Parliament passed the Renters’ Rights Act in October 2025. The parts that affect most East Village renters come into force on 1 May 2026.
In short: the Act strengthens protections for renters and aims to make the private rental sector more predictable, fairer, and less arbitrary. Fewer surprises. More clarity.
What the Act is trying to fix
The government’s intent is straightforward enough. The Act focuses on:
- Greater security and transparency around tenancies
- Clearer expectations on repairs and maintenance
- Fairer treatment of renters, including around pets and home customisation
This isn’t a single dramatic switch, but a set of structural changes designed to reduce churn, uncertainty, and imbalance.
GetLiving’s position
GetLiving says the principles behind the Act largely reflect how it already operates.
According to its most recent resident communication, GetLiving argues that it has been running ahead of the legislation in several areas for some time.
Specifically, it points to:
- Long-term, flexible tenancies GetLiving already offers resident-only break clauses, which broadly align with the Act’s push for stability without trapping people indefinitely.
- Pets Pets are already permitted under its existing pet policy, rather than treated as an exception.
- Making the space your own Residents are allowed to decorate their homes, rather than live indefinitely in “temporary” white boxes.
- Community investment Ongoing events, clubs, and activities are positioned as part of a long-term living model, not short-stay turnover.
- Repairs and maintenance GetLiving says it already meets required standards, supported by on-site teams and customer service, with resident wellbeing and security treated as core rather than optional.
None of this is new policy as of May 2026, but it is relevant context for how the Act will land locally.
What happens next
GetLiving says it is still reviewing the legislation in detail and will make any required updates as the Act is implemented.
In the coming months, it plans to launch an online information hub with:
- A full FAQ
- The official Government Renters’ Rights Act 2025 leaflet
- Clear guidance on what the Act means in practice for residents
Until that goes live, residents with questions are being directed to hello@getliving.com.
The EVH take
This isn’t a radical reset for East Village renters, but it does formalise expectations that were previously dependent on landlord goodwill.
The important thing isn’t whether policies “already existed”, but that they become harder to roll back and clearer to rely on.
As details firm up - especially around enforcement and edge cases - this page will be updated with specifics that actually affect day-to-day living, and we’ll add a new area to EVH when we have more detail.