Renters' Rights Act: marketing for letting agents

Since 1 May 2026, rental adverts in England must state a specific rent, bidding is banned and rent in advance is capped. Here is what agents must change and how to pitch to landlords now.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and its main private rented sector changes took effect in England on 1 May 2026. For letting agents, three rules now shape every rental advert: the rent must be a specific amount stated in writing, you cannot invite or accept offers above it, and you cannot take more than one month's rent in advance. Fixed terms and section 21 have also gone, which changes what landlords need to hear from you. This guide sets out what is in force as of September 2026, what is still to come, and how to change your adverts and your landlord marketing. It is marketing guidance, not legal advice, and your compliance lead or solicitor has the final say.

What is in force and what is still to come

The Act is arriving in phases. The dates below come from the legislation itself and the government's implementation roadmap (GOV.UK, last updated 30 July 2026), checked in September 2026. This guide covers England. The ASA's May 2026 note for advertisers says the Act applies in England only and that other parts of the UK have different rules.

Already in force

27 December 2025: new investigatory powers for councils, including the ability to inspect properties and demand documents, came in under the Commencement No. 1 Regulations.
1 May 2026: the Commencement No. 2 Regulations brought in the tenancy reforms in Chapter 1 of Part 1, the discrimination rules in Chapter 3 and the rent advertising and bidding rules in Chapter 6.
In practice, 1 May 2026 meant: assured periodic tenancies replacing fixed terms, the end of section 21 evictions, a specific rent in written adverts, the rental bidding ban, a one-month cap on rent in advance, no discrimination against renters with children or on benefits, a duty to consider pet requests, and rent increases limited to once a year.
31 May 2026: the deadline for landlords with existing written tenancies to give tenants the government's Information Sheet, according to the roadmap.

Still to come

Private Rented Sector Database, from 15 December 2026. The government's announcement of 9 September 2026 says it launches in the West Midlands and rolls out to other areas over 12 months, with every landlord actively letting property registered by 14 November 2027.
Regional windows and the fee. The government's Housing Hub registration page gives each region a three-month window and an annual fee of £65 per property. Yorkshire and the Humber opens on 15 April 2027 with a deadline of 14 July 2027.
Registration numbers on adverts, no date yet. The same 9 September 2026 announcement says future legislation will require landlords to register unoccupied properties before marketing them, and that agents and landlords will need to put registration numbers on adverts.
Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman, expected 2028. The roadmap says it will follow the database, and that compulsory landlord membership is expected in 2028.
Decent Homes Standard, from 2035. The government's policy statement of 28 January 2026 says the new standard will apply to private rented homes from 2035, and that privately rented homes must reach EPC C or equivalent by 1 October 2030.
Awaab's Law for private rented homes, no date. The roadmap says the government will consult on the details, including timescales.
Rent increase challenges. The 9 September 2026 announcement says HMRC's Valuation Office will take over decisions on challenges to rent increases in England. As of September 2026, GOV.UK's landlord guidance on rent increases still gives the First-tier Tribunal as the route.

Every written advert must state the rent

Section 56 of the Act (legislation.gov.uk) says a "relevant person" must not advertise or offer a letting in writing unless the rent is a specific amount and the advert or offer states it. The Act defines a relevant person as the prospective landlord or anyone acting, or claiming to act, directly or indirectly on their behalf. That is the agent. It applies to lettings that could create an assured tenancy, with social housing and supported accommodation excluded.

GOV.UK's landlord guidance on rental bidding puts it plainly: the rent must be a specific amount and a price range is not allowed.

The Act says "in writing", and most agents market in far more places than the portal. I would treat every one of these as a written advert or offer:

portal listings, and the feed or CRM fields that fill them
property pages on your own website
social media posts, including "coming soon" teasers
emails and text messages to your applicant list
WhatsApp messages offering a viewing or a property
window cards and printed particulars

There is one exception. Section 56(5) says the rule does not apply to a sign at the property that merely advertises that it is to let. A plain To Let board does not need a rent on it. If the board says more than that, I would add the rent.

