What software do letting agents need for the Renters' Rights Act?
Since the Renters' Rights Act applied in England from 1 May 2026, letting agents need software that runs every tenancy as a periodic tenancy and checks the Act's dates and rules before anyone acts: tenant notice, section 13 rent increases, section 8 possession grounds, pet requests, the rental bidding ban, advert wording and Register your rental property. The safest setup is one system for the whole tenancy, so a rule is checked once rather than remembered in several places.
Last reviewed: 21 October 2026
- Every tenancy in England has been periodic since 1 May 2026, with no fixed terms or section 21.
- Fines run up to £7,000 for a minor breach and up to £40,000 for a serious or repeated one.
- Rent increase and possession dates should be worked out by the system, not by hand.
- Register your rental property rolls out region by region from 15 December 2026, West Midlands first.
- One system for the whole tenancy stops the same details being keyed in several times.
Why does the Act change what agency software has to do?
Most lettings software was built around fixed terms, renewals and section 21. The Renters' Rights Act removed all three in England from 1 May 2026, and added rules with dates attached: how much notice a tenant gives, when rent can go up, which possession grounds can be used and when, and how quickly a landlord must answer a pet request. Local councils can fine up to £7,000 for a minor breach and up to £40,000 for a serious or repeated one.
The workload has grown with it. A survey of letting agents by Propoly, reported by Property118 in September 2026, found that 73% said their workload had risen since the Act, only 17% use one main system and 61% re-key information between systems during a single tenancy. Every extra system is another place for a date to be missed.
What should the software check?
At a minimum, look for software that handles each of these on the tenancy itself:
- Periodic tenancies and notice: no end dates or renewals, a tenant's notice of at least two months ending on a rent day, and a list of every let with notice
- Documents given: the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet for tenancies that started before 1 May 2026, or the written statement of terms for later ones
- Section 13 rent increases: the earliest start date worked out and a date that breaks a rule refused
- Section 8 possession notices: each ground with its notice period, grounds that cannot be used yet refused, and the earliest date to apply to court
- Pet requests: the 28 day reply deadline on show, with a reason required for a refusal
- Rental bidding and adverts: an asking rent on every letting, no offers above it accepted, and wording such as No DSS refused before a listing goes out
- Register your rental property: registration numbers for landlords and properties, with the deadline for each region tracked like a gas certificate
What does that look like in practice?
Our live lettings demo at lettings-demo.varsuite.co.uk shows each of these running in a sample agency of 150 properties. A Renters' Rights Act panel on the director's dashboard counts information sheets outstanding, pet requests due a reply, rent increases that could be served now, possession notices in progress and properties not yet registered, and each number opens the list behind it.
The same records drive the tenant and landlord portals, so a tenant's pet request or notice reaches the agency and the landlord without being re-typed. The full list of features is on our letting agent software page.
Is software enough on its own?
No. Software makes the rules consistent and the deadlines visible, but it does not replace judgement or legal advice. The demo prints summaries for your file and links to the official GOV.UK forms, such as Form 4A for a rent increase and Form 3A for a possession notice, which are always what gets served. Check anything unusual with a solicitor or a lettings body. For the detail on rent increases and possession, read how to track section 13 and section 8 notices.
When did the Renters' Rights Act apply from?
It applied in England from 1 May 2026. From that date every assured tenancy is periodic and section 21 notices can no longer be used.
What are the fines under the Renters' Rights Act?
Local councils can fine up to £7,000 for a minor breach and up to £40,000 for a serious or repeated one.
When does Register your rental property start?
It rolls out region by region from 15 December 2026, starting with the West Midlands. Each region has its own date from which registration is required and its own deadline.
Can I see software that already does this?
Yes. Our live lettings demo gives you a private copy of a sample agency with the Renters' Rights Act built in, to try as the director, a negotiator, a property manager, accounts, a landlord or a tenant.
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