Renters’ Rights Act comes into force in Doncaster
Renters’ Right Act came into force on May 1
Those that own and rent out property in Doncaster within the private rental sector, under an assured or assured shorthold tenancy, may need to take action as part of new regulations under the Renters’ Right Act, which came into force on May 1.
The new act, which looks to tighten up protections for tenants in the rental market, will bring in new rules for house rentals, including banning no-fault evictions and limiting rent increases to once per year.
As part of the new law, anyone that rents out homes in Doncaster will need to make sure they stay complaint in order to avoid a penalty – this could include fines between £7,000 and £40,000 for serious and repeated offences.
Deputy Mayor & Portfolio Holder for Environment, Housing and Safer Communities, Councillor Glyn Jones, said: “These new regulations will impact anyone in Doncaster that rents out a property, even if that property is rented out to family or via a verbal agreement. It is vitally important that those that rent out properties make sure they remain compliant with the new regulations, as failing to do so could result in a heavy fine.
“Getting up-to-speed could be as simple as making a few simple adjustments to your normal checklist, but in some cases, it could also mean taking greater action. We have a landlord liaison service here at the council and if you are at all unsure what steps to make, or if you are worried you might not be in-line with the new regulations, get in touch and our team will help make sure you remain on track.”
As part of the initial stages of the new legislation, our landlord service recommends three urgent steps for all landlords to take. These include:
- Providing a statutory government‑published tenant information sheet to all named tenants. This includes tenancies created before 1 May 2026 and those that are set to continue beyond that date. The deadline for providing the Information Sheet is 31 May 2026. The official Tenant Information Sheet can be downloaded here.
- For oral or unwritten tenancies created before the Act came into force, providing a written statement of terms by 31 May 2026. The Government has published details of what must be included on written statement of terms to give all landlords sufficient time to prepare their tenancy agreement template, the link is available here.
- Reviewing advertising and letting practices to remove any wording or criteria that could be discriminatory, particularly against families with children or tenants in receipt of benefits.
By taking these immediate steps, anyone renting out property in Doncaster will make sure they meet the first deadlines as part of the new law.
The council also have a landlord liaison service which can be contacted for any help and advice when it comes to the new legislation. The details of which can be found on the new webpage which has been set up to provide hints and tips to understand the new legislation – visit https://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/housing/renters-rights-act-2025-what-it-means-for-landlords-and-tenants