Renters Rights Archives • The Independent Landlord

The rental discrimination rules in the Renters’ Rights Act

7 September 2026

Children jumping on a bed in a rental property

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 […]

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Section 13 rent increase challenges: First-tier Tribunal process and cases

31 August 2026

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,

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Grounds 1A and 1: How to evict tenants to sell up or move in

24 August 2026

For sale boards outside houses in south london

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

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The PRS Database: how to register your rental property

16 August 2026

man using a landlord database on a macbook

As part of the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act in England, the government will start rolling out the Private Rented Sector Database of landlords and most privately rented properties, or the PRS Database, on a region-by-region basis from “late 2026”. It is currently at the advanced beta-testing stage. Although it is referred to as

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The rules banning rent in advance in Renters’ Rights Act

10 August 2026

Macbook showing section 9 Renters' Rights Act prohibition of rent in advance

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

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Section 8 grounds for possession: up to date landlord guide

4 August 2026

Renters' Rights Act changes to grounds for possession

Now that the tenancy reforms in the Renters’ Rights Act are in force, landlords must use Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 to recover possession of their property. Section 21 “no fault” evictions have been abolished. The Renters’ Rights Act made a number of changes to Section 8, expanding and revising the grounds for

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Damp and mould in rental properties: who is responsible and what to do

27 July 2026

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

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How subletting works in England

23 July 2026

woman packing a suitcase to go travelling and will sublet her room

Subletting is a very complex area for tenants and landlords to navigate. Whilst it can help a tenant who needs to move out for legitimate reasons, it also exposes landlords to a lot of risk. This risk has increased since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, as it gives the First-tier Tribunal the power

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How to find and choose good tenants

23 July 2026

Choosing good tenants is probably the most important thing for a buy to let or HMO landlord to do. Whether landlords outsource the tenant-find to letting agents, or find tenants themselves using online agents, the principles remain the same. It’s not always easy finding good tenants. Many applicants appear charming and convincing when they view

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The Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector under the Renters’ Rights Act

16 July 2026

Decent Homes Standard Policy January 2026 private rented sector

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

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