Landlords have warned that the timeline of the Renters’ Rights Act will lead to “inevitable failure” unless they are given more details and time to prepare.

Last night the government announced that the Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1 May 2026.

The law will abolish Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, introduce open-ended tenancies, limit rent increases to once per year and cap advance rent payments at one month.

However, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has said that landlords need more information and time to prepare.

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle said: “The announcement of a commencement date for these important reforms is welcome. However, a deadline alone is not enough.

“We have argued consistently that landlords and property businesses need at least six months from the publication of regulations to ensure the sector is properly prepared for the biggest changes it has faced for over 40 years.

“Unless the government urgently publishes all the guidance documents and written material needed to update tenancy agreements to reflect the changes to come, the plan will prove less a roadmap and more a path to inevitable failure.”

Beadle said that without this, landlords, tenants, agents, councils and the courts will be left without the information required to adapt, creating “utter confusion at the very moment clarity is most needed”.

Letting agent software firm Goodlord said the timescale would be tight, but not impossible.

Goodlord Group managing director Tom Goodman said: “Landlords or letting agents shouldn’t have been surprised or panicked by this announcement that the Renters’ Rights Act will come into force on 1 May. It was always likely that these sweeping reforms would be implemented within six months of the Act passing.

“And vast swathes of the industry have been working hard for months to update systems and processes so they are ready – I’ve been really impressed about how proactive many agents have been.

“But the response hasn’t been universal. For those who are yet to get their house in order, time is of the essence. There is no longer any ambiguity on timelines: the clock is ticking and there is less than six months to go to get Renters’ Rights ready.”

Propertymark, a professional body for letting agents, struck a more optimistic note on the timescale for enforcing the Act.

Propertymark head of policy and campaigns Timothy Douglas said: “Now that it has been confirmed that the tenancy reforms contained in the Renters’ Rights Act will commence from 1 May 2026, this will likely bring much relief to letting agents with their ongoing preparation for the switch over to periodic tenancies.

“We pressed the UK government for enough lead time, and now the date is set, letting agents must prepare accordingly, review internal processes, and work with landlords and tenants.”