// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Students like new tenancy freedoms - but landlords warn of higher rents
Eddie Lever was able to leave his tenancy more easily because of the Renters' Rights Act
When the Renters' Rights Act came into force in May it was described as the biggest change for tenants in England in a generation, giving more stability and security to the millions of people who rent from private landlords.
The legislation has also prompted a shake-up of the student rental market, which has posed challenges for landlords as it allows people to leave a tenancy rather than being tied in for the full academic year.
Eddie Lever had finished his first year at the University of Exeter when he decided the course wasn't for him.
The 20-year-old wanted to switch to studying international relations at the University of York but had already organised his house for the upcoming year.
But because of changes in the Renters' Rights Act, Eddie only had to give two months' notice before he could leave and stop paying rent.
The legislation ended fixed-term tenancies - where renters are tied in to contracts for a specific number of months. For students, previously contracts were generally for the full academic year.
Instead, properties are now rented on a rolling basis, which means tenants pay rent weekly or monthly with no fixed end date.
University-owned halls of residence and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation are exempt, external and can still offer fixed-term contracts so this change primarily affects students renting from a private landlord.
"If the Renters' Rights Act wasn't a thing, I don't think I would have been able to move universities because I would have been locked into the full [year] contract," Eddie explains.