The Good Landlord Handbook: Succeed as a landlord under the Renters’ Rights Act by Suzanne Smith is the practical guide that landlords, letting agents and property professionals in England need to navigate the Renters’ Rights Act and beyond.
On 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act changed how tenancies in England work, with significant penalties for breaches.
The Good Landlord Handbook is a comprehensive, practical guide to letting and managing rental property in England under the Renters’ Rights Act. Covering single lets, HMOs and high rent tenancies, it goes through each stage of a tenancy, combining clear, actionable guidance on compliance with real-world advice on handling the tricky issues that every landlord faces.
But this isn’t a mere compliance manual that goes through the Renters’ Rights Act. Instead, it explains what the new regime means in practice: the “what” and the “how” of providing a good service for tenants at every stage of a tenancy as a good landlord.
Tenants are landlords’ customers, and landlords who provide a great service build stronger businesses. When landlords focus on giving people a genuinely good home, the tenants stay longer, the problems are fewer, and the business can almost take care of itself.
Being a good landlord is good for tenants and good for business.
The Good Landlord Handbook was published by Century from Penguin Random House on 6 August. You can now buy it from Amazon and Waterstones, or order it at your local bookshop.
*The Independent Landlord is an affiliate of both Amazon and Waterstones, and earns from qualifying purchases
The Good Landlord Handbook at a glance
- What’s inside The Good Landlord Handbook ?
- Who is The Good Landlord Handbook suitable for?
- Why The Good Landlord Handbook is the best book for the Renters’ Rights Act
- From self-published to published by Penguin
- Reviews for The Good Landlord Handbook by Suzanne Smith
- What does “good landlord” mean?
- About the author of The Good Landlord Handbook , Suzanne Smith
- Where can I buy The Good Landlord Handbook ?
What’s inside The Good Landlord Handbook?
This detailed yet digestible book is structured around the lifecycle of a tenancy, and incorporates the Renters’ Rights Act in every chapter. The Good Landlord Handbook has 4 parts, which are divided into 16 different chapters, covering the following:
- Part I: Foundations. The business of being a landlord, Making Tax Digital, a plain-English overview of the Renters’ Rights Act, key legal obligations, and how to work with or without letting agents.
- Part II: Before the tenancy. Getting a property ready to let, EPCs, setting rent under the new rules, finding and vetting tenants, setting up a compliant assured periodic tenancy, and checking tenants in.
- Part III: During the tenancy. Property management for single lets and HMOs, self-managing, handling repairs, damp and mould, subletting, pets, inspections, rent in advance, rent increases, and rent arrears.
- Part IV: Ending the tenancy. The end of Section 21, the revamped Section 8 grounds for possession, serving notices, recovering possession, deposit returns, and everything in between.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is not a bolt-on. As well as meriting a standalone chapter, it is integrated throughout the book, because this is now the way landlords need to operate.
With over 100 footnotes for those who want to dig deeper, plus extensive appendices covering legislation, civil penalties, implementation timelines and further resources, this is a book you’ll keep coming back to.
Who is The Good Landlord Handbook suitable for?
The Good Landlord Handbook has been described as “a guiding light” and “a must-read for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the Renters’ Rights Act”. It has actionable, practical tips to understand how to comply with the Renters’ Rights Act, and be a successful landlord.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been a landlord for years, this book gives you a clear, practical framework for complying with the Renters’ Rights Act and succeeding as a landlord.
‘The Good Landlord Handbook’ is also a valuable resource for letting agents, mortgage brokers and local government officials working with landlords in the private rented sector, who want to understand the Renters’ Rights Act.
Why The Good Landlord Handbook is the best book for the Renters’ Rights Act
The Good Landlord Handbook is the number 1 best-selling book for landlords and letting agents who want to understand how to operate successfully under the Renters’ Rights Act.
The Act isn’t treated as a bolt-on. As well as having its own dedicated chapter, the new rules are woven into every chapter across the entire tenancy cycle, because compliance is now part of how we let and manage property.
From setting up assured periodic tenancies and handling rent increases to navigating the new possession grounds, the book walks you through the practicalities: what you need to do, and when.
Written by Suzanne Smith, a former corporate solicitor, hands-on portfolio landlord and acknowledged expert on the Renters’ Rights Act, The Good Landlord Handbook is the practical guide the sector has been waiting for.
From self-published to published by Penguin
Suzanne Smith originally self-published the paperback edition of The Good Landlord Handbook on Amazon on 5 March 2026. It was an instant success, reaching #1 bestselling status on Amazon in multiple categories.
Within one week of publication, a commissioning editor from Penguin Random House contacted Suzanne via her website saying they loved the book, and wondered if she would be interested in publishing with them to help bring the book to an even wider audience.
