According to new research, tenants report that just one in 10 (9%) landlords who are actively evicting occupants are doing so in direct response to the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Act.
The finding raises fresh questions about the narrative surrounding landlord behaviour ahead of the legislation, suggesting that while the Renters’ Rights Act is frequently cited as a catalyst for exits from the sector, it may not be the primary driver in the majority of cases.
Instead, other factors – such as rising costs, regulatory pressures and shifting market dynamics – could be playing a more significant role in landlords’ decisions to regain possession.
So what reasons are tenants actually being given when they are asked to leave? The data provided by SpareRoom, which surveyed 4,484 tenants in England (including 1,897 respondents in London), points to a clear frontrunner: in 43% of cases, tenants say their landlord cited plans to sell the property as the primary driver behind the eviction. This aligns with wider market trends, where some landlords are choosing to exit amid changing economic conditions and regulatory pressures.
Beyond sales, a significant proportion of tenants report more varied or less clearly defined explanations. Around 23% say their landlord provided an alternative reason, while an equal share – also 23% – claim no reason was given at all. The latter is particularly notable, as it highlights an ongoing lack of transparency in parts of the sector, even as scrutiny of landlord practices intensifies.
A smaller but still meaningful segment of tenants say landlords are seeking possession in order to move back into the property themselves, accounting for 14% in England This reflects a more traditional justification for ending a tenancy, often linked to changes in personal circumstances.
Against this backdrop, the Renters’ Rights Act appears to be a comparatively minor factor. Just 9% of tenants in England (8% in London) report being told their eviction is directly linked to the incoming reforms or broader changes in the rental landscape. Taken together, the figures suggest that while the legislation looms large in industry debate, day-to-day landlord decisions to regain possession are still being driven predominantly by financial and practical considerations rather than policy alone.
Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, commented: “Being a landlord requires work and good landlords know that. But there will also be good landlords who’ve decided compliance isn’t worth the hassle and it will be a great shame to lose them.”
“It would be an exaggeration to say supply in the flatshare market has been immune to the Renters’ Rights Act, but it’s been surprisingly resilient when you consider the response from landlords, many of whom said they planned to quit the market or reduce their portfolios.”
Research from SpareRoom also indicates that since the Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 – almost six months ago – around 30% of tenants in England who have remained in the same property have seen their rents increase. However, the platform does not provide comparable data from a year earlier, making it difficult to determine whether this level of rental growth is typical or reflects a shift linked to current market conditions.
“The Renters’ Rights Act will give tenants much greater security. The end of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and fixed-term tenancies, and stopping landlords asking for several months’ rent in advance are truly game changing for tenants,” Hutchinson added. “What it’s unlikely to do, in the short term at least, is significantly reduce rents – but it is a huge step forward in correcting the power imbalance.”
