Naomi Nettleton writes in Estates Gazette about how the Renters' Rights Act is recalibrating the UK's rental property market

Regulatory changes introduced on 1 May through the Renters' Rights Act 2025 are expected to significantly reshape the private rented sector in England, enhancing tenant protections while imposing new obligations on landlords. 

These developments raise questions around the future availability, flexibility and affordability of rental housing, prompting many property owners/landlords to review their portfolios. Early indications suggest a market becoming more cautious and selective, with some signs of constraint already emerging.

In the lead-up to implementation, a degree of uncertainty around how the new provisions will operate in practice has led some landlords to prioritise certainty. This is reflected in an increase in Section 21 notices being served ahead of the new regime, accelerating vacancy timelines and temporarily removing properties from the rental market.

The broader impact on supply is expected to vary. Landlords with smaller portfolios, shorter investment horizons or additional external pressures may reconsider their position in the sector. By contrast, those with longer-term or generational holdings are more likely to adapt, treating the legislation as a further set of conditions to navigate rather than a trigger to exit.

Naomi Nettleton, Partner in our Private Property team, writes in Estates Gazette:

The common thread is a move towards structures that offer greater control and predictability. From an individual perspective, that is a rational response to a changing legal framework. From a market perspective, it introduces complexity.

The risk isn’t that the 2025 Act fails to improve standards; in many cases, it is likely to do so. The more nuanced question is how it affects supply. If landlords bring forward sales, reduce their exposure to the sector or shift properties into alternative occupancy arrangements, the pool of homes available under the mainstream private rented model may contract. At the same time, the experience of tenants may become less consistent.

Read the full article in Estates Gazette here.