Latest blog posts • 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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Review of the Hello Neighbour online lettings platform

31 August 2026

Hello Neighbour "Let Agreed" board outside of a terraced house

I stopped using high street letting agents to find tenants in 2021, after having received bad service from the local branch of a national firm. One of my tenants suggested I use OpenRent another time, which I did in 2022, 2023 and 2024. However, when I looked for tenants in June 2026, I decided to

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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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Letting agent terms of business: termination clauses compared

25 August 2026

happy and sad smiley faces to review letting agent contracts

Are you a landlord who’s looking to sign up with a letting agent for full management? Or perhaps you’d like to take over the management yourself, or move to another agent, but you’re struggling to understand the terms of business and how much, if anything, it’s going to cost you to leave. Very few letting

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How much can landlords increase rent by in 2026?

24 August 2026

How much can landlords increase rent in 2026? There’s no legal cap in England, but the Renters’ Rights Act has changed how rent increases work. The only way to increase rent is now by serving a Form 4A under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Tenants can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal,

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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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Letting agents and the law on unfair terms in contracts with landlords

19 August 2026

woman signing contract electronically on an ipad

With the Renters’ Rights Act having banned fixed term periods in tenancy agreements and adding considerably more complexity to letting property in England, many letting agents have revised their terms and conditions and also how they price services for landlords. However, it is important from both a legal and an ethical point of view that

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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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How to sell a rental property in 2026

13 August 2026

For sale and to let boards outside Victorian terrace in Battersea

Savills released data on 1 May 2026, the day the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, estimating that 254,000 previously rented homes were listed for sale in the 12 months to the end of March. That works out at around 700 a day, 9% more than the year before and 28% more than two years

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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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