The Renters' Rights Act 2025 and Your Cheltenham Rental Roof

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 brought the biggest change to the private rented sector in almost forty years, and its first phase went live on 1 May 2026. Much of the coverage has focused on evictions and tenancies — but the reforms quietly raise the stakes on something every Cheltenham landlord controls directly: the condition of the roof. Here is what changed and why it matters. This is general information, not legal advice.

What changed on 1 May 2026

The first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act took effect on 1 May 2026. The headline changes:

• Section 21 abolished. Landlords can no longer serve a “no-fault” notice. Possession now requires a specific statutory ground under Section 8.
• Periodic tenancies. Assured shorthold tenancies converted to open-ended periodic assured tenancies. Fixed terms for new lettings are gone.
• Rent increases. Rent can be raised once a year through a statutory process, with a longer notice period.
• Wider reforms to follow. A PRS Database, a Landlord Ombudsman, a new Decent Homes Standard for the private sector and the extension of Awaab’s Law are all on the roadmap for later phases.

NFRC guidance recommends homeowners obtain a written, itemised quotation and verify a contractor's trade body membership and public liability insurance before agreeing any roofing work.

Why abolishing Section 21 changes the roof calculation

Under the old rules, a landlord facing a difficult repair situation always had Section 21 in reserve. That backstop is gone. A tenant living with a roof leak, damp or mould can now remain in the property for as long as they meet their own obligations — and can raise the disrepair through the courts, the council, or (in time) the new Ombudsman, without fear of a no-fault eviction in response.

In blunt terms: an unresolved roof defect used to be a problem you could eventually move on from. Now it is a problem that stays with you and the tenancy. The economics have shifted firmly in favour of fixing roofs promptly and properly.

Roof disrepair and your existing obligations

The Renters’ Rights Act sits on top of obligations that already applied and still do:

Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985

This implies a term into virtually every tenancy requiring the landlord to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the property — which expressly includes the roof, gutters and external pipes. You cannot contract out of it. If the roof needs repair to keep the structure sound, that is your responsibility, not the tenant’s.

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018

A let home must be fit for human habitation throughout the tenancy, and damp and mould are within scope. A roof defect causing penetrating damp can render a home unfit, giving the tenant a direct route to court.

What this means in Cheltenham's housing stock

Cheltenham landlords own a particularly varied stock, and the roof risks differ by era. The dense Victorian terraces of St Paul’s — much of it let or in multiple occupation — carry shared party-wall stacks and concealed valleys that are classic leak points. The post-war estates carry nail sickness. Period conversions in Montpellier and Lansdown hide their leaks in parapet leadwork. Each is a different job, and each rewards being caught early rather than after a tenant complains.

Practical steps for the new regime

• Inspect between tenancies. A void is the cheapest, easiest time to fix a roof. Book a roof inspection and deal with anything developing.
• Act fast on reports. With Section 21 gone, a slow response to a leak is a liability that lingers. Treat roof leaks as priority repairs.
• Maintain the roofline. Regular gutter clearing prevents a large share of damp complaints.
• Document everything. Keep dated reports, invoices and photos as evidence of a well-maintained property.

The wider reforms still to come

The 1 May 2026 changes were only the first phase. Several further reforms are on the government’s roadmap, and each nudges landlords further toward keeping properties — and their roofs — in good order:

• A Private Rented Sector Database. Landlords and properties will need to be registered, with a regional rollout expected from late 2026. A documented maintenance history becomes part of how a responsible landlord is seen.
• A PRS Landlord Ombudsman. Expected to launch later in the rollout, this will give tenants a route to redress for issues including disrepair — without going to court — and can order landlords to put things right and pay compensation.
• A Decent Homes Standard for the private sector. Confirmed to apply to private rentals in the coming years, this sets minimum condition requirements, with a sound, weatherproof roof squarely among them.
• The extension of Awaab’s Law. Still subject to consultation, but when it arrives it will impose fixed timescales for dealing with damp, mould and other hazards — the kind so often caused by a leaking roof.

None of these are reasons to panic, but together they point in one direction: the landlords who will have the easiest time under the new regime are those whose properties are genuinely well maintained. For the roof, that simply means catching problems early and fixing them properly — which has always been the cheaper path anyway.

How we help

Our landlord roof repair service is built for exactly this: fast response, written reports for your records, tenant-friendly access arrangements and invoicing that suits letting accounts. We help Cheltenham landlords stay ahead of disrepair rather than react to it.

General information for Cheltenham landlords, not legal advice. The Renters’ Rights Act is being implemented in phases; check GOV.UK or take professional advice for your circumstances.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by Cheltenham Roofing Experts.