Mayor launches new package of support for Londoners ahead of the Renters' Rights Act coming into force
- Mayor launches new £400,000 Fund to support Londoners ahead of the Renters' Rights Act coming into force.
- A new ‘Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund’ will back renters to defend their rights, with advice and guidance, as government’s new Renters' Rights Act 2025 becomes law from 1 May 2026.
- Fresh investment from Sadiq fulfils manifesto commitment to support renters’ groups such as renter’s unions and also fund training for borough enforcement officers, helping to ensure rogue landlords are held to account.
- Sadiq today reiterates his longstanding call for the devolution of rent caps to improve affordability while maintaining housing supply.
- New YouGov polling reveals that three quarters of Londoners would support a cap in the amount of rent that can be increased each year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched a new ‘Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund’ to inform Londoners of their new rights ahead of the landmark Renters' Rights Act coming into force from 1 May 2026.
The new Act, which the Mayor has longed campaigned for, will provide greater security for tenants and reform the private rented sector, with new measures including Section 21 'no fault evictions' being abolished. [1]
The announcement comes as new YouGov polling [2], commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), shows that three quarters of Londoners would support a cap in the amount of rent that can be increased each year.
The Mayor’s new £400,000 fund will support renters to defend their new rights, with advice and guidance, fulfilling a manifesto commitment. It will help organisations and boroughs inform Londoners of their rights as well as fund training for enforcement officers, helping to ensure the new rules are enforced and rogue landlords are held to account. [3]
Sadiq has today repeated his longstanding call for the devolution of rent controls – arguing for caps on rent rises, while pledging to exempt new build to rent homes to make sure London is building the affordable homes it needs for the long term. This builds on the new rules in the Act to curb unreasonable rent rises.
Today’s announcement supports Sadiq’s ongoing action to champion and empower the voice of 2.7 million renters in the capital [4]. It includes:
- Getting 6,000 new rent-controlled homes for the capital’s key workers underway by 2030 – with new homes let at rents based on 40 per cent of key workers’ average net household incomes – saving those with a two-bedroom home around £7,000 a year, on average. [5]
- Publishing online Private Rented Sector (PRS) tools and checkers, which enable Londoners to hold their landlords and letting agents to account, and support boroughs to share intelligence about rogue landlords.
- Campaigning for and working closely with the Government on the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, many of the measures the Mayor proposed in his London Model, published in 2019.
- Supporting boroughs to use their licensing powers to improve standards and conditions.
- Supporting renters to take dodgy landlords to tribunal to get up to 24 months of rent refunded, as well as holding social landlords to account.
- Expanding the use of technology to solve problems, like sensors to detect and take action on damp and mould.
Alongside the new fund, the Mayor will launch a new campaign next month to ensure Londoners are aware of the changes, with online advertising and posters on the TfL network.
Tackling the housing crisis is a top priority and the Mayor is committed to doing everything he can to deliver more affordable, quality homes of all tenures. Sadiq has worked closely with government to deliver a pro-housing package of emergency measures to boost and unlock housing. This is alongside a record investment of nearly £12 billion – through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme – to deliver social and affordable housing across London over the next decade.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We are seeing the biggest expansion of renters’ rights for a generation – this is a change that I have long called for and will transform the lives of London’s 2.7 million renters.
“I’m pleased to announce a new Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund so that renters in London know their new rights, from a ban on no fault evictions to tribunals to challenge unreasonable rent hikes. It also means that crucially organisations will have more resources to make sure the new rules are upheld.
“I will continue working with the Government to build new social and affordable homes with record funding, including 6,000 new key worker rent control homes. I believe the next step is for Ministers to devolve the power to cap rents so we can tackle the capital’s problems of both affordability and supply. And the evidence is clear – Londoners would overwhelmingly back new plans to put a cap on rent increases in the capital.”
Ben Twomey, Chief Executive of Generation Rent, said: “The Renters’ Rights Act is a major step forward in rebalancing the power between landlords and renters, giving us more security in our homes. Ahead of this new law coming into action, the Mayor's funding of tenants’ organisations is most welcome to help make every renter aware of the new rights. With this funding, organisations can do more to support the law to reach into people’s homes and improve their lives.”
Manny Hothi, Chief Executive of Trust for London, said: “The Renters Rights Act is a huge milestone for London renters. From May, for the first time in a generation, people will not legally face having to leave their homes on the whim of their landlord. But alongside this, renters need to understand and be able to exercise their new rights. We welcome the Mayor’s commitment to spread the word and back renters and borough enforcement. London needs a stable, affordable, well-managed private rented sector. This is a welcome step along the way.”
Notes to editors
[1] Background on the new Renters’ Rights Act: https://mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk/2025/11/19/explainer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-renters-rights-act/.
[2] The survey was conducted by YouGov for the GLA between 20th and 27th February 2026. Responses from 1,138 London residents aged 18+ have been weighted to be representative of all London adults.
Full results:
Question: To what extent, if at all, would you support or oppose implementing a cap in London on the amount that rent can be increased each year? Base: All Londoners Feb 26 (1138)
- Strongly support 54%
- Somewhat support 21%
- Net support: 75%
- Strongly oppose 5%
- Somewhat oppose 4%
- Net oppose 9%
- Neither support nor oppose 10%
- Don’t know 5%
*Women (79%), Londoners aged 18 to 34 (81%), private (83%) and social renters (85%), and those living with family and friends (84%) are more likely to support a cap compared to others.
The data is available here: https://data.london.gov.uk/download/e70dm/339/YouGov%20GLA%20February%2026%20poll%20results%20LDS%20Rent%20Cap.xlsx.
[3] More details about the ‘Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund’ will be announced in due course.
[4] Census 2021 data found that there are around 2.7 million renters in London.
[5] Further background – the Mayor’s Key Worker Living Rent scheme:
- In January 2026, the Mayor fulfilled a manifesto pledge by launching a new plan to start at least 6,000 rent-controlled ‘Key Worker Living Rent’ (KWLR) homes in London by 2030.
- The new homes will be let at rents based on 40 per cent of key workers’ average net household incomes – saving those with a two-bedroom home around £7,000 a year, on average.
- We also called on private developers, housing associations, councils and investors to get behind the plans by developing these homes, including bidding for nearly £12 billion funding through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme.
- It is expected the new plans to deliver thousands of rent-controlled, affordable homes across the capital will potentially save key workers including teachers, nurses, carers and bus drivers thousands of pounds in rent each year.
- This innovative scheme is specifically aimed at Londoners working in key worker roles, including those at the start of their careers, who are unlikely to secure social rented homes but who struggle to afford a home that meets their needs in the private market. Currently, key workers account for around a third of Londoners who work. They include both private and public sector occupations.
- It could save Londoners thousands of pounds each year when compared to average private sector rented homes, based on data from the Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) Price Index for Private Rents. For instance, those living in a one-bedroom home could save nearly £4,500 each year, while those in two-bedroom homes could save around £7,000.
- These homes will offer an affordable option for long-term rent and there is no expectation for tenants to buy a share of their home, either at the outset, or after a period of saving for a deposit. The approach to rent setting and increases is simpler than other forms of affordable housing such as Shared Ownership. The Mayor hopes this will benefit both tenants and potential developers and providers.
- The scheme, which will see up to 6,000 new homes started in London by 2030, will also include homes for sharers, which we intend to be a valuable option for single Londoners who would otherwise struggle to afford to rent a Key Worker Living Rent home on their own.