London Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a new £400,000 Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund to help Londoners understand and use their new protections ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 coming into force on 1 May 2026. The fund is designed to support renters with advice and guidance as major changes to the private rented sector take effect, including stronger tenant protections and the abolition of Section 21 “no fault evictions.” The initiative also fulfils a manifesto commitment to back renters’ groups and improve enforcement of tenant rights across the capital.
The new fund will support organisations, including renters’ unions and local boroughs, in informing tenants about their rights under the legislation. It will also provide training for borough enforcement officers so they are better equipped to apply the new rules and take action against rogue landlords. By strengthening both awareness and enforcement, the Mayor aims to ensure that the new legal protections are not only introduced on paper but also effectively upheld in practice.
The Renters’ Rights Act is being presented as a landmark reform of the private rented sector, offering tenants greater security and better tools to challenge unfair treatment. One of the most significant changes is the end of Section 21 no-fault evictions, which have long been criticised for allowing landlords to remove tenants without giving a reason. The Act also includes measures to help renters challenge unreasonable rent increases through tribunals, adding another layer of protection for households facing rising housing costs.
Alongside the announcement, new YouGov polling commissioned by the Greater London Authority found that three-quarters of Londoners support a cap on how much rent can be increased each year. Using this as evidence of public backing, Sadiq Khan renewed his longstanding call for the devolution of rent control powers to London. He argued that the capital should be given the authority to introduce limits on rent rises in order to improve affordability, while also proposing that new build-to-rent homes be exempt to avoid discouraging housing supply and long-term development.
The Mayor framed the new fund as part of a wider strategy to support London’s 2.7 million renters and tackle the broader housing crisis. This includes a commitment to deliver 6,000 new rent-controlled homes for key workers by 2030. These homes are intended to be let at rents based on 40 percent of key workers’ average net household incomes, which could save households in a typical two-bedroom home around £7,000 a year on average. This policy is intended to improve affordability for essential workers while demonstrating a model for more stable rental housing.
Other measures already underway include the publication of online tools and checkers for the private rented sector, helping tenants hold landlords and letting agents to account and enabling boroughs to share intelligence on rogue landlords. The Mayor has also supported boroughs in using licensing powers to improve housing standards and conditions, backed renters in taking problematic landlords to tribunal to claim up to 24 months of rent refunds, and encouraged greater use of technology such as sensors to detect issues like damp and mould in rental homes.
To complement the new enforcement fund, the Mayor’s office plans to launch a public awareness campaign next month, using online advertising and posters across the Transport for London network to ensure renters know what is changing and what protections they can access. This campaign is intended to make the transition into the new legal framework more visible and practical for tenants across the city.
The announcement also fits into the Mayor’s wider housing agenda, which focuses on increasing the supply of affordable, quality homes while improving conditions in the existing rental market. Sadiq Khan has highlighted his cooperation with the government on emergency housing measures and pointed to nearly £12 billion in investment through the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme to support the delivery of social and affordable housing across London over the next decade. He argues that stronger renter protections and more affordable housing supply must go hand in hand if the city is to address both affordability pressures and housing insecurity.
Supporters of the move, including organisations such as Generation Rent and Trust for London, have welcomed the fund as an important step in helping renters understand and exercise their new rights. They view the Renters’ Rights Act as a major shift in the balance of power between landlords and tenants, but stress that legal reforms will only be meaningful if renters are aware of them and local authorities have the resources to enforce them. The new funding is therefore seen as a practical measure to help turn legislative change into real improvements in tenants’ everyday lives.
Overall, the launch of the Renters’ Rights Enforcement Fund signals a proactive effort by City Hall to prepare Londoners for one of the biggest expansions of tenant protections in a generation. By combining legal awareness, stronger enforcement, calls for rent caps, and broader affordable housing measures, the Mayor is positioning the fund as part of a larger push to create a fairer, more secure, and more affordable rental system for millions of Londoners.
