The government announced on 9 September 2026 that it will start rolling out the PRS Database of landlords and privately rented properties in England, on a region-by-region basis on 15 December 2026. The roll-out of the new landlord register will start with the West Midlands, where landlords will have until 14 March 2027 to register
PRS Database: how to register your rental property View Post »
The Renters’ Rights Act contains provisions to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, with the detail to be set out in regulations. Awaab’s Law currently only applies to social housing, and sets fixed timescales within which social landlords must investigate and fix serious hazards. It also enables tenants to enforce those timescales through
The Decent Homes Standard currently sets minimum standards for the condition of social homes in England. However, a revised Decent Homes Standard will be extended to the private rented sector in 2035, as part of the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act. The government confirmed in January 2026 that there will be a new Decent
The Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector under the Renters’ Rights Act View Post »
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 has fundamentally changed the way in which private landlords let properties in England, and has made sweeping changes to the Housing Act 1988 and other legislation. The Act intervenes in the contractual relationship between landlords and tenants, regulating every step in the tenancy life cycle, and increasing penalties for landlords
Renters’ Rights Act Guide: The 12 key provisions View Post »
The tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, due to black mould in the flat his parents rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing Association, underlined just how important it is for landlords to take damp and mould seriously. As well as potentially being bad for physical health, damp and mould are often very distressing, and can
Damp and mould in rental properties: who is responsible and what to do View Post »
Following the implementation of the tenancy reforms in the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026, the only way that landlords can increase rent for an assured periodic tenancy in England is by following the Section 13 process, and serving Form 4A on the tenants. If the tenant does not agree to the rent increase,
Section 13 rent increase challenges: First-tier Tribunal process and cases View Post »
Once the Renters’ Rights Act is fully implemented, landlords will need to do lots of things differently, and the failure to do many of them will expose the landlord to large fines. This blog post contains clear free checklists, which explain what landlords and letting agents will need to do differently when the various provisions
Free checklists to comply with Renters’ Rights Act View Post »
The Renters’ Rights Act has banned “rental discrimination”. This is a new legal concept which prevents landlords and letting agents from discriminating against prospective tenants or tenants because they have children or because they receive benefits. Although there is high awareness of the new rules banning rental discrimination, the rules are not well understood. Landlords
The rental discrimination rules in the Renters’ Rights Act View Post »
Following the implementation of tenancy reforms in the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May, landlords can no longer use the “no fault” evictions regime in Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict tenants. However, if landlords wish to gain possession to sell up or to move in, they can use Ground 1A (selling
Grounds 1A and 1: How to evict tenants to sell up or move in View Post »
The Renters’ Rights Act has introduced significant changes to the way landlords handle rent in advance that prohibit the payment of rent before the parties sign the agreement. Also, any clause in a new tenancy that requires a tenant to pay rent in advance, before the first day of a rent period, or for more
The rules banning rent in advance in Renters’ Rights Act View Post »
