Shared ownership and the Renters' Rights Act

Shared ownership landlords are covered by the Renters' Rights Act in the same way as other private landlords: if you let your shared ownership home on an assured tenancy, that tenancy is periodic, section 21 is gone, and you need a Section 8 ground to get possession. We have found no general shared ownership exemption. What the Act does contain is a narrow exception for shared owners who use Ground 1A to sell.

Is there a shared ownership exemption from the Renters' Rights Act?

Not a general one. The rules we have checked contain no exemption for shared owners who let their home to a tenant. The shared ownership provisions we found are:

• an exception to the restricted period that follows a Ground 1A notice, in section 16F(3) to (4) of the Housing Act 1988; and
• a transitional deadline for the related tenant statement: for tenancies that began before 1 May 2026, it had to be given by 31 May 2026.

Your own lease is a separate question. Since 27 December 2025, a tenancy of more than 21 years can't be an assured tenancy. If your shared ownership lease is a lease of more than 21 years, the Act's tenancy rules govern the tenancy you grant to your tenant, not your lease with the provider.

This guide covers England only. It doesn't cover whether your lease allows you to sublet; check that with your provider first.

Which rules apply when you let a shared ownership home?

If you let on an assured tenancy, the full set of Renters' Rights Act rules applies:

• the tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy with no fixed term;
• you can only get possession with a Section 8 notice and a ground;
• rent increases go through a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, at most once a year;
• the tenant can leave on up to 2 months' notice;
• a new tenancy needs a written statement of terms before it is agreed;
• the rental bidding ban, the rent in advance limit, the pet rules and the discrimination ban all apply;
• you will need to register on the landlord database when your region's window opens.

Selling: Ground 1A and the shared-owner exception

Most shared owners who let will eventually want to sell. The selling ground is Ground 1A, which applies where you intend to sell a freehold or leasehold interest in the home. The main rules:

• Notice: at least 4 months.
• Protected period: the date in the notice must be at least 12 months after the tenancy began. See the protected period.
• Restricted period: once you rely on Ground 1A, you must not let the home, or market it for letting, from the date you serve the notice until 12 months after the date in the notice.
• Penalty: breaking the restriction is a criminal offence, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000, and a rent repayment order is available.

The shared-owner exception. Section 16F carves out an exception to the restricted-period rules for shared owners. It depends on:

1. a prior written statement given to the tenant; and
2. either an RICS valuation or marketing of the assignment of the lease.

For tenancies that began before 1 May 2026, the statement had to be given by 31 May 2026. The exact scope of the exception, and how it fits your provider's resale process, is set out in section 16F. Read it, or speak to a solicitor, before you rely on it.

For the wider picture, read the Renters' Rights Act rules for landlords selling.

Moving back in: Ground 1

If you want to live in the home again, Ground 1 lets you recover it for yourself or a listed family member, such as a spouse, partner, parent, sibling or child. It also needs 4 months' notice and is subject to the same 12-month protected period. The restricted period applies, except that you may let to, or alongside, one of the family members listed in the ground.

Your lease as a superior lease

Your lease from the provider is a superior lease to your tenant's tenancy. That affects two everyday rules:

Situation	Effect
Your lease bans pets	Refusing your tenant's pet request is always reasonable
Your lease needs the provider's consent for pets	Ask the provider within the 28-day deadline; your deadline then becomes 7 days after they answer. See pets
Your lease bars letting to people with children or benefit claimants	That term has no effect since 1 May 2026, except a proportionate restriction relating to families with children

Watch out: a superior-lease term doesn't let you ignore the discrimination ban. A blanket "no benefits" condition in a lease no longer protects a landlord who applies it.

Checklist for shared owners who let

• Your lease and provider allow you to sublet, on the terms you plan to use.
• Your tenant has a written statement of terms (new tenancies) or the Information Sheet (tenancies from before 1 May 2026).
• If you may want to sell, the shared-owner statement has been given, by 31 May 2026 for older tenancies.
• You know what your lease says about pets.
• The deposit is protected and the prescribed information given.
• You know when your region's database window opens.

What to do next

If you are planning to sell, work out the earliest date first with the Section 8 notice period calculator, then read the Ground 1A guide. For every other change the Act made, see the Renters' Rights Act hub.