Suzanne accepted their offer, and Penguin Random House published The Good Landlord Handbook (Century imprint) on 6 August 2026, and is available on Amazon and Waterstones. Suzanne has removed her self-published edition.
For Suzanne, the reason to publish with Penguin is reach. Some 95% of England’s 2.4 million landlords don’t belong to a landlord association, around half don’t use a letting agent, and they might not realise just how much the law has changed and what they need to do differently.
Suzanne says: “I want to help as many landlords as possible with a practical guide in plain English that explains what to do, when, and why. Landlords who understand the rules look after their tenants better, and have happier long-term tenancies. It’s a virtuous circle. Penguin makes it easier for landlords to find my book, whether they spot it on a table in a bookshop or in their local library. That’s why I said yes.”
Reviews for The Good Landlord Handbook by Suzanne Smith
As reported by Helen Gregory in LandlordZONE, The Good Landlord Handbook “topped the charts”, reaching the number 1 best seller position on Amazon for both the paperback and the Kindle in multiple categories, including real estate, law for small businesses, and business development & entrepreneurship, just days after publication. It has remained a best seller ever since.
Tom Entwistle recommended The Good Landlord Handbook in his article for LandlordZONE, The property guru trap: “you can learn as much, if not more, from a couple of £10 books on property investing than you can from attending these courses […] The Good Landlord Handbook: Succeed as a landlord under the Renters’ Rights Act by Suzanne Smith – this is bang up to date with the latest laws, written by an experienced landlord and former solicitor”.
Rave reviews for The Good Landlord Handbook have been coming from all parts of the private rented sector. Here’s a selection of reviews:
In my view, having read through the text, this is probably the most comprehensive book on the market today for the private rented sector landlord: there is very little if anything the modern landlord needs to know that’s outside the scope of this book. In my view it’s a book every landlord (and letting agent) involved in letting property, should read.
‘The Good Landlord Handbook’ is very readable, gets straight to the point, and has vital information for landlords.
Suzanne has written a must-have reference manual suitable for the new world landlords find themselves in in 2026; meticulously referenced and researched, no stone is left unturned. A must-read – including the appendices!
Suzanne Smith’s ‘The Good Landlord Handbook: Succeed as a landlord under the Renters’ Rights Act is a timely and indispensable resource for property owners navigating the complexities of the new legislation.
Meticulously structured and easy to read, Suzanne distils complex legal jargon into clear, actionable advice, with checklists, templates, and real-world examples that make this an erudite yet thoroughly practical handbook.
In a landscape where landlord responsibilities are more scrutinised than ever, this book is a guiding light and a must-read for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the Renters’ Rights Act.
This book is one that every landlord should have and use as a reference – a true ‘landlording bible’.
Suzanne’s dual perspective as a former corporate solicitor and hands-on landlord gives it real authority, but what sets this book apart is Suzanne’s ethos: that good landlording means going beyond mere compliance and doing right by tenants, not just avoiding penalties.
This book is balanced, practical and refreshingly straight-talking with detailed source references for those who like to geek out. I am delighted this resource is available to help landlords navigate the new regulatory landscape, and stay compliant and solvent.
What does “good landlord” mean?
Here is a quote from the Introduction of The Good Landlord Handbook which explains what “good landlord” means:
I believe that being a “good landlord” is a useful concept for landlords. It recognises that housing is different from other products and services. Good landlords have a sense of social responsibility and balance the needs of their tenants with the fact that being a private landlord is a business and not the provision of social housing.
The entry-level requirement for being a good landlord goes beyond mere compliance with the letter of the law. It means complying with the spirit and intent of the law, not trying to wriggle out of things or find technical loopholes. The law is the minimum standard, and good landlords shouldn’t stop there. Instead, they try to do the right thing, even if it means doing more than is strictly necessary under the law.
Suzanne Smith, The Good Landlord Handbook, Introduction
I also quoted in my book the then Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who described good landlords as those “trying to do the right thing” when he announced the creation of the Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter in 2023. I like that.
About the author of The Good Landlord Handbook, Suzanne Smith
Suzanne Smith is a bestselling author, former corporate solicitor with 25 years’ experience, and portfolio landlord. She is also the founder of The Independent Landlord, where she helps landlords and property professionals navigate the private rented sector through her blog, YouTube channel and membership community, The Independent Landlord Hub.
Suzanne is a respected expert on the Renters’ Rights Act. In 2025, The Mortgage Works, the UK’s largest buy-to-let mortgage lender, chose her as their first external content partner. She also sits as an independent lay member on Propertymark’s disciplinary panel.
Where can I buy The Good Landlord Handbook?
The Good Landlord Handbook is available in paperback and ebook formats.
In advance of the publication of the Penguin edition on 6 August 2026, Suzanne withdrew her self-published edition from Amazon and her Shopify store.
You can now buy the paperback and Kindle versions of the Penguin edition from Amazon, Waterstones and your local bookshop.
