The rules have changed. On 1 May 2026, Phase 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act came into force – and if you own a rental property in Hull or Beverley, the way you manage it has fundamentally shifted. Section 21 is gone. Tenancy structures are different. Maximum civil penalties for certain housing offences can now reach £40,000.
At the same time, the latest ONS figures show that average private rents in Kingston upon Hull reached £694 per month in August 2026, up 7.4% from £646 a year earlier.
This is the tension local landlords are dealing with right now: rents have risen, while the regulatory landscape has changed substantially.
The good news? If you understand what’s changed, and you have the right support behind you, you can put yourself in a stronger position to manage your property effectively. This guide cuts through the noise.
What the Renters’ Rights Act actually means for landlords
The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, and Phase 1 came into force on 1 May 2026. Here’s what has changed in plain English – no jargon, no spin.
Section 21 is abolished
The most significant change is the removal of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. Landlords can no longer use Section 21 to end an assured tenancy without relying on an applicable possession ground.
If you need to regain possession of your property, you now need to rely on an appropriate Section 8 ground – such as applicable rent arrears or anti-social behaviour grounds, or the reformed grounds allowing possession where the landlord genuinely intends to sell or move into the property.
The correct ground, notice requirements and evidence depend on the circumstances, making it important to follow the appropriate process.
Assured tenancies are now periodic
Most existing assured shorthold tenancies changed to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, while new assured tenancies generally operate on a periodic basis.
Rather than having a fixed end date, these tenancies continue according to their rental period – for example, monthly or weekly – until they are ended in accordance with the applicable rules.
For landlords across Hull and Beverley, this means tenancy documentation and management processes need to reflect the new framework.
Rent increases are generally limited to once per year
Under the new system, landlords can generally increase the rent once a year using the statutory Section 13 process.
Rent review clauses cannot be used to bypass the statutory process. Tenants can challenge a proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it exceeds the market rent.
For landlords across Hull and Beverley, this means rent reviews need to be planned and administered using the correct procedure.
Landlords must consider pet requests
Tenants now have a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet.
Landlords must consider these requests and cannot unreasonably refuse them. The government guidance sets out the process and timeframe landlords need to follow when responding.
This does not mean every pet request must automatically be accepted. It does mean landlords need to consider each request properly and provide a valid reason if they refuse it.
The PRS Database is coming
The Private Rented Sector Database was not part of the reforms that became mandatory on 1 May 2026.
The government’s new ‘Register your rental property’ service will launch on 15 December 2026 and roll out region by region. For Hull and Beverley landlords in Yorkshire and the Humber, the registration requirements will commence on 15 April 2027, with landlords given until 14 July 2027 to register their properties.
Registration will be mandatory for private landlords, with landlords expected to provide specified information about themselves and their properties and pay an annual fee.
Hull and Beverley landlords should therefore prepare for registration ahead of 15 April 2027 and ensure their properties are registered by the 14 July 2027 deadline.
The Landlord Ombudsman is also being introduced in a later phase
Mandatory membership of the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman did not begin on 1 May 2026.
The government is developing the scheme in stages and currently expects landlords to be required to become members in 2028, once the service is ready.
For now, landlords should be aware that the requirement is coming rather than treating it as an existing registration obligation.
What the fines look like if you get it wrong
The Renters’ Rights Act has strengthened enforcement across the private rented sector.
From 1 May 2026, maximum civil penalties for certain housing offences under existing housing legislation increased from £30,000 to £40,000.
The Act also strengthens local authority enforcement powers and expands the circumstances in which Rent Repayment Orders can apply. For applicable offences, the maximum Rent Repayment Order period has increased from 12 months to 24 months.
Not every breach automatically results in a £40,000 penalty. The offence, circumstances and applicable enforcement framework determine what action can be taken.
The message is clear: compliance matters, and landlords should understand the rules that apply to their individual properties.
What’s happening in the Hull rental market
The latest official rental figures provide useful context for Hull landlords.
According to ONS data published in September 2026, the average private rent in Kingston upon Hull reached £694 per month in August 2026.
That was up from £646 in August 2025, representing annual growth of 7.4%. By comparison, average rents across Yorkshire and The Humber increased by 4.9% over the same period.
Those figures show that average rents in Hull have risen faster than the regional average over the past year.
