Important Update: Student Lets and the Renters Rights Act

What You Need to Know:

If you’re a landlord with student lets, brace yourself – this year is shaping up to be a real challenge. Let’s break down what’s happening and why it matters.

The Issue

We recently had a landlord call in with a simple question:

“My student let fixed term ends early August. After the Renters Rights Act (RRA), how do I get the property back?”

Sounds straightforward, right? Unfortunately, here’s where the problem begins.

The Big Problem

The RRA comes into force on 1st May. from this point onwards for all existing tenancies, landlords must issue a Section 4A notice to regain possession at a set time.

Here’s the catch:

• The Section 4A notice requires 4 months’ notice.

• The earliest you can serve it is 1st May.

• Four months from 1st May takes you to 1st September.

See the issue? Student let landlords cannot guarantee possession before the start of the new academic year. This is a serious operational headache.

What Can You Do? Important Update: Student Lets and the Renters Rights Act

Options are limited, but here’s what we’ve been advised:

• Negotiate with tenants: Ask them to serve 2 months’ notice in June, so the tenancy ends in August.

• Deed of surrender: Hope tenants agree to surrender the property in August.

Neither option is guaranteed, but they’re the only practical routes right now.

Why This Matters!

This is bad news for student landlords and could disrupt the entire letting cycle. We need to get the word out loud and clear – to our members and beyond. Awareness is key.

Action for Landlords

• Review your student lets now.

• Communicate early with tenants.

• Stay informed – we’ll keep updating you as more guidance emerges.

📢 Call to Action

Don’t wait until it’s too late! JOIN US

Join the Eastern Landlords Association today and make sure you’re prepared for the changes.

• Access expert advice

• Attend our upcoming webinars on the Renters Rights Act

• Get template notices advice and guidance

👉 Share this post with fellow landlords – spread the word!

Call for Government Action

We urge the government to review this situation urgently to provide certainty this academic year and for the start of the next. There are practical solutions that could ease this crisis:

• Offset student lets until later in the year when implementing Part 2 of the Renters Rights Act.

• Allow landlords, for this year only, to issue Section 4A notices with either a 2- or 3- month notice period.

These measures would help avoid possible chaos for the incoming students in the next academic year and ensure a smoother transition for everyone involved.

We also ask ALL landlords to share this message far and wide. The more awareness we create, the better chance we have of influencing change and protecting the interests of both landlords and students.