The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – Information for HomeGround customers who sublet their properties

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – Information for HomeGround customers who sublet their properties

If you sublet your property, there are some important changes you should be aware of that are about to come into force from 1st May 2026 from the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. These include:

  • End of Fixed-Term Assured Shorthold Tenancies – any existing Assured Shorthold Tenancy (“AST”) Agreements will automatically convert to assured periodic tenancies) with no set end date, and you can no longer create new ASTs
  • An obligation to give an Information Sheet to your sub-tenants – the Government has published a document which you must give to your sub-tenants by 31st May 2026, or risk a fine. The Information Sheet can be downloaded at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026
  • Right to request a pet – sub-tenants have a legal right to request a pet, and you cannot unreasonably refuse that request. Importantly however this does not affect any restrictions about keeping pets set out in your lease.

These are just a couple of the changes which might affect you, but for full information please visit  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act where you will be able to download the Guide to the Renters’ Right Act in full as published on 6 November 2025.

We strongly advise our customers who are subletting or are thinking of subletting to check all your responsibilities under the new Act, as well as your responsibilities in your lease, and take independent advice if you are in any doubt.  The information in this article is not legal advice.

What does this mean for customers who are already renting out their property

If you have already let your property on an AST, as from 1st May 2026 this will automatically become an assured periodic tenancy. You do not need to enter into a new tenancy agreement with your existing sub-tenant, but any fixed end date in your original tenancy agreement will no longer apply, and  the agreement will be deemed to be subject to the terms of the new Act. You may not need to take any immediate action, but we may write out from time to time to check the records we hold for who is living at the property are correct. If required by your lease you will still need to obtain consent/and or register any subletting to new sub-tenants, and any new tenancy agreement you enter into.

You should also make sure you have given the new Information Sheet (see above) to your current sub-tenants by 31st May 2026.

Renting your property for the first time, or entering into a new tenancy agreement

As the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed term contracts, this may mean you need to obtain consent/and or register your tenancy agreement where you might not have had to in the past. An example of this is if there is a clause in your lease that allows sub-letting without consent if on an AST, or for a period of 12 months or less. As new assured tenancy agreements can no longer have a fixed end date you will need to obtain consent and/or register your tenancy agreement with HomeGround. Doing this via our secure customer online portal is easy and convenient and you can upload supporting documents, provide the sub-tenant’s details and pay the relevant fee.  

Pet consents and sub-tenancies

From 1st May 2026 a sub-tenant in England has a legal right to request to keep a pet, which their landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. However, if your property is leasehold, you remain responsible for complying with the terms of your lease. If your lease does not allow animals to be kept in the property, you would not be able to give a sub-tenant permission to keep a pet.