Renters' Rights Act: Landlord Compliance Checklist

From 1 May 2026 you move into a world with no Section 21, no fixed terms, and a lot more things to register for. You need a plan, not just a rant in a Facebook group.

"This guide provides general information about UK landlord tax obligations. It is not financial or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change. Consider consulting a qualified accountant or solicitor for advice specific to your situation."

1. Timeline: what happens when

Headline dates from the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and the implementation roadmap:

• October 2025 -- Act gets Royal Assent.
• 1 January 2026 -- you cannot serve new Section 21 notices on new ASTs starting on or after this date (transitional step in guidance).
• 1 May 2026 -- main tenancy reforms go live in England:
• Section 21 abolished for almost all PRS tenancies.
• ASTs abolished: most become assured periodic tenancies automatically.
• New and amended Section 8 grounds commence (including sale and repeat arrears).
• New rules on rent increases, fixed terms (now periodic), pets, repairs standards and Awaab's Law for PRS kick in.

Section 21 transition:

• You can still serve a Section 21 right up to 30 April 2026.
• If served validly before 1 May, you have a limited window (the draft says up to 3 months from 1 May) to issue possession proceedings under that notice; after that, it dies and the tenancy converts.

Late 2026 into 2027 -- PRS Database phased in regionally; registration becomes mandatory nationally.

From database go-live -- Private Rented Sector Ombudsman registration made mandatory and linked to database; penalties for non-registration start.

There may be minor tweaks in the commencement SIs, but you should work on the basis that 1 May 2026 is "no-fault D-Day".

2. Section 21 abolition, new Section 8 grounds, fixed terms

Section 21 and transition

From 1 May 2026, no-fault eviction ends for almost all PRS tenancies: Section 21 is abolished and ASTs disappear.

Most existing ASTs automatically become assured periodic tenancies on that date.

Transitional rules (Schedule 6 of the Act):

• A valid Section 21 served before 1 May 2026 can still be used if:
• Proceedings are issued within the period set in Schedule 6 (commentary points to 3 months from commencement for most cases).
• If you do nothing, the notice will time-out and you will have to rely on Section 8 like everyone else.
• If you were planning to "clean house" with S21, that window is now very short.

New Section 8 grounds (sale, repeated arrears, strengthened grounds)

The Act rewires Section 8. Key points:

Ground 1 (landlord moving back in) is tightened but stays mandatory if conditions (prior notice etc.) are met.

New Ground 1A -- sale:

• Mandatory ground to regain possession in order to sell.
• You must usually have owned the property for a minimum period (drafts referenced 6-12 months) and give clear notice that you intend to sell, not re-let.

Ground 6A -- repeated serious arrears:

• New mandatory ground if the tenant has been at or above 2 months' arrears on at least three separate occasions in a rolling period, even if they have reduced below 2 months by the hearing date.
• Other rent arrears grounds (eg Ground 8) remain but are backed by 6A so "pay down to just under 2 months on the morning of court" stops working as a get-out.

You also see strengthening of ASB and serious breach grounds, but sale and repeated arrears are the big ones you will actually use.

Fixed terms and tenant notice

From 1 May 2026, new tenancies are periodic only: fixed-term ASTs are effectively dead.

• Tenants can give 2 months' notice at any time, even in what used to be a "fixed term", subject to the Act's detailed rules for initial periods.
• So you lose the ability to lock in a 12-month tenant; you gain a simpler, rolling framework where Section 8 is your only route to possession.

3. PRS database, Ombudsman, Awaab's Law, Decent Homes, pets and accessibility

PRS Database (national landlord/property register)

The Act creates a Private Rented Sector Database -- a mandatory register of all PRS landlords and properties.

Rollout:

• Stage 1: regional rollout starting late 2026, then national coverage.

Requirements:

• Register yourself and each property.
• Provide minimum dataset: landlord contact details and UK address for service, joint landlords' details, property address, type, bedrooms, number of households, occupancy, whether furnished.
• Pay an annual fee per property (level to be set by regulations).

You will not be able to legally market or let a property unless it is on the Database.

Expect HMRC and councils to use this to cross-check tax returns and licensing.

Private Rented Sector Ombudsman

New PRS Ombudsman created by the Act; membership is mandatory for all PRS landlords in England with assured/regulated tenancies, including those using agents.

• Registration is expected to be linked to the PRS Database (single portal).
• Tenants can complain free, decisions are binding on landlords, and can include compensation orders.

Penalties for not joining:

• Civil fines up to GBP 7,000 for initial failure.
• Up to GBP 40,000 for persistent non-compliance.
• In serious cases, potential criminal prosecution and rent repayment orders.

