Alto has confirmed a series of product updates designed to help agents prepare for the Renters’ Rights Act.

The Act’s first major changes come into force on 1^st May after receiving Royal Assent last October.

It introduces sweeping changes to the rental sector, 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 says it is taking a different approach, and focusing on embedding the new requirements directly into the day-to-day workflows agents use to manage properties and tenancies.

Agents shouldn’t have to interpret legislation every time they create a tenancy or agree a rent.”

Owen Rogers, 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.”

Agent requirements

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 the 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.

Creating safeguards

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.

The challenge isn’t understanding the changes, it’s the operational impact.”

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.”

And he went on to say: “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.”