The Renters’ Rights Act represents the most significant overhaul of residential property law in England in a generation. With major changes having taken effect on 1 May 2026, landlords must immediately audit their portfolios to avoid severe penalties—including newly introduced civil fines of up to £7,000 per breach.
To ensure your existing properties and tenancies are fully legally compliant right now, you must complete the following essential steps:
1. Statutory Notice Compliance (Immediate Action)
The transition to the new legal framework required explicit communication with existing tenants.
Issue the 2026 Statutory Information Sheet:
If you have not done so already, you must immediately issue "The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026" to all existing tenants. The legal deadline for this was 31 May 2026. Verify Section 21 Limitations: Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are completely abolished.
If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, you have a strict deadline of 31 July 2026 to apply to the courts for a possession order. After this date, old notices are permanently void.
2. Transition to the New Tenancy Structure
Fixed-term tenancies are a thing of the past.
Acknowledge the Shift to Periodic: All existing Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) have automatically converted into rolling, open-ended Assured Periodic Tenancies.
You cannot force a tenant to sign a new 6 or 12-month fixed-term renewal. Audit Rent Review Clauses: Any "rent review clauses" in your older tenancy agreements are now legally void.
Moving forward, you can only increase rent once per calendar year using the statutory Section 13 (Form 4A) procedure, which requires a minimum of two months’ written notice. The increase must strictly match open market rates.
3. Handle Tenant Pet Requests Lawfully
Tenants now hold a legal "Right to Request" a pet, and you cannot issue a blanket refusal without a valid, reasonable justification.
Establish a Written Approval Process: When a tenant requests a pet, you must respond in writing within the legally mandated timeframes.
If you refuse, you must provide clear, case-by-case evidence (e.g., building headlease restrictions completely banning animals). Mandate Pet Insurance: While you cannot refuse a pet unreasonably, you can legally require the tenant to maintain a specialized pet insurance policy to cover any potential damage to the property, protecting your investment.
4. Ensure Health, Safety & Property Standards
The government has significantly scaled up local council enforcement powers, enabling on-the-spot fines of up to £7,000 for landlords who fail to address property hazards.
Enforce Awaab’s Law & The Decent Homes Standard: Properties must be entirely free from serious health hazards, specifically damp and mould.
If a tenant reports severe damp or mould, you are legally bound to investigate and implement a fix within strict, rapid timelines. Keep Core Certificates Active: Ensure your foundational safety paperwork is up to date and copies have been served to the tenant:
Annual Gas Safety Certificate (served within 28 days of checking).
5-year Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
Valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)—currently minimum Band E, with planning required to hit Band C by 2030.
Working Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms installed on every habitable floor.
5. Prepare for Forthcoming 2026 Milestones
While the core legal framework is live, two major digital compliance systems are currently being rolled out and need to be on your radar:
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database: Expected to open on a regional basis later this year, you will be required by law to register yourself as a landlord, alongside a separate digital entry for each individual dwelling you own.
The PRS Ombudsman: All private residential landlords will be legally required to join a centralized Ombudsman scheme designed to resolve tenant complaints quickly without going to court.
The Eviction Reality: If you need to regain possession of your property, you can no longer rely on a simple notice. You must issue a Section 8 Notice relying strictly on the updated statutory grounds (such as 4 months' notice if you intend to sell the property or move into it yourself, or 4 weeks' notice for serious rent arrears).
