new one. Instead, PRPs with existing social housing assured tenancies will need to provide tenants with a copy of the government published ‘Information Sheet’ before the October 2027 go-live date. This document will inform tenants about the changes made by the Act. The government will publish the Information Sheet for PRPs providing social housing assured tenancies before October 2027.
Information and guidance
Ahead of October 2027, the government will publish updated guidance and information for social housing landlords and tenants to help them understand how the new laws will work.
The guidance will help assured tenants of social housing to understand what has changed for them. It will also set out what the new rules mean for PRPs and explain what they need to do to comply with the legislation once the measures are in force from October 2027.