Awaab's Law and Decent Homes in PRS

• The Act extends Awaab's Law-style hazard response times to the PRS, so you have hard timelines for damp, mould and other serious hazards (eg inspect within days, repair within set weeks, with emergency timelines for very serious issues).
• The Decent Homes Standard is extended into the PRS, with detailed minimum standards to be set out in regulations (warm, free from hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, with reasonably modern facilities).

Landlords that already run their properties well will be fine; sloppier operators will suddenly find historic "we will get to it next month" habits are non-compliant.

Rent increases

After 1 May 2026, Section 13 becomes the only lawful route for rent increases on periodic tenancies (no "review clauses" that bypass it).

• Section 13 notices limited to once per year.
• Tenants can refer increases to the First-tier Tribunal, which will set a market rent, not just block rises.
• You will need a clear rent-review diary and a robust handle on local comparables.

Pets

• The Act gives tenants a statutory right to request a pet; you can only refuse on reasonable grounds.
• You can require pet damage insurance or equivalent cover if you consent (the Act is designed to sit alongside deposit caps and Tenant Fees Act limits).
• "Pets not allowed" as a blanket policy will not survive first contact with the new regime.

Accessibility changes

• Tenants gain a stronger right to request accessibility adaptations, and you must consider these and only refuse on specified grounds (eg planning, structural issues, disproportionate cost).
• You will need a written process for handling these requests and a sense of what is considered "reasonable".

4. What you should do before 1 May 2026

Between now and 1 May 2026 you should treat this as a transition period, not business as usual.

Decide which tenancies you actually want to keep

Look at each tenant and property:

• Would you still choose them in a world without Section 21?
• Are there serial arrears, ASB, or heavy management problems?
• If you need to exit a tenancy via Section 21, your last realistic window is to serve notice before 30 April 2026 and issue proceedings within the Schedule 6 time limit.
• If you miss this, your only route is Section 8 under the new rules.

Clean up compliance

Get gas safety, EICR and EPC up to date; Decent Homes and Awaab's Law will give councils and the Ombudsman teeth here.

Check every tenancy has:

• Deposit protected correctly.
• Prescribed information served.
• How to Rent, EPC, gas cert served at move-in.

These will be front-and-centre when you are on the PRS Database and in front of the Ombudsman.

Build a proper property and landlord "pack" ready for the Database

For each property collect and store:

• Landlord names and addresses for service.
• Tenancy type, number of bedrooms, number of households.
• Safety certificates and licence details.

When the Database opens in your region from late 2026 you want to be able to register quickly, not spend weeks digging out paperwork.

Update your rent review process

• Move to annual Section 13 reviews as standard.
• Decide a fixed review month per property (eg every July) and get this diarised.
• Practice writing Section 13 notices correctly -- Tribunal scrutiny of sloppily completed forms will increase.

Set policy on pets and accessibility

• Decide now what counts as reasonable refusal in your context (block covenants, allergies in HMOs, property unsuitability).
• Speak to your insurer about pet damage cover and any premium impact.
• Create a simple written procedure for dealing with adaptation requests and record decisions.

Join or line up a good redress/ombudsman friendly agent

• Even if you self-manage, you will be dealing with Ombudsman complaints and tribunal cases in a more structured way.
• Make sure your letting agent (if used) understands the Renters' Rights Act and will not put you in breach by marketing unregistered properties once the Database requirement kicks in.

5. Biggest compliance risks and what forums are getting wrong

High-risk areas

Doing nothing about Section 21 Landlords assuming there will be another delay and so not tidying up problem tenancies now. The implementation roadmap and Ministerial statements are very clear: 1 May 2026 is the target and secondary legislation is drafted.

Ignoring the PRS Database and Ombudsman Thinking "this is like selective licensing; they will never enforce it." The Act specifically gives councils powers and meaningful fines (up to GBP 7,000, rising to GBP 40,000, plus rent repayment orders) for not joining the Ombudsman and Database.

Sloppy records around hazards and repairs Awaab's Law timings mean that "we sent the handyman when we could" will not wash. You will need dated logs of damp, mould and hazard reports and your responses.

Rent increase myths Forums are already full of "just put a rent review clause in the AST and ignore Section 13." From 1 May 2026, Section 13 is the only lawful mechanism, and ignoring that will hand tenants easy tribunal wins.

"No pets allowed" blanket clauses The new right to request a pet will make these unenforceable in many cases. You will need to show actual reasons to refuse, not "because my mortgage says so" (and you should be checking mortgage conditions anyway).

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