Now that the Renters’ Rights Act has officially come into force and has been in practice for its first month, we are already starting to see some of the real-life challenges appearing on the ground.

Section 8, Not Section 21

A lot of the public discussion around the Act focused heavily on the abolition of Section 21 notices, but in reality, we do not think this is the biggest issue landlords and property managers will face. If anything, most good landlords were never looking to remove good tenants without reason anyway. The real question will be whether the Section 8 process genuinely improves and whether gaining possession from genuinely problematic tenants becomes quicker and more practical than it was under the old system.

The government promised a fairer and faster system, but only time will tell if this works in practice. Realistically, we probably will not know the true impact of the legislation for another year or two.

The Short-Term Stay Problem

However, one issue has already become very clear almost immediately — the rise of short-term minded applicants trying to use HMO properties as hotels or Airbnb alternatives.

As we manage a large number of HMO properties across Central London, we are already seeing a noticeable increase in enquiries from people openly looking for very short stays through platforms like SpareRoom. When we explain that we are looking for long-term tenants who genuinely want to become part of the household and community, we are often met with responses like:

“But the Renters’ Rights Act allows me to stay for two months only.”

Technically, yes — under the new rules, a tenant could hand in notice almost immediately after moving in. But there is a big difference between what is legally possible and what is ethical or respectful towards the existing household.

Impact on HMO Communities

Most of our HMOs are stable homes where many housemates have lived together happily for years. Some residents have been in the property for over two years and genuinely value the community feel, respectful atmosphere, and consistency within the home. Introducing a revolving door of short-term occupants every couple of months completely changes that dynamic.

Sadly, the Renters’ Rights Act was created to protect tenants — not to create loopholes for holidaymakers, serial short-term renters, or people treating professional house shares like temporary hotel accommodation.

And because not everyone openly admits they only plan to stay for a couple of months, landlords and agents are already starting to adapt their approach.

How Landlords Are Responding

One of the biggest changes we are reviewing across some of our Central London properties is reducing the amount of furniture provided. Rooms and studios that were previously fully furnished with beautiful furniture are increasingly being advertised as partly furnished instead.

Why? Because fully furnished rooms naturally attract more short-term interest. People looking for temporary accommodation often want the convenience of simply arriving with a suitcase. By offering partly furnished accommodation, landlords are trying to encourage more genuine long-term tenants instead.

Ironically, this means the good and reliable tenants are often the ones affected most. The tenants who genuinely wanted a beautiful fully furnished long-term home may now have fewer options because landlords are trying to protect themselves from short-term occupancy abuse.

Who Really Feels the Impact

Of course, no system will ever completely “bulletproof” a property from unethical tenants or people with poor intentions. But the people most affected by this situation are often not even the landlords — it is the other residents within the property.

Anyone who has lived in a shared home knows how important the atmosphere and household dynamic can be. It is difficult to maintain a strong community feel when people move in with no intention of staying, no care for communal spaces, and little interest in respecting the people they live with.

Early Takeaways

After only one month of the Act being in force, it already feels like some parts of the legislation were not fully thought through in practice. Good landlords and good tenants ultimately want very similar things — stable homes, respectful behaviour, long-term security, and well-maintained properties.

Unfortunately, there is growing concern across the industry that the legislation may unintentionally create more instability instead of less, while pushing more responsible landlords out of the market altogether.

Only time will tell how this all unfolds, but the first month has certainly been… interesting.