Newham Council is set to implement the Renters' Rights Act 2025, introducing significant new protections and responsibilities for tenants and landlords in the borough. The decision, made by Interim Chief Executive Paul Martin on April 29, 2026, approves a revised Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy and outlines a comprehensive implementation plan for the new legislation, which comes into effect on May 1, 2026.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 aims to create a fairer private rented sector by abolishing Section 21 'no-fault' evictions. Beyond this, the Act introduces several key differences from previous legislation, including the conversion of tenancies from assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) to periodic assured tenancies (APTs) with no fixed end date. Rent increases will be limited to once per year, with tenants able to challenge unfair rises. Landlords will be prohibited from inviting or accepting offers above the advertised rent, and from requesting more than one month's rent in advance. Furthermore, discrimination against prospective tenants based on receiving benefits or having children will be prohibited, and tenants will be able to request permission to keep a pet, which landlords must consider reasonably. Possession can now only be sought by proving tenant wrongdoing or relying on specific statutory grounds under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
To manage the implementation, Newham Council has established a Renters' Rights Act Project Board, led by the Director of Housing Needs. The revised Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy, effective from May 1, 2026, incorporates government guidelines and RRA25 requirements. This policy includes a discretionary 10% uplift on civil penalty starting points to reflect Newham's higher-than-average rents, which are approximately 34% above the national average. This uplift is applied to ensure civil penalties act as a deterrent and will be reviewed annually to ensure it does not exceed the average rent increase for Newham.
Delegated authority has been granted to senior officers to make necessary amendments to policies and the Council's Constitution to empower officers with the new RRA25 powers and duties. Specifically, the Director of Housing Needs and Director of Legal Services are authorized to approve amendments to the Council's Constitution and Scheme of Delegation to empower officers to use the new powers and duties in the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and associated legislation.
The implementation is funded by new burdens funding from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This includes £168,000 for preparation costs, £600,000 for 2026/27 and £300,000 for 2027/28 to manage the impact on homelessness services, and approximately £364,000 for 2026/27 for additional enforcement.
The legislation is expected to have a strong positive equality impact, particularly for vulnerable groups disproportionately affected by poor-quality private rented housing, including disabled residents, Black and Global Majority communities, pregnant tenants, and low-income households. Mitigating actions include multilingual guidance for landlords and tenants, proportionate enforcement (including lower penalties for single-property landlords), and officer training in new legislation, enforcement powers, cultural competence, equality, disability awareness, and inclusive communication. Targeted engagement for vulnerable groups will be conducted through landlord forums, tenant groups, voluntary and community organisations, faith partners, and libraries. Vulnerable tenants, including children, disabled residents, and pregnant people, will be prioritised, with referral pathways to support services established for at-risk groups.
Mechanisms to inform landlords about the new civil and criminal offences and increased penalties include the Council's website, eBulletins, and landlord forums. The Council will provide advice, guidance, and signposting. While landlords are responsible for informing themselves of their responsibilities, and failure to do so is not a defence, regular communication will be maintained. The revised Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy outlines how Newham Council will regulate the private rented sector and details the civil and criminal offences and increased maximum civil penalties.
The Renters' Rights Act Project Board will meet monthly to monitor progress, financial expenditure, and agree future actions. The implementation plan also includes workstreams covering data collection methods and reporting requirements to central government, with a duty to report quarterly on the exercise of its functions under the landlord legislation.
Further details on the decision can be found in the Public reports pack 29th-Apr-2026 Officer Key Decision and Public minutes 29th-Apr-2026 Officer Key Decision.