The Complete Landlord Compliance Checklist for the Renters' Rights Act

Corrected on 2026-07-30 (second correction): section 6 previously said the new-tenancy Written Statement could be given "before or at the start of the tenancy", and gave "1 May 2026" as its deadline. HA 1988 s.16D(4) requires the statement "before the tenancy is entered into" — before the agreement is made — and 1 May 2026 is the date the duty commenced, not a per-tenancy deadline. Following re-verification against the operative text of s.16D.

Corrected on 2026-07-30: two items were re-verified against the current statute during the 2026-07-30 content review and rewritten. (1) The Section 21 transition deadline previously read "31 July 2026 or within 6 months of serving, whichever is earlier" — that omits the second statutory branch, under which a notice requiring more than two months' notice runs for only 4 months from the date specified in it (RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 4(2)). (2) The action plan previously said to wait for the government to publish the prescribed Written Statement format; it has been published law since 1 May 2026 (SI 2026/324).

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Phase 1 took 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. For the operational recap of what changed at 00:01 on commencement day, see the Renters' Rights Act is now live. For a phase-by-phase breakdown of when the Renters' Rights Act comes into effect, see our commencement-date guide. For the underlying legal context — what the Act actually does and which sections drive each Phase 1 change — see the Renters' Rights Act 2025 definitive guide. For a tenant-side view of the same changes (useful when explaining to your tenants what's new), see private tenant rights under the Renters' Rights Act.

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. A Section 21 notice served before that date only stays alive if you ask the court to issue the claim within its "applicable period", defined by RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 4(2) (which replaces HA 1988 s.21(4D) and (4E) with new subsections (4D) to (4EB)). There are two branches, and both are capped by the same backstop:

Notice type	Applicable period	Backstop
s.21(1) notice, or a s.21(4) notice requiring two months' notice	6 months beginning with the date the notice was given	31 July 2026 (3 months from the 1 May 2026 commencement date) — whichever ends first
s.21(4) notice requiring more than two months' notice	4 months beginning with the date specified in the notice	31 July 2026 — whichever ends first

Note the second branch: if your notice gave more than two months, your deadline runs from the date specified in it, not from service, and the window is four months rather than six. Do not assume the six-month figure applies to every notice.

What to do:

• Review every active Section 21 notice (Form 6A) in your portfolio and work out which branch above it falls in
• For notices already served: ask the court to issue the claim before the applicable period ends — and in no case later than 31 July 2026
• For planned evictions: switch to Section 8 grounds (see the full list on legislation.gov.uk)
• Update your possession procedure documentation

Deadline: No new Section 21 notices may be served from 1 May 2026. A notice already served ceases to be valid at the end of its applicable period — 6 months from the date it was given, or 4 months from the date specified where the notice required more than two months' notice, and 31 July 2026 at the latest — unless the court has been asked to issue the claim before then. GOV.UK's Form N5B guidance states the same rule in shorthand — "the section 21 notice expiry date [or] 31 July 2026", whichever comes first — where "expiry date" is the end of the applicable period above. 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. For the full operational impact of AST conversion to statutory periodic tenancies — including how fixed-term break clauses and end dates cease to have effect — see the dedicated guide. If you're drafting fresh agreements after 1 May 2026, our post-RRA assured tenancy template reflects the new periodic-by-default reality (the term "AST" is retired by RRA s.2 — your new templates should label tenancies as "assured" only).

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 require your compliance documents and information when investigating

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 major listing portals
• Document your advertised rent for each property (screenshot listings)

Deadline: 1 May 2026. Rent-bidding is prohibited by RRA 2025 s.56 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/56). A local housing authority may impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 per breach under RRA 2025 s.57 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/57).

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. What you owe depends on whether the tenancy is new, existing-and-written, or existing-and-wholly-oral — RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 7 splits the transitional obligation into three branches.

What to do:

• New tenancies from 1 May 2026: provide the prescribed Written Statement under HA 1988 s.16D before the tenancy is entered into. s.16D(4) is explicit — "the statement under subsection (2) must be given before the tenancy is entered into" — so the cut-off is the moment the agreement is made, which can be well before the tenant moves in. Issuing it on move-in day does not comply
• Existing tenancies that are wholly or partly in writing: s.16D and s.16E are disapplied for you by RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 7(1)(a); you owe only the statutory Tenant Information Sheet under para 7(2), to be given within one month of 1 May 2026 (by 31 May 2026). The Information Sheet is prescribed by SI 2026/324 (in force 1 May 2026)
• Existing tenancies that are wholly oral: s.16D still applies, but para 7(5) substitutes the s.16D(4) trigger — for "before the tenancy is entered into" read "before the end of the period of one month beginning with the commencement date", so you must give the prescribed Written Statement by 31 May 2026
• File copies of every Written Statement and Information Sheet issued

Deadline: for new tenancies, before each tenancy is entered into — 1 May 2026 is when the duty itself started, not a per-tenancy deadline; 31 May 2026 for the Information Sheet (existing written/partly-written tenancies) and for the modified s.16D Written Statement (existing wholly oral tenancies). Under RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 7(2) (and para 7(5) for wholly oral tenancies). The government-produced Information Sheet is prescribed by SI 2026/324 (made 18 March 2026, in force 1 May 2026).

