From 1st May 2026, letting agents will face one of the biggest operational shifts the industry has seen in decades.
New rules around tenancy structures, possession, rent increases and compliance will fundamentally change how your agency works day to day. But the real challenge isn’t just understanding the legislation, it’s putting it into practice without increasing admin, risk, or pressure on your team.
At Dezrez, we’ve been preparing for this behind the scenes, so when the changes take effect, you’re not just compliant, you’re in control.
What’s changing (and how Dezrez keeps you ahead)
The Renters’ Rights Act introduces several major changes. Here’s what they mean for your agency and how Dezrez is already built to support you.
All tenancies moving to periodic agreements
From May 2026, fixed-term tenancies will be abolished, with all agreements becoming periodic, including existing portfolios.
What this means for agents:
You’ll need to manage tenancy lifecycles differently, with no renewals and greater complexity across existing and new agreements.
How Dezrez supports you:
- Reopen and convert tenancies to periodic agreements with ease
- Remove reliance on renewal workflows
- Maintain clear, portfolio-wide visibility at all times
Section 21 abolished
Landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without reason. All possession must be handled through Section 8, with clear justification and documentation.
What this means for agents:
Compliance becomes more critical than ever, with increased documentation requirements and greater scrutiny.
How Dezrez supports you:
- Built-in audit trails across communications and documents
- Structured workflows to ensure nothing is missed
- Confidence that every step is recorded and compliant
Stricter rent rules and controls
Rent increases will be limited, with new restrictions on frequency and transparency. Practices like rental bidding will be prohibited.
What this means for agents:
Manual processes increase the risk of errors, disputes, and non-compliance.
How Dezrez supports you:
- Dedicated rent review tracking within each tenancy
- Clear visibility of when increases were last applied
- System-led structure to reduce risk and ensure consistency
New compliance obligations
Agents will be required to provide government-issued information to tenants, issue updated tenancy terms and maintain full audit trails.
What this means for agents:
More admin, tighter deadlines, and higher stakes if something is missed.
How Dezrez supports you:
- Bulk communications to send required documents at scale
- Default document packs set up for compliance
- Full audit trail for every communication sent
Greater tenant rights and transparency
Changes around pets, discrimination, and tenant protections will require agents to be more structured and consistent in how decisions are handled.
What this means for agents:
More visibility, more accountability, and less room for error.
How Dezrez supports you:
- Structured pet request tracking (pending, accepted, rejected with reason)
- Removal of non-compliant marketing filters
- Safeguards that align your processes with legislation
The real challenge: Operational pressure
While the legislation itself is significant, the real impact will be felt in your day-to-day operations.
Without the right systems in place, agencies risk:
- Increased admin and manual workload
- Greater exposure to compliance issues and fines
- Confusion across teams adapting to new processes
- Pressure managing both existing and new tenancies during transition
And it’s not just regulatory bodies you need to consider, you also need to give your landlords complete confidence that their properties are being managed compliantly and professionally.
How Dezrez simplifies the transition
At Dezrez, our focus is simple:
Make compliance easy. Reduce admin. Help you work smarter.
We’re not just reacting to the Renters’ Rights Act, we’re embedding it directly into your workflows, so your team doesn’t have to second-guess every step.
Compliance built into your everyday processes
- Default notice periods aligned with legislation
- Agreement types automatically set based on property location
- Tenancy structures that reflect the new periodic model
Tools designed to reduce workload, not add to it
- Rent review tracking built directly into the tenancy
- Bulk communications for required documents and notices
- Automated audit trails for complete peace of mind
Smarter controls to prevent mistakes
- Built-in restrictions aligned with new rules
- Marketing safeguards to support compliance
- Clear workflows that guide your team through every step
Support that evolves with the legislation
As further elements of the Act come into force, such as the Private Rented Sector Database and Ombudsman, Dezrez will continue to adapt, ensuring you’re always one step ahead.
Our commitment to you
We understand that legislative change can create uncertainty.
That’s why we’re:
- Continuously reviewing the latest guidance
- Building functionality that reflects real agent workflows
- Focused on minimising disruption to your business
With Dezrez, compliance isn’t something you have to manage manually, it’s built into the way you work.
Are you ready for May 1st?
The Renters’ Rights Act will reshape the industry, but with the right systems in place, it doesn’t have to create complexity.
In fact, it’s an opportunity to:
- Streamline your processes
- Strengthen compliance across your portfolio
- Deliver a better experience for both landlords and tenants
If you’re already using Dezrez, you’re in safe hands.
If not, now is the time to ask: Is your current system ready for what’s coming?
Book a free, no-obligation demo today and see how Dezrez supports your agency through the Renters’ Rights Act and beyond.
