Renters' Rights Act: what it says about student blocks

Our guides are researched and drafted with digital tools, then written and approved by Justin, Principal, from his own experience.

The Renters' Rights Act's main tenancy changes took effect on 1 May 2026, and its student-accommodation rules depend on who manages the building (GOV.UK, accessed 25 October 2026).

Picture a 2025/26 student let that ends in June. The block's tenants signed before May, on a fixed term. Next year's students sign in a different legal world. Same building, same manager and, if the manager belongs to a specified code, two sets of rules.

This post sets out what the Act says. It is a reading of the legislation, not legal advice. For finance, we arrange unregulated business and investment loans.

The 30-second version

• The main changes began on 1 May 2026. Existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies (GOV.UK).
• Section 21 "no fault" evictions are no longer available. Landlords need a ground for possession, claimed through section 8 (GOV.UK).
• Some student lettings sit outside assured tenancies. That depends on the course, the institution and the manager (Act, s.32).
• Landlords with a written tenancy record had to give tenants the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026 (GOV.UK).

What changed on 1 May 2026

GOV.UK's landlord overview, published on 1 May 2026, says the changes "came into effect on 1 May 2026".

• Existing assured shorthold tenancies become assured periodic tenancies. New tenancies are created as periodic. They run on a rolling basis and cannot have an end date.
• Section 21 "no fault" evictions are no longer available.
• Rent can be raised once a year, with at least two months' notice.
• Landlords with a written tenancy record must give tenants the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.

Source: GOV.UK, "Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords", accessed 25 October 2026.

What the Act says about student lettings

Section 32 of the Act amends paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 to the Housing Act 1988, headed "lettings to students". A tenancy can sit outside the assured tenancy rules where both of these apply:

1. It is granted to a person who is pursuing, or intends to pursue, a course of study provided by a specified educational institution.
2. Either the tenancy is granted by that institution, by another specified educational institution or by a specified body of persons, or a person appointed to act for the landlord in respect of the tenancy, or to manage the building, is a member of a specified housing management code of practice.

The Act leaves the lists of specified institutions, bodies and codes to regulations. The Student Accommodation (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/327), in force from 1 May 2026, specify the ANUK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Developments for student accommodation not managed and controlled by educational establishments, dated 27 February 2026, for this purpose. The paragraph is also subject to further regulations about classes of building, landlord and manager.

Whether a tenancy falls within the paragraph is decided when it is granted. Later changes matter only in the limited cases the paragraph sets out.

Section 32 was in force from 27 December 2025. The regulations that name a code took effect on 1 May 2026.

Source: Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 32; SI 2026/327, regulation 3(3) (inserting regulation 5A into the Assured and Protected Tenancies (Lettings to Students) Regulations 1998); legislation.gov.uk, accessed 28 October 2026.

Tenancies already running on 1 May 2026

For existing tenancies, Schedule 6 paragraph 13 modifies Ground 4A, the student possession ground. Where the landlord, a person appointed to act for the landlord, or the building manager is a member of a specified housing management code (a "qualifying student tenancy"), two further conditions of Ground 4A are left out. The code is specified by SI 2026/327, regulation 4. To rely on the ground, the landlord had to give the tenant a written statement within the month beginning 1 May 2026, saying it wished to recover possession and intended, on the next letting, to let to a tenant who meets the student test: a full-time student, or someone the landlord reasonably believes will become one.

GOV.UK says the new student possession ground does not apply to all student properties, such as purpose-built student accommodation.

Source: Renters' Rights Act 2025, Schedule 6 paragraph 13; SI 2026/327, regulation 4; legislation.gov.uk (first paragraph); GOV.UK overview for landlords (second paragraph); both accessed 28 October 2026.

Which tenancy is it? A decision table

Descriptive only. It states what the Act and GOV.UK say, not what applies to your scheme.

Before you take it to a funder

A short list, so the questions are asked early:

1. Which tenancies in the scheme began before 1 May 2026, and which after?
2. Who manages the building, and which housing management code, if any, are they a member of?
3. Is the course and institution test met for the tenants you expect?
4. Has a solicitor confirmed the answers in writing?
5. Is the Information Sheet position recorded for tenancies that existed at the commencement date?

Where finance comes in

We arrange development finance for student accommodation schemes. Indicative terms within about 24 hours - a lender's standard first view of the deal. Indicative terms are a guide, not an offer. Credit-backed terms are an offer from the lender, subject to its conditions. It is a confidential, no-obligation chat.

Discuss your scheme · 0330 223 7873

For the finance side, see PBSA development finance. Related reading: PBSA Q1 2026 Hits £2.1bn and PBSA lender appetite 2026.

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