Alto rolls out Renters' Rights updates ahead of 1 May changes
Alto has confirmed a series of product updates designed to help UK estate and letting agents prepare for the Renters' Rights Act, with the first major changes set to come into force on 1 May 2026.
The legislation, which received Royal Assent in October 2025, represents one of the most significant shifts in the private rented sector in decades. It introduces sweeping changes including the move to periodic tenancies, the abolition of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, tighter controls on rent setting, and increased requirements around compliance and record keeping.
While much of the industry has focused on interpreting the legal detail, Alto has taken a different approach, embedding the new requirements directly into the day-to-day workflows agents use to manage properties and tenancies.
Owen, Product Director at Alto, said: "The Renters' Rights Act fundamentally changes how lettings works. It's not just about new rules, it's about how those rules play out across hundreds or thousands of tenancies in real life. If that's handled manually, the risk increases quickly.
"Our job is to take that complexity away. Agents shouldn't have to interpret legislation every time they create a tenancy or agree a rent. The system should do that for them."
The changes coming into force in May will require agents to transition away from fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies to periodic structures, while also preventing practices such as rental bidding above advertised prices and introducing stricter expectations around audit trails and compliance tracking.
To support this transition, Alto has introduced functionality that allows agencies to convert existing tenancies and property records into compliant formats at scale, removing the need for manual updates across portfolios. New tenancies can be created in line with the updated legislation from the outset, with workflows adjusted to reflect the shift to periodic agreements.
Compliance controls are built directly into the system, preventing non-compliant tenancy setups, restricting invalid pricing, and ensuring that agreements align with current legal requirements. Safeguards within Alto prevent agents from accepting offers above advertised rent, while also prompting justification where restrictions such as pets or children apply, creating a clear and auditable record.
The platform also centralises compliance tracking across properties and tenancies, automatically monitoring key dates such as rent reviews, inspections and safety requirements. Every action is recorded within a full audit trail, giving agencies a clear, defensible record of decisions and activity if challenged.
Legal documentation within Alto is updated in line with evolving UK legislation, reducing reliance on manual templates and ensuring agencies are working from compliant agreements as requirements change.
Owen added: "We made a conscious decision not to rush 'RRA-ready' features based on draft guidance. We've built this around how lettings will actually operate from May onwards, not how it looked on paper six months ago."
The product updates have been shaped through direct consultation with Alto customers, ranging from independent agencies to multi-branch operations, highlighting the need to balance consistency of compliance with flexibility across different tenancy scenarios.
Rather than treating compliance as a standalone feature, Alto has embedded the new requirements across the full lettings journey, from property setup and marketing through to tenancy progression and ongoing management. The aim is to ensure that compliance happens as part of everyday activity, rather than as an additional administrative layer.
Owen said: "What we're hearing from agents is that the challenge isn't understanding the changes, it's the operational impact. More admin, more edge cases, more risk if things go wrong.
"If your system doesn't absorb that, your team has to. And that's where problems start."
With further elements of the legislation expected to be introduced in phases beyond May, Alto has positioned its approach as an ongoing capability rather than a one-off update, allowing agencies to adapt as requirements continue to evolve.
Also has also created a Renters' Rights Hub on its website, to help make the transition simple. Agents can use the hub to access tools, FAQs, and insights to stay ahead of the game.
As the sector moves towards a more regulated operating environment, the role of estate agency software is shifting from simple system of record to something far more critical - the infrastructure that ensures compliance, consistency and control at scale.