The rental bidding ban

Section 56(3) says a relevant person must not invite or encourage anyone to offer more than the stated rent, and must not accept such an offer. The GOV.UK rental bidding page gives an example of encouraging a higher offer: telling someone you have received other offers.

That reaches beyond the listing. It covers what negotiators say on the phone, at viewings and in follow-up messages.

Wording to remove from adverts and scripts

"Offers over £950 pcm" or "offers in excess of"
"From £900 pcm" or "£900 to £950 pcm"
"Rent on application" or "POA"
"Best and final offers by Friday"
"We have had several offers, so you will need to move quickly"
"Rent negotiable for the right applicant", where the negotiation runs upwards

The penalty

Under section 57, a council can impose a financial penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach of section 56, and a further penalty where the same person was fined for a breach of the same subsection within the previous five years. Because the duty sits with anyone acting for the landlord, the agent can be the one fined.

When several applicants want the same property

You cannot let price decide, so decide the process in advance. Agree the landlord's criteria before the advert goes live, apply them in the same order to every applicant, and keep a short written note of why the successful applicant was chosen. The criteria themselves need care, which is the next section.

Rent in advance, children, benefits and pets

Rent in advance

GOV.UK's guidance on rent in advance and deposits says you or your agent must not ask for, accept or encourage rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. Between signing and the start of the tenancy, you can usually ask for no more than one month's rent, or 28 days' rent. A holding deposit can still be up to one week's rent.

Take out lines such as "six months upfront considered" or "suits applicants who can pay in advance". Check your referencing process too, because rent in advance was a common fallback for applicants who did not pass.

Children and benefits

Sections 33 and 34 of the Act (legislation.gov.uk) say a relevant person must not prevent someone enquiring about, viewing or renting a home because a child would live with or visit them, or because they receive benefits. Nor can you apply a "provision, criterion or practice" that makes those people less likely to rent. There are narrow exceptions, including where the landlord's insurance policy requires the restriction, and for children where the restriction is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. Section 40 sets a maximum penalty of £7,000.

The Act also has a carve-out for someone who only publishes an advert and does nothing else in relation to the property. An agent marketing and letting the home does a great deal more than that.

The obvious lines to remove are "No DSS", "No benefits" and "No children". I would also ask your compliance adviser about softer phrasing such as "not suitable for families" or "working professionals only".

Pets

Landlords now have to consider a tenant's request to keep a pet. GOV.UK's pets guidance gives them 28 days to respond in writing and lists reasons that may justify a refusal, such as another tenant's allergy or a property too small for a large pet. It says general worries about damage are usually not a reasonable reason.

A blanket "no pets" line sits badly with that. The ASA's note puts the advertising point simply: "Advertisers should make sure ads don't imply anything that might breach the new rules." "Pets considered on request" is accurate and does the job.

What has changed in the landlord conversation

Landlords choosing an agent are now asking different questions. The facts behind those questions:

No fixed terms. GOV.UK's guidance for landlords and letting agents says you cannot create an assured tenancy with an end date. The government's Housing Hub says most new and existing private tenancies have become assured periodic tenancies.
Tenants can leave on two months' notice, according to the roadmap.
No section 21. Landlords must rely on the grounds for possession. GOV.UK's grounds for possession guidance says landlords cannot use the selling or moving-in grounds in the first 12 months of a new tenancy, and must give four months' notice when they do.
Rent reviews once a year. The GOV.UK rent increases page says landlords can raise rent once a year, not in the first year of the tenancy, using the section 13 process with at least two months' notice.
Registration. The Housing Hub says landlords are responsible for starting and ending their database registration, though they can agree that their letting agent provides certain information.

