Landlord compliance checklist 2026: Renters’ Rights Act guide

The rental compliance landscape for private landlords in England changed substantially on 1 May 2026 when the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force. Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished, all assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, and a wide range of new duties have either taken effect or been scheduled to take effect over the next few years. This checklist sets out where landlords stand in 2026 and what is on the horizon.

The 2026 landlord compliance checklist

For a tenancy granted or in force on or after 1 May 2026, a private landlord in England needs to address the following:

1. Tenancy type. Every assured shorthold tenancy automatically became an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026. New tenancies are granted as periodic from the outset. Fixed terms can no longer be used for assured residential tenancies.
2. The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026. Every landlord had to give every tenant a copy of the statutory information sheet on or before 31 May 2026. Failure to comply carries a penalty of up to £7,000 per tenancy. Download the information sheet from gov.uk.
3. “How to Rent” booklet. The booklet must still be served at the start of every new tenancy and at the start of any subsequent tenancy where the booklet has been updated. The booklet was substantially revised in 2026 to reflect the abolition of Section 21 and the new rights for tenants. Always serve the current version.
4. Deposit protection. Tenancy deposits remain protected under one of the three government-authorised schemes, with the prescribed information served on the tenant within 30 days.
5. Gas safety. A valid annual gas safety certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer must be served on the tenant at the start of the tenancy and within 28 days of each annual check.
6. Electrical safety. A valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) must be in place, renewed at least every five years, and served on the tenant.
7. Energy Performance Certificate. A valid EPC (minimum band E for most properties) must be in place and served on the tenant.
8. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, tested on the first day of the tenancy.
9. Right-to-rent checks. Verify the immigration status of every adult occupier before granting the tenancy.
10. Pets requests. A tenant has a right to request a pet, and the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. Build a written process for handling requests.
11. Rent increases. Limited to once per year, at the market rate, with statutory notice. A tenant can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal.
12. Upfront rent. Capped at one month. Demanding six or twelve months in advance is no longer permitted.
13. Discrimination. Refusing to let to prospective tenants because they have children or claim benefits is unlawful.
14. Bidding wars. Soliciting or accepting offers above the advertised rent is prohibited.

Possession proceedings under the new regime

Section 21 no-fault evictions were abolished on 1 May 2026. Landlords now have to rely on a statutory ground under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988. The grounds were strengthened and expanded as part of the reforms, with the most commonly relied-on grounds now being:

• Ground 1 (mandatory, two months’ notice): landlord or close family member intends to occupy the property.
• Ground 1A (mandatory, two months’ notice): landlord intends to sell the property.
• Ground 8 amended (mandatory, four weeks’ notice): tenant has been at least two months in arrears on three separate occasions in a three-year period.
• Ground 14 amended (discretionary, immediate notice): antisocial behaviour, with the definition broadened to include conduct “capable of causing nuisance or annoyance”.

If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, you had until 31 July 2026 to issue court proceedings on it. After that date, pre-commencement Section 21 notices are unenforceable and you have to restart under section 8.

For a fuller picture of the new possession regime, read our guide to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and to evicting a tenant under the new rules.

New duties on the way

Three further sets of duties are scheduled to come into force in stages and need to be on every landlord’s radar now.

PRS Database registration

Part 2, Chapter 3 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 establishes a Private Rented Sector Database. Every private landlord in England will need to register, with both a landlord entry and a separate dwelling entry for each property. Registration is expected to open from late 2026 on a regional rollout. Letting or marketing a property without an active registration will be unlawful, with civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a first breach (section 82) and up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution for repeat or serious breaches (section 92). Letting agents will be prohibited from managing properties for unregistered landlords. Read our PRS Database guide for the detail.

Landlord Ombudsman scheme

Every private landlord will also need to join a government-approved Landlord Ombudsman scheme, providing tenants with redress without the need to go to court. The Ombudsman is a separate but linked obligation from the PRS Database. A scheme administrator has not yet been publicly designated; the service is expected to be operational in 2028.

Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law

The Decent Homes Standard will apply to the private rented sector for the first time from 2035, when local authority enforcement begins. Properties will need to be free of serious hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, have modern facilities and services, be properly heated, and be free of damp and mould.

Awaab’s Law, which has been in force for social landlords since 27 October 2025 under the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1042), requires landlords to investigate and remedy serious hazards within strict timeframes. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 contains the legal framework to extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. Secondary legislation is awaited. Read our Awaab’s Law guide for the staged hazard scope and timeframes.

The cost of getting compliance wrong

Penalties under the new regime are materially higher than under the old one. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces fines of up to £7,000 for a first breach of most duties and up to £40,000 (or criminal prosecution) for repeat or serious breaches. Banning orders and offence records are published on the PRS Database and accessible to councils and the public. Letting agents are themselves liable if they manage a property for an unregistered landlord.

Treating compliance as a one-off setup task is no longer sufficient. Landlords need a system for tracking certificates, deadlines, registration status and tenant communications across the portfolio.

Speak to our property litigation team

Our landlord and tenant solicitors advise private landlords on Renters’ Rights Act compliance, PRS Database registration, the Landlord Ombudsman scheme, and the new section 8 possession regime. Call us on 020 7485 8811 or contact us online to speak to a member of the team.