Three weeks into the Renters' Rights Act: what we're seeing in Huntingdonshire.

The paperwork actually looks different.

Every new tenancy we've drafted since 1 May has been open-ended periodic from day one. The fixed-term blocks that used to anchor an Assured Shorthold Tenancy aren't there anymore. In practical terms, that means the inventory and check-in pack are the same, the deposit paperwork is the same, and the tenancy document itself is shorter, because there's no fixed-term to negotiate.

The Decent Homes audit at check-in is the genuine addition. Most managed properties already pass; the cases where it's changed something are mostly older lets where a heating upgrade or a damp fix has been on the back burner.

What landlords are asking us.

Two questions, repeatedly: how do I end a tenancy now, and when can I review the rent. On the first, the honest answer is that the new Section 8 grounds cover most situations landlords need them to (sale of the property, family moving in, serious arrears), but they carry notice periods and evidence requirements that Section 21 didn't. On the second, rent reviews now run through the statutory Section 13 route; you serve at least two months' notice of any increase, and the tenant has a tribunal route if they think it's above market.

How rent reviews now work.

We're building Section 13 review dates into the managed diary for every property. For most patch lets, the right cadence is annual, and the right reference is open-market evidence from comparable lets in the same village. The tribunal route exists, but it's rarely needed when the proposed rent is genuinely supported by recent comparables; we keep the working written down so it's easy to show.

Ombudsman and database, in practice.

Registration on both is mandatory for every landlord whether you self-manage or use an agent. For managed clients we handle the registration; for self-managing landlords in the patch, the practical advice is to register now rather than wait for an enforcement letter. Civil penalties for non-registration are enforceable by the local authority.

Where we'd land in May 2026.

For most patch landlords, the Act has tidied up rather than upended things. If you were running tenancies professionally, the paperwork is shorter, the rent-review route is more formal, and the Ombudsman / database registration is a modest one-off. If you were self-managing more loosely, the Decent Homes audit and the new possession grounds are the two pieces worth getting properly comfortable with.