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Housing Advice for Tenants

Update: The Renters Rights Act 2025 is now law. From December 2025, new protections against illegal eviction and harassment apply. If you are affected, contact our Housing Advice - Rushcliffe Borough Council or Housing advice from Shelter - Shelter England for urgent support.

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Renters Rights Act 2025

Renters’ Rights Act – Changes to Ending Tenancies

The Renters’ Rights Act has introduced new rules for private rented homes in England.

Landlords can no longer evict tenants without giving a valid reason. The previous Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction process has been abolished.

All new and existing tenancies will become periodic (rolling), giving tenants more stability and protection.

Key changes

  • Landlords must give notice using the correct legal form, stating the valid reason (known as a “ground for possession”).
  • Common reasons include serious rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or the landlord needing to sell or move in.
  • Once the notice period ends, if the tenant hasn’t moved out, the landlord must apply to the court for a possession order before eviction.
  • Notice periods vary depending on the reason – usually between two weeks and two months.
  • Tenants can challenge a notice or court claim if it is not valid or the process has not been followed correctly.

Illegal eviction and harassment

It is against the law for a landlord or anyone acting for them to:

  • Change the locks or deny access without a court order
  • Remove belongings or threaten, harass or pressure a tenant to leave
  • Try to evict a tenant without following the legal process

If this happens:

Rushcliffe Borough Council takes illegal eviction and harassment very seriously and will work with partners to protect tenants’ rights.

If you receive an eviction notice

If you are given notice to leave your home:

  • Don’t ignore it – seek advice straight away.
  • Check the notice is valid. Landlords must now follow strict legal processes under the Renters’ Rights Act.
  • Contact the Council’s Housing Options Team if you are worried about losing your home. We can give advice and help prevent homelessness.
  • Keep copies of all letters, emails and notices you receive.

Early advice can often prevent homelessness.

What this means for tenants and landlords

For tenants

  • You have stronger protection from unfair or ‘no-fault’ evictions.
  • You can challenge invalid notices and seek help early if you’re at risk of homelessness.

For landlords

  • You must have a valid legal reason before serving notice.
  • Always use the correct form and notice period and apply to court if possession is required.

For full guidance, visit Guide to the Renters’ Rights Bill - GOV.UK

 

Advice For Private Sector Tenants

Renting in the private sector can allow people a greater choice about where they live. It can also allow people to move when they want. The downside is that it can be insecure. We aim to offer advice and assistance to tenants that helps them remain in their rented home.

There are minimum standards that private landlords must meet, such as

  • the safety of the property
  • its state of repair
  • tenancy agreement; and
  • security of tenure (for example, a landlord cannot ask their tenant to leave without giving them the proper notice).

We have summarised the main issues below. You can also find lots more information about tenants' rights on Shelter's website.

Paying Your Rent

If you fall behind with rent payments, your landlord may begin proceedings for eviction. Paying your rent is important. Even though it is unlikely a landlord will be able to charge you interest on owed monies, you should think of it as a priority debt. If you build up rent arrears, this will also make it harder for you to find housing in the future. Landlords including Registered Providers will look at references from previous tenancies.

If you are eligible or believe you are eligible for Housing Benefit to help with rent payments then you should apply for Housing Benefit as soon as your tenancy commences. You should also ensure that the Council has all of the information to process your claim. It is your responsibility to do this.

If you are in rent arrears at the moment, you should also apply for Housing Benefit. You should request a backdate if you have a legitimate reason for not claiming earlier. You should also remain in touch with your landlord to try to resolve the issue. You could offer to pay off the arrears over time. For further advice and information, please contact us.

Deposit Issues

Landlords will expect you to pay at least one month’s rent in advance, and provide a security deposit. If you are threatened with homelessness within the next two months, and you are not able to afford the security deposit for a private rented property, we may be able to assist you through our Deposit Guarantee Scheme. This is subject to satisfactory references. Please contact us for more advice.

Your landlord must place your deposit in an approved "deposit protection scheme" and provide you with details of this. This means that your deposit is protected if there is a dispute about any damage within the property. We recommend that you complete an inventory when you move in. Many landlords will provide you with one, which you need to check for accuracy. It is advisable to take photographs at the beginning and the end of your tenancy. You can download an inventory form or you can find out more about deposit protection on the Government's website.

Bad Conditions and Unsafe Housing

If your private rented property is in a bad state of repair or you think it's unsafe, contact your landlord or your lettings agency to let them know what the problem is. Keep copies of your letters or email, and any replies from the landlord or the agency.

If your landlord does not reply to your concerns, or does not carry out the works that are needed, you can contact us for further advice and information, using the details at the right of this page.

You should not withhold rent until your landlord carries out repairs. You do not have an automatic right to do this. In some circumstances, it is possible to carry out repairs yourself and recover this from the rent. If you are carrying out the repairs, you must let your landlord know beforehand, and keep receipts for all work carried out. We recommend that you do not take this step until you have had independent advice on the rights given by your tenancy agreement, for example, from a Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

Harassment and Quiet Enjoyment

If your landlord is harassing you or making you feel uncomfortable in your home, you should seek help. When you rent a property, you are entitled to “quiet enjoyment” of it. If your landlord wants to visit and inspect the property, or carry out any repairs, they must normally give you at least 24 hours notice and, if this is not convenient, let you reschedule the visit for another time. There are some exceptions to this, such as for very urgent repairs which could cause injury or damage if the work is not done quickly.

You can find out more about your rights in this area on the Shelter website.

Adapting Your Home

If you have health problems or a disability, then we may be able to help you with property adaptations, including stairlifts, bathroom adaptations or hand rails etc. This help is available to tenants in private rented and social housing.

Housing Advice