The biggest shake-up to renting in a generation has arrived
If you own rental property anywhere across the Walsall borough, whether that’s a terrace in Bloxwich, a flat near Walsall town centre, or a semi in Aldridge, the landscape changed significantly on 1 May 2026.
Phase 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now live. It is not a proposal, a consultation, or something on the horizon. It is law, and Walsall Council has already published its own dedicated enforcement guidance making clear that local landlords are expected to comply without delay.
At Belvoir Walsall, we have been helping landlords across the borough navigate regulatory change for years. This blog cuts through the noise and gives you a clear, practical checklist of exactly what you need to do, and what to watch out for, right now.
Why Walsall landlords need to pay close attention
Walsall’s private rented sector has been performing strongly. Rents across the borough have grown by 8.7% over the past year, nearly double the West Midlands average, and postcodes like WS2 are delivering gross yields of around 6.2%, making the area genuinely attractive to landlords of all portfolio sizes.
That strong performance makes compliance even more important. With higher rents come higher tenant expectations, more scrutiny from Walsall Council, and a greater financial risk if you fall foul of the new rules.
Fines under the Renters’ Rights Act can reach £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches. That is not a figure any landlord, whether you own one property or twenty, can afford to ignore.
What changed on 1 May 2026: the Phase 1 essentials
Section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished
The most widely discussed change is also the most significant. Section 21, the mechanism that allowed landlords to end a tenancy without giving a reason, no longer exists.
From 1 May 2026, all evictions must be pursued through Section 8, using one of the updated and expanded grounds set out in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 as amended. These include mandatory grounds (such as serious rent arrears or the landlord wishing to sell) and discretionary grounds where the court weighs up the circumstances.
If you have not already reviewed your grounds for possession and updated your internal processes accordingly, this is your most urgent action point.
All ASTs are now rolling periodic tenancies
Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are gone. Every tenancy, including those already in place before 1 May 2026, has automatically converted to a periodic rolling tenancy, typically rolling month to month.
This means tenants can give notice and leave at the end of any rental period. Landlords, in turn, can only end a tenancy using the Section 8 grounds described above.
For landlords managing student lets near Walsall College or short-cycle professional lets closer to the town centre, this requires a rethink of how you plan void periods and re-letting cycles.
Rent increases: once a year, two months’ notice
You can still increase rent, but the process is now strictly governed. Landlords may only raise rent once every twelve months, and must serve at least two months’ written notice using the Section 13 procedure.
Informal agreements to increase rent, even if a tenant agrees verbally, are not compliant. The notice must be in writing, must use the correct form, and must give the tenant the full notice period before the increase takes effect.
Tenants also have the right to challenge any increase they consider above market rate at the First-tier Tribunal.
The ban on rent bidding
Landlords and letting agents are now prohibited from inviting, encouraging, or accepting offers above the advertised asking rent. In a market like Walsall’s WS1 and WS2 corridors, where demand has been outpacing supply, this is a material change.
Your advertised rent must be the rent you intend to accept. No exceptions.
Pet requests: you have 28 days to respond
Tenants now have a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet. Landlords must respond in writing within 28 days. Refusal must be reasonable and justified, and blanket no-pet policies are no longer enforceable.
You can require tenants to take out pet damage insurance as a condition of approval, which offers some protection for your property.
Written contracts and prescribed information sheets
All tenancies must be supported by a written tenancy agreement. For existing tenancies that were in place before 1 May 2026, the deadline for providing compliant documentation, including the new Prescribed Information Sheet, was 31 May 2026.
If you have not yet issued updated paperwork to existing tenants, this is a compliance gap that needs to be addressed immediately. Belvoir Walsall can assist with reviewing and updating your tenancy documentation to ensure it meets the current requirements.
What is coming next: Phases 2 and 3
Phase 2: PRS Database and Ombudsman Scheme (late 2026 / early 2027)
A new national Private Rented Sector Database will require all landlords to register their properties. Alongside this, membership of a government-approved Ombudsman Scheme will become mandatory, giving tenants access to formal dispute resolution without going to court.
Now is the time to start gathering your property information and ensuring your records are in order, ahead of the registration window opening.
Phase 3: Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law
Phase 3 will extend the Decent Homes Standard, currently applicable to social housing, to the private rented sector. Awaab’s Law, which mandates strict timeframes for addressing damp and mould, will also apply to private landlords.
For older housing stock in parts of Walsall such as Palfrey, Blakenall Heath, and Birchills, this may require proactive investment in property condition ahead of the Phase 3 implementation date.
A practical compliance checklist for Walsall landlords
Work through the following steps to ensure you are on the right side of the law:
- Review your eviction processes and remove any reliance on Section 21 from your procedures.
- Confirm that all tenancies have been formally converted to periodic rolling agreements and that your records reflect this.
- Update your rent review procedures to ensure increases are served via Section 13 with two months’ written notice, no more than once per year.
- Remove any rent bidding language from your listings or agent instructions.
- Implement a written pet request process with a 28-day response window and consider pet insurance requirements.
- Issue updated written tenancy agreements and Prescribed Information Sheets to all existing tenants if you have not already done so.
- Begin preparing property records for Phase 2 PRS Database registration.
- Assess your properties against the forthcoming Decent Homes Standard, particularly if you own older stock in central Walsall postcodes.
How Belvoir Walsall can help
Navigating regulatory change of this scale is genuinely complex, and the stakes, fines of up to £40,000, possession proceedings, and reputational damage, are high. Whether you are an accidental landlord with a single property in WS3 or a portfolio investor with holdings across the borough, getting compliance right matters.
Belvoir Walsall offers fully managed lettings services that keep your properties compliant with current legislation as standard, including tenancy documentation, rent review procedures, and maintenance management aligned with the new standards.
Our team is based locally and understands the Walsall market, from the high-yield WS2 corridor to the family rental demand around Streetly and Great Barr, and we are here to give you practical, honest guidance rather than generic national advice.
Take action today
The Renters’ Rights Act is not a future concern. Phase 1 is already in force, enforcement is active, and Walsall Council has the powers and the guidance in place to act on complaints.
If you are unsure whether your tenancies, documentation, or processes are fully compliant, do not wait. Speak to the team at Belvoir Walsall today and get a clear picture of where you stand.
Book a free lettings consultation or landlord review with Belvoir Walsall. Contact our branch directly to arrange a convenient time.
Thinking about what your rental property is worth in today’s market? Book a rental valuation with Belvoir Walsall and find out what you could be achieving in WS1, WS2, WS3 and beyond.
