On 1 May 2026 much of the law relating to tenancies will change with the coming into force of Phase 1 of the Renters Rights Act 2025.
This will include the abolition of section 21 and the abolition of fixed terms.
How will these and the other new rules being introduced affect how you choose your tenants?
Here are my tips:
My first tip – choose tenants as if they will be staying long term
At the moment, tenants rent a property for a specific period of time. If landlords don’t want their tenants to stay beyond this period, they can serve a section 21 notice and require them to vacate.
Even if they have done nothing wrong.
However, with section 21 and fixed-term tenancies abolished, it will be up to tenants how long they stay in a property, rather than their landlords.
For most landlords, this will not be a problem, as they will want their tenants to remain long-term. Voids are expensive. However, this depends on the tenants!
So when choosing a tenant, landlords need to be careful to avoid tenants likely to behave badly and fall into arrears.
My advice to landlords is to choose all new tenants on the basis that they could be in the property for 10 years or more.
Never accept a tenant without proper referencing just because you want someone living in the property!
My second tip – check applicants ID and documents submitted for fraud
Make sure you choose a referencing company which provides this service. You really don’t want
- Applicants who have misrepresented their income, or
- Applicants who are looking to use your property for criminal purposes
Many fraudulent documents will be hard to spot, and you really need to get them checked out by a specialist company.
Also, if you use a letting agent, make sure they let you see the reference material before they sign an applicant up as a tenant.
My third tip – meet them first
Always meet the applicants before you agree to rent to them. If you are going to be renting to this person for a long time, it needs to be someone you like and can get on with.
Even if you use a letting agency. After all, you may not use them forever.
If you feel uncomfortable with the applicant or uneasy about them – choose someone else. Your subconscious may be telling you something. Don’t ignore it!
And finally
The choice of tenant is probably the most important thing when renting property.
- If you have an agreeable, decent and honest tenant, then even if there are problems, you should be able to resolve them.
- If you have an unpleasant and bad-tempered tenant, then your life as a landlord will be very different!
Remember this when making your choice.
Landlord Law members will find detailed guidance on choosing tenants in our tenancy checklists.