Articles

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (the Act) came into force on 1 May 2026 and will change the way in which schools manage their residential property portfolio which is let on a tenancy. 

With the abolition of section 21 "no fault" notices, unless the tenant is happy to vacate voluntarily, schools will only be able to terminate a tenancy through service of a Section 8 Notice in reliance on one of the possession grounds set out in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. These grounds cover a range of scenarios including non-payment of rent and illegal activity by the tenant at the property.

For many schools, ground 5C will be one of the most important tools available. We will comment on this further below in order to help schools put themselves in the best position to obtain possession when required.

The Fair Work Agency launched in April 2026 with a strong early focus on National Minimum Wage enforcement. Schools should take this opportunity to review their pay practices, working hours, and deductions to reduce the risk of non-compliance.

On 26 May 2026, the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, wrote to Sarah Cardell, the Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), requesting an independent review of the English early years childcare market.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has overturned findings of direct race and belief discrimination arising from disciplinary action taken against an employee who rejected the concept of systemic racism.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal has held that an employer could not retrospectively apply an undisclosed cap to a bonus after the employee had met the conditions for payment.

An Employment Tribunal has found that paying sponsored workers more than domestic workers carrying out substantially the same role amounted to indirect race discrimination where the employer could not justify the resulting pay disparity.