Everything landlords need to know about the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and its phased implementation.
Councils can now issue civil penalties of up to £7,000 per breach and £40,000 per offence. Here are the published starting figures, how penalties stack, and exactly how to appeal within 28 days.
15 min read · 15 September 2026
Form 4A costs nothing — but a botched section 13 notice costs months of the increase. The timeline, a worked example and the errors that invalidate it.
22 min read · 1 September 2026
Most landlords track certificate expiry dates and nothing else. This 2026 compliance checklist sorts every obligation into three clock types — recurring, fixed-date and tenant-triggered — so nothing falls through.
12 min read · 18 August 2026
A stage-by-stage Ground 1A timeline for landlords selling up: four months' notice, the 12-month protected period, real Ministry of Justice court medians, and the re-letting trap that catches people out.
16 min read · 5 August 2026
Three licensing regimes overlap in England and only one is national. Work out which licence your rental needs, what the civil penalty starting points are, and why the rules changed on 1 May 2026.
11 min read · 13 July 2026
A practical guide to writing a landlord complaints procedure before the PRS Ombudsman goes live — why it matters, what to include, recommended timescales, and a free one-page template you can copy and adapt.
7 min read · 9 July 2026
A plain-English guide to the new landlord redress scheme — the PRS Landlord Ombudsman created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. What redress means, who must join, what it can order, and when it starts.
11 min read · 9 July 2026
What the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman will cost private landlords — the annual membership fee, how it is set, how it stacks with the PRS Database fee, and the compensation and penalties that come from getting it wrong.
12 min read · 9 July 2026
The England landlord register — the Private Rented Sector Database — is coming under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Here is what it actually is, when registration really opens, what you will need, and how to get ready now so you can register in minutes.
17 min read · 1 July 2026
From 1 May 2026, every rent increase must go through a section 13 notice. Here's what changed, how the new tribunal rules tilt the risk, and how to do it properly.
14 min read · 25 June 2026
A plain-English guide to the new mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman under the Renters' Rights Act — what it is, when it starts, what it can order, and how to get ready.
20 min read · 18 June 2026
A landlord's guide to the new tenant rights and bans that took effect on 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act — what changed, what's banned, and what to do.
14 min read · 16 June 2026
With Section 21 abolished, every possession case now runs through the courts. Here's the full Section 8 timeline — from notice expiry to bailiff warrant — with realistic costs and timeframes.
21 min read · 10 June 2026
Ground 1A is the new mandatory possession ground for landlords selling a tenanted property. Here's how the 12-month protected period, 4-month notice and 12-month re-let ban work in practice.
20 min read · 5 June 2026
Since 1 May 2026 it has been unlawful to filter out tenants because they receive benefits or have children. Here is what changed, what's still allowed, and how to rewrite your advert.
9 min read · 1 June 2026
Since 1 May 2026, landlords in England must give tenants a written statement of the tenancy's key terms before the tenancy starts. Here are the 18 prescribed items as a checklist, the deadlines, and the £7,000 penalty.
15 min read · 29 May 2026
From 1 May 2026 landlords can ask for at most one month's rent up front — and nothing at all before the tenancy is signed. Here's the rule, the exceptions, and the workarounds that are still legal.
17 min read · 28 May 2026
With Section 21 abolished from 1 May 2026, Section 8 is the only route to possession. Every ground, its notice period, whether it is mandatory, and the traps that sink claims.
15 min read · 25 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 will require all private landlords to join the PRS Ombudsman scheme (expected 2028). Understand the complaint lifecycle — from internal resolution to ombudsman investigation — and how to protect your position.
24 min read · 21 April 2026
The landlord Property Portal — the new Private Rented Sector Database — is coming under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Here is exactly what you will need to register your details and each property, and how to get everything ready before your area goes live.
15 min read · 10 April 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 sharply raises the penalties private landlords in England face. Understand the civil penalties, rent repayment orders, banning orders, and prosecution risks — which apply now, and which arrive as later phases commence.
14 min read · 30 March 2026
A rent repayment order makes a landlord in England pay back rent after committing a listed housing offence. For offences from 1 May 2026, the maximum doubled to 24 months' rent. Which offences count, how the amount is set, and which rules apply by date.
8 min read · 26 March 2026
Which tenancy clauses no longer work in England since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect on 1 May 2026 (fixed terms, no-pets, no-DSS, rent review and fee clauses), with the statute and the penalty behind each one.
8 min read · 24 March 2026
Since 1 May 2026, private tenants in England can ask to keep a pet and landlords must not unreasonably refuse. You have 28 days to answer in writing. Here is how the deadline works and what counts as a good reason to say no.
7 min read · 20 March 2026
The Decent Homes Standard will apply to privately rented homes in England from 2035. Here is what the five criteria require, what is already law today, and what landlords should fix first.
8 min read · 18 March 2026
Section 21 no-fault evictions ended for private tenancies in England on 1 May 2026. Which Section 8 ground fits your situation, the notice it needs, and the procedure that keeps the claim alive.
7 min read · 15 March 2026
Since 1 May 2026 every private assured tenancy in England is periodic. This guide explains how a periodic tenancy works for landlords, with a dated worked example of a tenancy starting in October 2026.
6 min read · 15 March 2026
A plain-English guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025 for private landlords in England — what changed on 1 May 2026, what is still coming, and a worked example of an existing tenancy through its first year under the new rules.
12 min read · 15 March 2026
The dated Renters' Rights Act 2025 timeline for private landlords in England — every date checked against legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK, with each one marked as in force, announced or expected, plus the region-by-region PRS Database registration windows.
9 min read · 15 March 2026
