The private rented sector has changed significantly.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in October 2025, and its main Phase 1 tenancy reforms came into force on 1 May 2026.
If you let property in Camberwell, along Peckham Road, Denmark Hill or elsewhere across SE5, these changes affect how most private assured tenancies are managed.
Southwark also remains one of London’s higher-rent boroughs. The latest ONS data shows average private rent reached £2,474 per month in August 2026, up 5.4% from £2,347 a year earlier.
That is a Southwark-wide average rather than a valuation for an individual SE5 property, but it provides useful context for landlords reviewing rents and management.
This guide explains the main changes and the practical steps to take.
What’s changed under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
Section 21 no-fault eviction is gone.
From 1 May 2026, Section 21 no-fault eviction was abolished for relevant private assured tenancies.
Landlords can no longer use Section 21 simply to regain possession without relying on a statutory ground.
If you need your property back, you generally need to use the reformed Section 8 framework.
Grounds include circumstances such as:
-
Serious rent arrears.
-
Anti-social behaviour.
-
A genuine intention to sell.
-
The landlord intending to move into the property.
-
Other specified statutory grounds.
Different grounds have different notice periods, conditions and evidential requirements.
Some are mandatory when proved, while others give the court discretion.
For Camberwell landlords, that makes good records increasingly important.
Most assured tenancies are now periodic.
The vast majority of relevant existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026.
New relevant private assured tenancies also generally begin as periodic tenancies rather than traditional fixed-term ASTs.
That means six-month and 12-month fixed-term ASTs no longer operate in the same way under the new framework.
Tenants can generally end the tenancy by giving two months’ notice.
Landlords can regain possession only where an appropriate statutory ground applies and the correct procedure is followed.
Existing written tenancy agreements did not automatically need to be replaced simply because the reforms came into force.
However, landlords needed to provide the prescribed government information where required.
Rent increases now follow the Section 13 process.
Rent increases for relevant assured periodic tenancies generally need to follow the revised Section 13 process.
Landlords can normally increase rent once in a 12-month period.
At least two months’ notice is generally required using the prescribed form.
The proposed rent should reflect the open market.
Tenants can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it exceeds the market rent.
The Tribunal cannot set the rent above the amount proposed by the landlord.
For SE5 landlords, current comparable evidence therefore matters.
A Southwark-wide average is useful context, but the rent for a particular flat or house should reflect its precise location, size, condition, furnishing and competing stock.
Key milestones Camberwell landlords need to watch
The PRS Database – rollout from late 2026
The new Private Rented Sector Database forms part of Phase 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act.
The government plans to start regional rollout from late 2026.
Registration will become mandatory as the relevant regulations and rollout apply.
It is therefore sensible to prepare now, but landlords should not describe database registration as universally live across England until the applicable rollout has started.
Information expected to be required includes:
-
Landlord contact details.
-
Property address and type.
-
Number of bedrooms.
-
Occupancy information.
-
Gas safety details where relevant.
-
Electrical safety information.
-
EPC information.
If you manage several properties across Camberwell and wider Southwark, organising those records now will make future registration easier.
Landlord Ombudsman – expected from 2028
The PRS Landlord Ombudsman is also part of Phase 2.
Mandatory landlord membership is currently expected in 2028, once the scheme is ready for full implementation.
The Ombudsman will give tenants a formal route to raise complaints and seek redress outside the court process.
For self-managing landlords, it makes sense to prepare now by having a clear complaints process.
Record:
-
How complaints are submitted.
-
Who responds.
-
Response times.
-
What action was taken.
-
How unresolved issues are escalated.
Southwark Council’s enforcement powers
Southwark Council has powers to investigate whether landlords are complying with the Renters’ Rights Act and wider housing law.
The strengthened national investigatory and enforcement powers for local authorities came into force on 27 December 2025.
Southwark can investigate potential breaches and, where appropriate, take enforcement action including prosecution or civil financial penalties.
Under the national framework, the maximum civil penalty is generally:
-
£7,000 for specified breaches.
-
£40,000 for specified offences.
The exact penalty depends on the legal provision, evidence and circumstances.
