The Complete Landlord Compliance Checklist for the Renters' Rights Act

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Phase 1 takes effect on 1 May 2026 — and it changes how you manage every tenancy in your portfolio. If you're a sole-operator letting agent or self-managing landlord in England, this landlord compliance checklist covers every Phase 1 requirement you need to address before enforcement begins.

This checklist covers 12 specific compliance areas. Each one includes what changes, what you need to do, and the deadline.

1. Stop issuing Section 21 notices

What changes: Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are abolished from 1 May 2026. Any Section 21 notice served before that date remains valid only if the court claim is filed before 1 May 2026.

What to do:

• Review every active Section 21 notice in your portfolio
• For notices already served: file the court claim before 1 May 2026 if you want to rely on them
• For planned evictions: switch to Section 8 grounds (see the full list on legislation.gov.uk)
• Update your possession procedure documentation

Deadline: 1 May 2026. After this date, no new Section 21 notices can be served, and existing ones expire if no court claim has been filed. For a detailed guide to the transition, see Section 21 abolished: what landlords need to do.

2. Prepare for automatic AST conversion

What changes: All Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) — including fixed-term ASTs — automatically convert to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. This happens by operation of law, not by agreement.

What to do:

• Identify every fixed-term AST in your portfolio
• Notify tenants that their tenancy will become periodic (no legal obligation to do so, but good practice reduces confusion)
• Update your tenancy management records to reflect periodic status
• Remove any fixed-term break clauses from your active tracking — they no longer apply

Deadline: Automatic on 1 May 2026. No action required for conversion itself, but your processes need to reflect the change.

3. Update your rent increase process to Form 4A

What changes: All rent increases for assured tenancies must use the new Section 13 process with Form 4A (replacing the current Form 4). Informal rent increase agreements — even if the tenant agrees in writing — are no longer valid.

What to do:

• Download Form 4A when it becomes available on GOV.UK
• Set up a reminder system: rent can only increase once per year, and not within the first 12 months of the tenancy
• Give at least 2 months' notice using Form 4A
• Keep copies of every Form 4A served — councils can demand 12 months of documents

Deadline: 1 May 2026. Any rent increase notice served from this date must use Form 4A.

Key restriction: You cannot increase rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and no more than once in any 12-month period. For the full step-by-step process, see our Form 4A rent increase guide. You can also use the free Rent Increase Calculator to find your next valid increase date.

4. Stop rent bidding immediately

What changes: Advertising a property and encouraging or accepting offers above the stated asking rent is banned. This applies to landlords, agents, and anyone acting on their behalf.

What to do:

• Set a specific asking rent on every listing — no "offers above £X" or "best offer" language
• Instruct all staff to refuse offers above the advertised rent
• Update listing templates on Rightmove, Zoopla, and OpenRent
• Document your advertised rent for each property (screenshot listings)

Deadline: 1 May 2026. Financial penalty of up to £7,000 for a first offence.

5. Cap rent in advance at 1 month

What changes: You cannot request or accept more than 1 month's rent in advance. This closes the practice of requiring 3-6 months upfront from tenants who may not pass traditional referencing.

What to do:

• Update your application process to remove any option for advance rent payments beyond 1 month
• Review any existing arrangements where tenants are paying multiple months ahead — these continue until the next payment cycle, then revert to monthly
• Update your referencing criteria — you can no longer use advance rent as a workaround for weaker applications

Deadline: 1 May 2026 for all new tenancies. Existing advance arrangements phase out naturally.

6. Issue Written Statements of tenancy terms

What changes: Landlords must provide a Written Statement of key tenancy terms to tenants. For new tenancies from 1 May 2026, this must be provided at the start. For existing tenancies, the government will publish an Information Sheet that must be provided to all current tenants.

What to do:

• Wait for the government to publish the prescribed Written Statement format and Information Sheet (expected March-April 2026)
• For new tenancies from 1 May 2026: provide the Written Statement before or at the start of the tenancy
• For existing tenancies: provide the government Information Sheet within 28 days of its publication date
• File copies of every Written Statement and Information Sheet issued

Deadline: 1 May 2026 for new tenancies. Existing tenants must receive the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026 (28 days after Phase 1).

7. Update your tenant selection process

What changes: Blanket bans on tenants who receive benefits or have children are explicitly prohibited. You can still apply objective, consistent selection criteria — but "No DSS" or "No children" policies are unlawful.

What to do:

• Remove any blanket exclusion language from all listings and application forms
• Document your selection criteria in writing: affordability thresholds, referencing requirements, and any reasonable property-specific restrictions (e.g., a studio flat may legitimately not suit a family of five)
• Train anyone involved in lettings to apply criteria consistently
• Keep written records of why applicants were accepted or rejected

Deadline: 1 May 2026. Penalties apply for discriminatory advertising or practices from this date.

8. Set up a pet request process

What changes: Tenants can make a written request to keep a pet. You must respond within 28 days with either consent or a written refusal with reasons. Silence defaults to consent. You may require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance.