However, city-wide ONS figures do not establish the rental performance of an individual property or prove that demand is equally strong across every Hull postcode.
Areas including HU6, HU8 and HU9 contain varied rental markets, while Beverley has its own distinct market in the East Riding. Landlords should therefore assess achievable rent, property type, condition and local demand at individual-property level.
If you own property in these areas, the question is whether your management strategy is keeping pace with both the market and the changing regulatory framework.
The actions Hull and Beverley landlords should take right now
1. Check your existing tenancy documentation
If you had an existing written tenancy before 1 May 2026, you should have provided your tenants with the government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by the applicable deadline.
Where an existing tenancy had no written record of its terms, landlords also needed to provide the required written information.
For new tenancies beginning on or after 1 May 2026, landlords need to provide the prescribed tenancy information in writing.
If you have not checked your documentation since the reforms took effect, now is the time to do so.
2. Understand the new possession rules
Section 21 is no longer available for assured tenancies.
If you need possession of a property, identify the appropriate Section 8 ground and make sure you understand the evidence, notice period and procedure that apply to it.
Do not assume that the same process applies to every possession case.
3. Understand the Section 13 process for rent reviews
If you’re planning to increase rent, make sure you understand the statutory procedure and applicable notice requirements.
The new framework generally limits rent increases to once a year and gives tenants the ability to challenge proposed increases at the First-tier Tribunal.
4. Review your pet policy
Update your processes to reflect tenants’ statutory right to request a pet.
Requests need to be considered properly, and a refusal must be supported by a valid reason.
5. Prepare for the PRS Database and Ombudsman
You do not currently need to treat PRS Database registration or Landlord Ombudsman membership as completed Phase 1 obligations.
However, both form part of the government’s later implementation programme.
The ‘Register your rental property’ service launches nationally on 15 December 2026. For properties in Hull and Beverley, the Yorkshire and the Humber rollout begins on 15 April 2027, and landlords will need to complete registration by 14 July 2027. Mandatory Ombudsman membership is expected later.
Why Guaranteed Rent can provide greater predictability
Here’s the reality: managing a rental property following the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act involves a different set of processes from those landlords were following before May 2026.
That is where Northwood Beverley & Hull’s Guaranteed Rent service can provide another management option.
Under Northwood’s Guaranteed Rent service, eligible landlords receive an agreed monthly rental payment in accordance with the terms of their agreement, including during qualifying periods when the property is empty or the occupier does not pay.
That can provide greater predictability around monthly rental income and reduce some of the day-to-day management burden associated with letting a property.
Depending on the management agreement, Northwood Beverley & Hull can also support landlords with relevant tenancy-management and property-management processes.
Professional management does not remove a landlord’s underlying legal responsibilities, but it can provide practical support in understanding and managing those responsibilities.
Guaranteed Rent. Guaranteed Freedom.
Preparing for 2026 and beyond
The Renters’ Rights Act is not the end of buy-to-let in Hull and Beverley. It does, however, mean landlords need to understand a substantially different regulatory framework.
The first major tenancy reforms are already in force. Further changes, including the PRS Database and Landlord Ombudsman, will be introduced through later phases.
For landlords, that makes accurate record-keeping, up-to-date tenancy documentation, appropriate property management and awareness of forthcoming requirements increasingly important.
Whether you own one property near Beverley Westwood or a portfolio stretching across the HU postcodes, individual property performance will depend on location, achievable rent, costs, condition and management.
Hull’s latest ONS figures show that average rents have risen strongly over the past year, but landlords should assess their own properties rather than assume that city-wide growth guarantees future returns.
Let’s talk about your property
If you’re a landlord in Hull or Beverley and you’re not sure whether your tenancy documentation reflects the May 2026 changes or whether Guaranteed Rent is right for your portfolio, the team at Northwood Beverley & Hull can discuss your options.
We take the risk; you take the rent.
Book a free, no-obligation lettings valuation today and find out what your property could potentially achieve and whether Northwood’s The guaranteed rent service could be suitable for you.
Or simply get in touch with the Northwood Beverley & Hull branch directly to speak with someone who understands the local market and can discuss your property-management options.
Your property investment deserves a management approach that reflects both the current market and today’s regulatory requirements.