There is no statutory minimum.
Rent repayment orders have also changed.
Rent Repayment Orders have been expanded under the Renters’ Rights Act.
For qualifying offences committed from 1 May 2026, a tribunal can potentially order repayment of up to 24 months’ rent, rather than the previous 12-month maximum.
RROs do not apply automatically to every breach.
They are available only for specified offences and through the relevant tribunal process.
For landlords in SE5, the main lesson is that accurate compliance and record-keeping matter more than ever.
What this means for the SE5 rental market
The latest ONS data shows that Southwark rents continued to rise during 2026.
Average private rent reached £2,474 per month in August 2026, representing annual growth of 5.4%.
By bedroom count, average Southwark rents were:
-
One bedroom: £1,876.
-
Two bedrooms: £2,348.
-
Three bedrooms: £2,732.
-
Four or more bedrooms: £3,608.
By property type:
-
Flats and maisonettes: £2,178.
-
Terraced homes: £2,849.
-
Semi-detached homes: £3,416.
-
Detached homes: £3,300.
These figures cover all of Southwark.
They should not be treated as guaranteed rents for a particular property in Camberwell.
SE5 includes different streets, property types and tenant markets.
A professional rental appraisal should therefore use property-specific comparable evidence.
Keep local supply claims evidence-based
It may be tempting to assume that tighter regulation automatically means landlords are leaving and rents will keep rising.
That conclusion should be treated carefully.
Landlord exits, rental supply, tenant demand and achievable rents all need current evidence.
The Renters’ Rights Act may influence landlord decisions, but it is only one factor.
Mortgage costs, property prices, taxation, repair costs, local supply and tenant affordability also matter.
For an individual Camberwell property, current local comparable evidence is more useful than broad assumptions about the whole SE5 market.
Practical steps to take now
Review your existing tenancies
Check each tenancy and confirm its current legal status.
For relevant existing written assured tenancies, confirm that the required Renters’ Rights Act information was supplied by the applicable deadline.
Do not simply issue a new traditional fixed-term AST.
Update your rent-review process
Make sure any proposed increase follows the revised Section 13 process.
Use the prescribed form, allow the correct notice period and retain comparable evidence supporting the proposed market rent.
Review your Section 8 processes
Remove Section 21 from your standard possession workflow for relevant assured tenancies.
Before serving notice, identify:
-
The correct Section 8 ground.
-
Whether it is mandatory or discretionary.
-
The correct notice period.
-
The evidence required.
-
Any restrictions that apply.
Prepare for PRS Database registration.
Organise property and ownership information now.
Keep gas, electrical and EPC documentation current.
Monitor MHCLG and GOV.UK guidance for the applicable Southwark rollout date.
Prepare for the Ombudsman
Create or update your written complaints process.
Keep complaints, responses and repair records together with the tenancy file.
Keep safety and compliance records current.
Maintain clear records for:
-
Gas safety where applicable.
-
Electrical safety.
-
EPCs.
-
Deposits.
-
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where required.
-
Repairs.
-
Inspections.
-
Tenant communications.
-
Rent history.
-
Notices.
Southwark Council’s enforcement powers are real, but good record-keeping also helps landlords demonstrate what action was taken and when.
How Hunters Camberwell can help
Navigating the new tenancy framework can add administrative work for landlords managing properties alongside another job or a wider portfolio.
Hunters Camberwell works with landlords across SE5 and surrounding areas.
The team can discuss:
-
Current rental evidence.
-
Property management options.
-
Rent-review administration.
-
Day-to-day tenancy management.
-
Preparing records for later Renters’ Rights Act phases.
A managing agent can help with administration, but landlords should still understand which legal responsibilities remain with them.
Ready to review your Camberwell rental?
If you have not reviewed your SE5 property since the May 2026 reforms took effect, now is a sensible time to check your tenancy documentation, rent-review process, compliance records and current rental value.
Book a free landlord valuation with Hunters Camberwell to get a current, property-specific assessment.
Or get in touch with the Hunters Camberwell team to discuss your portfolio, compliance position or management options.
Here to get you there.