What to do:

• Create a standard pet request form or process
• Define your reasonable refusal criteria (property size, insurance restrictions, leasehold restrictions — these must be genuine and documented)
• Set up a tracking system so no request goes unanswered past 28 days
• Consider a standard pet damage insurance requirement to include in your response

Deadline: 1 May 2026. If you don't respond to a pet request within 28 days, consent is automatically given.

9. Verify your safety certificate compliance

What changes: The RRA doesn't create new safety certificate requirements, but it strengthens enforcement. Councils can now enter properties and demand 12 months of compliance documentation. Non-compliance with existing requirements can trigger Rent Repayment Orders.

Current requirements to verify:

• Gas Safety Certificate — annual, from a Gas Safe registered engineer. Required for every property with a gas supply. (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998)
• EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) — every 5 years, from a qualified electrician. Any "C1" (danger present) or "C2" (potentially dangerous) findings must be remedied within 28 days. (The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020)
• EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) — valid for 10 years. Minimum E rating currently required (proposed C rating in future). (The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015)
• Smoke alarms — on every storey with a habitable room. Carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas boiler, wood burner, etc.). (The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022)
• Deposit protection — within 30 days of receipt, in a government-approved scheme. Prescribed information issued to tenant.

What to do:

• Audit every property: list the expiry date of each certificate
• Set reminders for renewals at least 4 weeks before expiry
• File digital copies where councils can access them quickly

Deadline: Ongoing. But from 1 May 2026, enforcement is stronger and penalties are more likely.

10. Prepare for Awaab's Law provisions

What changes: The RRA introduces a duty for landlords to address serious hazards within prescribed timeframes (modelled on social housing requirements after the death of Awaab Ishak from mould exposure in 2020). The specific timeframes will be set by secondary legislation.

What to do:

• Establish a hazard reporting and response process now — don't wait for the specific timeframes
• Document every maintenance request with dates, actions taken, and outcomes
• Prioritise damp, mould, and structural issues — these are the hazards most likely to trigger enforcement
• Keep photographic records of property condition at check-in, inspection, and check-out

Deadline: Secondary legislation pending. Expected to apply from Phase 1 but specific timeframes TBC. The duty itself is in the Act.

11. Review your landlord contact information (Section 48)

What changes: Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 already requires landlords to provide tenants with an address in England or Wales for serving notices. The RRA strengthens enforcement of this requirement.

What to do:

• Verify that every tenant has a current, valid contact address for you (or the managing agent acting on your behalf)
• The address must be in England or Wales — not a PO Box, not overseas
• Update any tenancy agreements that list an outdated address
• If you use a managing agent, confirm that the agent's address satisfies the Section 48 requirement

Deadline: Ongoing legal requirement. Enforcement strengthened from 1 May 2026.

12. Budget for potential penalties

The penalty regime under the RRA is significant:

Offence type	First offence	Repeat offence
Financial penalty (civil)	Up to £7,000	Up to £40,000
Criminal prosecution	Unlimited fine	Unlimited fine
Rent Repayment Order	Up to 12 months' rent	Up to 24 months' rent

Councils also gain new investigatory powers: they can enter properties and demand documents going back 12 months.

What to do:

• Set aside a compliance budget — at minimum, cover any outstanding certificate renewals and process updates
• Consider whether your current professional indemnity insurance covers RRA penalties
• If you manage properties for landlord clients, update your management agreements to clarify who bears compliance responsibility

What comes next: Phase 2 and Phase 3

Phase 1 on 1 May 2026 is only the beginning. Phase 2 introduces:

• Private Rented Sector Database — landlords must register properties and upload compliance data
• Mandatory Ombudsman membership — all private landlords must join a government-approved ombudsman scheme

Phase 3 introduces the Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector — specific property condition requirements that go beyond current HHSRS standards.

Dates for Phase 2 and Phase 3 have not been announced. Secondary legislation is still being drafted. For the latest confirmed dates, see the RRA key dates timeline or use the RRA Deadline Tracker to see countdowns for every milestone.

Your compliance action plan

If you're starting from scratch, prioritise in this order:

1. Safety certificates — these are the easiest to enforce and the most likely to trigger penalties. Get gas, electrical, and EPC certificates current.
2. Section 21 transition — if you have active Section 21 notices, decide whether to file court claims before 1 May 2026 or switch to Section 8 grounds.
3. Rent increase process — set up Form 4A procedures and tracking for the once-per-year, 2-month-notice requirement.
4. Written Statements — prepare to issue these as soon as the government publishes the prescribed format.
5. Everything else — rent bidding, advance rent caps, pet request process, tenant selection criteria.

For a personalised assessment of your portfolio's readiness, try the free RRA Readiness Checker — it scores your compliance across all 12 areas and generates a prioritised action list.

This guide applies to private rented sector properties in England only. It does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions about your situation, consult a solicitor specialising in landlord and tenant law.

Information is current as of the date shown above. We review this content regularly and update it as new secondary legislation is published.

Sources

• Renters' Rights Act 2025 — legislation.gov.uk
• Renting is Changing — GOV.UK campaign
• Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2 (Section 8 grounds) — legislation.gov.uk
• Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 — legislation.gov.uk
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 — legislation.gov.uk
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 — legislation.gov.uk
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, Section 48 — legislation.gov.uk