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. For a phase-by-phase breakdown of when the Renters' Rights Act comes into effect, see our commencement-date guide.

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 court possession proceedings are commenced by 31 July 2026 — or within 6 months of the notice being served, whichever is earlier.

What to do:

• Review every active Section 21 notice in your portfolio
• For notices already served: commence court possession proceedings by 31 July 2026 (or within 6 months of serving, whichever is earlier)
• 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. Notices already served expire on 31 July 2026 (or 6 months from service, whichever is earlier) unless court possession proceedings have been commenced. 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.

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 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 or at the start of the tenancy
• 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) modifies the s.16D(4) deadline trigger — you must give the prescribed Written Statement within one month of 1 May 2026 (by 31 May 2026), not at tenancy start
• File copies of every Written Statement and Information Sheet issued

Deadline: 1 May 2026 for new-tenancy Written Statements; 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 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. (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

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 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 commence court possession proceedings by 31 July 2026 (or within 6 months of serving, whichever is earlier) 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.