Four months on from the biggest shake-up to private renting in nearly forty years, it’s worth asking a simple question: does it feel any different if you’re actually renting a flat in Guildford?
The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent in October 2025, and its first phase came into force on 1 May 2026. From that date, section 21 “no-fault” evictions were abolished in England, and assured shorthold tenancies — including existing ones — converted to assured periodic tenancies with no fixed end date. Landlords now need a valid statutory ground to seek possession. Tenants can give two months’ notice to leave. Rules on rent increases tightened, upfront rent was capped at one month, and renters gained a right to request a pet.
That is a meaningful improvement in security, and nobody renting in a high-demand commuter town should undersell it. But security of tenure was only ever part of the problem. Surrey’s rental stock is still dominated by small, fragmented private landlords, many with a single property and no professional management behind them. Repairs still depend on how responsive one individual happens to be.
Deposits, referencing, inventories and agency admin are unchanged in practice. And the Act does nothing about the quality or energy performance of the building itself. Purpose-built rental operators are one response to that gap. The Guild by Morro offers an alternative for people working in Guildford who don’t want the hassle of a traditional private landlord arrangement.
What hasn’t landed yet
Two significant pieces are still ahead. The private rented sector database will be rolled out gradually by area from late 2026, giving councils and prospective tenants visibility over who is letting what. The ombudsman service follows after that, with government expecting it to be operational in 2028.
The third phase is the one with real implications for older stock. Privately rented homes in England and Wales will need an energy performance rating of EPC C, or a valid exemption, by 1 October 2030. Guildford has a lot of Victorian and interwar housing that has been converted into flats over the years, and a fair amount of it sits at EPC D or below. Bringing it up to standard means insulation, glazing and heating upgrades that a single-property landlord may struggle to fund — or may simply decide isn’t worth it.
What to check before you sign
Ask for the EPC and look at the rating, not just the certificate. Ask who handles repairs and how quickly. Check what’s included in the rent, because bills on a poorly insulated flat can quietly add a couple of hundred pounds a month. Ask whether the tenancy is genuinely periodic and what notice you’d need to give.
The law has moved. The housing stock, in a lot of cases, hasn’t yet.