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. The Act requires a written response within 28 days of the request (RRA 2025 s.11). It is silent on the consequence of a late response — there is no deemed-consent rule in the statute. The safer practice is always to respond in writing within 28 days, with reasons if refusing. The pet-insurance clause from the Bill was removed before Royal Assent; you can agree a damage-related condition with the tenant, but you cannot unilaterally require pet insurance as a statutory condition of consent.

What to do:

• Create a standard pet request form or process
• Define your reasonable refusal criteria (property size, genuine leasehold restrictions — these must be documented)
• Set up a tracking system so no request goes unanswered past 28 days
• If you want a pet-damage condition, discuss it with the tenant and include it in the consent on an agreed basis — a damage-related condition on consent must be agreed between landlord and tenant under general contract terms (RRA 2025 s.11 inserts HA 1988 s.16A; the pet-insurance clause was removed from the Bill before Royal Assent — see https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/11)

Deadline: 1 May 2026. RRA 2025 s.11 is silent on the consequence of not responding within 28 days; there is no deemed-consent rule in the statute. Always respond within 28 days in writing, with reasons if refusing.

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 business premises without a warrant and require compliance documents and information when investigating. 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. (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). (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.). (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
• Run a documented inspection at least every 6 months — see our landlord inspection checklist template for the structure councils accept as evidence of compliance

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 statutory hook is already in the Act. RRA 2025 s.60 amends Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s.10A to extend the hazard-remediation covenant from "relevant social housing leases" to any dwelling-house in England let on a lease for a term of less than 7 years (which captures most assured tenancies in the private rented sector). The prescribed timeframes for investigating and remedying specified hazards (damp, mould, excess cold, electrical hazards, fire) will be set by regulations under s.10A(3) — those regulations have not yet been published. Section 60 itself is also not yet commenced: SI 2026/421 brings much of the RRA into force on 1 May 2026, but s.60 is not in that commencement list. The PRS extension therefore operates on a two-stage path: s.60 commencement SI, then s.10A(3) regulations setting the timeframes.

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: Section 60 not yet commenced; s.10A(3) regulations pending. The duty hook is in the Act (RRA 2025 s.60 / LTA 1985 s.10A as amended); the operative timeframes await secondary legislation.

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	Standard breach (s.16I)	Alternative to prosecution of s.16J offence (s.16K)
Financial penalty (civil)	Standard breach (RRA 2025 s.15 / HA 1988 s.16I): up to £7,000 per breach	Alternative to prosecution of a s.16J offence (RRA 2025 s.15 / HA 1988 s.16K): up to £40,000 (local authority may impose a civil penalty instead of prosecuting)
Criminal prosecution	Unlimited fine	Unlimited fine

Rent Repayment Orders: Before 1 May 2026: Rent Repayment Orders cap at up to 12 months' rent under HPA 2016 s.44(2). From 1 May 2026 (Phase 1 commencement): up to 2 years' rent for any qualifying offence, under RRA 2025 s.103 amending s.44. The 2-year cap applies universally from Phase 1 — there is no separate "first offence vs repeat offender" cap.

Councils also gain new investigatory powers: they can enter business premises without a warrant and require documents and information when investigating — and can compel them from anyone who acted as landlord, agent or licensor for the property in the previous 12 months, not just the current landlord.

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 ask the court to issue the claim within the applicable period (6 months from the date the notice was given, or 4 months from the date specified where the notice required more than two months' notice — and 31 July 2026 at the latest either way; see section 1 above) or switch to Section 8 grounds for possession. If arrears are the reason, check your figures against the Ground 8 rent-arrears threshold — it rose to 3 months / 13 weeks on 1 May 2026 and must be met both when you serve and at the hearing.
3. Rent increase process — set up Form 4A procedures and tracking for the once-per-year, 2-month-notice requirement.
4. Written Statements — the prescribed content is already law, so there is nothing left to wait for. SI 2026/324 reg.2(2) provides that "for the purpose of section 16D(2) of the 1988 Act, the terms and information which must be included in a written statement are set out in the Schedule to these Regulations", and the SI has been in force since 1 May 2026. Build the Schedule's content into your issuing process now.
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.

RentersActReady's outputs and action lists are general guidance based on the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and accompanying statutory instruments. Selective-licensing schemes vary by local council — RAR does not encode local licensing conditions, so verify with your local authority (and Propertymark, ARLA, or your governing body) for your specific portfolio. Not legal or professional advice.

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