The Renters' Rights Act and supported accommodation
What changed for supported housing on 1 May 2026: which agreements are covered, possession grounds 5E and 5F, licences and timings for registered providers.
Quick answer
Since 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has turned private assured shorthold tenancies into periodic assured tenancies and removed section 21. That includes supported housing let on assured tenancies by landlords that are not registered providers. Licences are not covered. New grounds 5E and 5F let certain supported housing landlords seek possession on four weeks' notice.
The short version
- Section 21 has gone for private assured tenancies. Landlords now need a ground for possession.
- Licences, such as many hostel and shared room agreements, are outside the reforms whether or not the provider is registered.
- Ground 5E covers a property usually let as supported accommodation where the tenant did not take it to receive care, support or supervision.
- Ground 5F covers supported accommodation that can no longer be provided, for example because support or funding has ended.
- Some changes for registered providers' social housing tenancies, including grounds 5G and 5H, start later, in 2027.
In this guide
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to private renting in England since 1988. Most commentary is written for private landlords and letting agents. Supported housing providers sit in an awkward middle, and the details decide which rules apply to you.
What changed on 1 May 2026
For private assured tenancies:
- Assured shorthold tenancies became periodic assured tenancies. Fixed terms ended.
- Section 21 no-fault possession was abolished. Landlords now need a ground.
- Rent increases follow a section 13 notice, no more than once a year.
- Tenants can end the tenancy with two months' notice.
These changes apply to supported housing where the occupier has an assured tenancy and the landlord is not a private registered provider of social housing. That covers many charities, community interest companies and private landlords letting to supported housing residents directly.
Who is not covered
Licences are outside the reforms, whether or not the provider is registered. Hostels, night shelters and some shared supported houses use licences because residents do not have exclusive possession of their space. A licence only works if the facts support it, so check the agreement against how the accommodation is really used.
Social housing assured tenancies granted by private registered providers already worked differently, and some of the new rules for them start later. Two of the new grounds, 5G and 5H, cannot be used by social landlords and registered providers until 2027.
The supported accommodation grounds
The Act adds new grounds for possession aimed at supported and temporary housing.
| Ground | When it applies | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| 5E | The property is usually let as supported accommodation and will be again, and the current tenant did not take it to receive care, support or supervision | Four weeks |
| 5F | Supported accommodation can no longer be provided there, for example because support has ended, funding has been withdrawn or the property no longer suits the tenant's needs | Four weeks |
| 5G | The property is temporary accommodation provided under a homelessness duty and the council says it is no longer needed | Set out in the Act. Registered providers cannot use it until 2027. |
| 5H | Stepping-stone accommodation let at a lower rent with eligibility criteria the tenant no longer meets | Set out in the Act. Registered providers cannot use it until 2027. |
What to do now
- List every occupancy agreement and record whether it is a tenancy or a licence, with your reasons.
- For each tenancy, check whether your organisation and the property meet the definition of supported accommodation for grounds 5E and 5F.
- Update agreement templates and notice templates, removing references to section 21 and fixed terms.
- Train staff so that nobody serves an invalid notice in a crisis.
- Review your rent increase process so it follows the section 13 route.
- Check how the changes interact with your exempt accommodation Housing Benefit claims, especially where support ends and the tenant stays.
Other parts of the Act to watch
Several parts of the Act come in later, with dates set by regulations. They include a private rented sector database, a new ombudsman for private landlords and the extension of the Decent Homes Standard to private renting. The Act also bans discrimination against tenants who receive benefits or have children, which matters for move-on into private renting.
Your next step
Sort every occupancy agreement you hold into tenancy or licence, then check which possession grounds you can rely on for each.
Questions people ask
Does the Renters' Rights Act apply to supported housing?
It applies to supported housing let on assured tenancies by private landlords and other landlords that are not private registered providers, from 1 May 2026. It does not apply to licences. Registered providers' social housing tenancies have different timings.
Can I still use section 21 to end a supported housing tenancy?
Not for private assured tenancies since 1 May 2026. Landlords need to use one of the grounds for possession in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988, as amended, including the new supported accommodation grounds where they apply.
Who can use the supported accommodation possession grounds?
The grounds are limited to particular kinds of landlord and to accommodation that meets the Act's definition of supported accommodation. Commentary from law firms notes that a private landlord providing care does not qualify, and neither does a housing association letting to tenants who do not receive care, support or supervision.
What notice is needed for grounds 5E and 5F?
Four weeks, according to published guidance from letting and legal advisers. Check the current statutory wording before serving notice.
Sources
Primary legislation and official guidance come first. Where we rely on commentary, we say so.
- 1Renters' Rights Act 2025 legislation.gov.uk
- 2Renters' Rights Act 2025, Schedule 1 legislation.gov.uk
- 3Spotlight: The Renters' Rights Act 2025 Homeless Link
- 4Renters' Rights Act: implications for supported accommodation providers Housing Justice, May 2026
- 5Supported accommodation under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 HCR Law (commentary)
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