What that does to your pitch:

Tenant find on its own is a harder sell. A tenant can end the tenancy on two months' notice, so the landlord has no fixed end date to plan around. Tenant selection and ongoing management carry more of the value.
Renewal fees need a rethink. If your terms of business charge landlords for fixed-term renewals, new assured tenancies have no fixed term to renew. Review the fee page and the terms together.
Possession and arrears handling is part of the sale. Landlords want to know how you run a section 8 case, not how quickly you can serve a section 21 notice.
Rent reviews become a service. A yearly section 13 notice backed by local rent evidence is something you can describe and price.

How to reposition your marketing to landlords

Rewrite your landlord pages

Start with the pages landlords read before they call. Describe what you do under the new rules: how you handle pet requests inside 28 days, how you run annual rent reviews, how you manage arrears and possession, and what help you give with database registration. Put a "last reviewed" date on any page that explains the law, and link to GOV.UK rather than restating it at length. Remove copy that still talks about 12-month fixed terms or a section 21 notice service. There is more on how we work with letting agents if you want to see the pages we would expect a landlord-first site to have.

Use the database rollout as a contact calendar

The regional windows give you dated, useful reasons to contact landlords. A Yorkshire agent could email landlords in March 2027 ahead of the 15 April opening, then send a reminder in June before the 14 July deadline. Be clear that the landlord is responsible for the registration, even if you supply some of the information. Offer a checklist of what the Housing Hub says they will need, such as property details, tenancy status, the rent, and certificates like the gas safety record, electrical report and EPC.

Self-managing landlords are the audience that matters most here. Nobody is reminding them.

Answer landlord questions in search and ads

Landlords search for plain questions about the changes, usually with a town name attached. A well-built page answering "do I need to register my rental property" for your area can earn those visits over time through SEO. For quicker results, Google Ads on searches like "letting agents" or "property management" plus your town can send landlords to a landing page about how you handle the new rules. Do not promise outcomes you cannot control, such as rent levels or possession dates.

Social posts to landlords work best when they are dated and specific: the regional registration dates, what a section 13 notice needs, what the pet rules mean for a flat with a no-pets lease. Every rule in that section of your social calendar should link back to the GOV.UK source.

Audit every template before a council does

Most breaches will come from old defaults, not from anyone deciding to break the law. Go through these in order:

Price qualifier fields in your CRM and portal feed, such as "offers over" or "POA".
The property template on your website, so rent always shows as one figure.
Scheduled and template social media posts.
Email and text templates sent to applicants.
Negotiator scripts for calls, viewings and follow-ups.
Application and referencing forms, for anything that screens out people with children or on benefits, and for rent in advance options.
Pet wording on listings and in tenancy paperwork.
Landlord terms of business, for fixed-term renewals and section 21 references.
A field in your CRM for landlord and property registration numbers, ready for when that requirement starts.

If you want a second pair of eyes on your landlord pages and ads once the templates are fixed, you can ask for a free audit through the contact page.

Common questions

Can a letting agent still say a property is in high demand?

Be careful. GOV.UK gives "telling them you have received other offers" as an example of encouraging a higher bid. Keep demand messages about availability and viewing times, never about price or competing offers, and check the wording with your compliance lead.

Does a To Let board need to show the rent?

No, as long as it merely advertises that the property is to let. Section 56(5) of the Act exempts that kind of sign at the property. Every written advert and written offer still needs the rent.

Can a tenant offer more than the advertised rent?

A tenant can make the offer, but under section 56(3) the landlord or agent must not accept it, and must not invite or encourage it.

When will adverts need a landlord registration number?

There is no date yet. The government said on 9 September 2026 that future legislation, alongside the public side of the database, will require registration numbers on adverts. The database itself opens region by region from 15 December 2026.

Does the Renters' Rights Act apply in Wales and Scotland?

The ASA's guidance note says the Act applies in England only and that different requirements apply in other parts of the UK. Agents with branches outside England should check the rules for those nations separately.

Renters' Rights Act: a marketing guide for letting agents