Renters' Rights Act 2025 Compliance Checklist for England Landlords

If you let property in England, you need a clear Renters’ Rights Act compliance checklist that reflects the law as it actually stands now that the Act is in force. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 commenced its main provisions on 1 May 2026, and the changes are sweeping: Section 21 “no-fault” evictions are gone, fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) no longer exist, and rent increases follow a single statutory route. This guide turns the Act into a practical, ordered checklist you can work through property by property.

Use it as a self-audit. Each section flags what you must do, the legal basis, and where to confirm the detail on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk. For the bigger picture first, read our complete guide to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

Why this Renters’ Rights Act compliance checklist matters

Getting compliance wrong is no longer a paperwork nuisance. The Act significantly expands council enforcement, with civil penalties of up to £7,000 for many first or minor breaches and up to £40,000 (or criminal prosecution) for serious or repeat breaches. On top of that sits the risk of a rent repayment order, which can require you to hand back up to 12 months’ rent to the tenant.

Just as importantly, procedural errors can invalidate a possession claim. Because the no-fault route is gone, the cost of a defective Section 8 notice is now much higher: get the ground, threshold or notice period wrong and you may be unable to regain your property when you genuinely need to, sometimes for months.

The Act applies to existing tenancies, not just new ones. From 1 May 2026 every assured shorthold tenancy converted automatically into a periodic assured tenancy, so “I’ll deal with it at renewal” is not a strategy, there are no renewals any more. The checklist below assumes you are auditing a live portfolio, not just preparing a new let.

How to use this checklist

Work through it once per property, then re-run sections 2, 3 and 6 whenever a deposit, rent increase or certificate renewal comes up. Keep dated evidence of everything you serve. In a dispute, the question is rarely “did you do the right thing?” but “can you prove you did it on time?”

1. Tenancy structure and the written agreement

The foundation of compliance is getting the tenancy type right.

• [ ] Confirm all tenancies are periodic assured tenancies. Fixed terms are abolished; you cannot lock a tenant into a 6- or 12-month minimum. Tenancies roll on a monthly (or other rent-period) basis until ended lawfully.
• [ ] Update your written agreement. Remove fixed-term wording, break clauses, automatic-renewal clauses and any rent-review clause, these are now banned and unenforceable.
• [ ] Provide a written statement of terms to the tenant at the outset. Although the tenancy exists whether or not it is in writing, a clear written statement protects both sides.
• [ ] Reflect the tenant’s notice right. The tenant may end the tenancy on two months’ notice at any time; your agreement should reflect this rather than contradict it.
• [ ] Remove unlawful fees and penalties. Anything banned by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (admin fees, renewal fees, check-out charges) must not appear.
• [ ] Check your pet wording (see section 5), a blanket “no pets” clause is no longer lawful.

If you are unsure what a periodic tenancy means in practice, see what is a periodic tenancy in England. For the bigger comparison, fixed-term vs periodic tenancy explains why the fixed term is gone for good.

2. Deposits

Deposit rules under the Housing Act 2004 (s.213-215) are largely unchanged by the Renters’ Rights Act, but they remain one of the most enforced areas, and one of the easiest to get wrong.

• [ ] Protect any deposit in a government-authorised scheme (DPS, TDS or mydeposits) within 30 days of receipt.
• [ ] Serve the prescribed information within the same 30 days. Failure exposes you to a penalty of one to three times the deposit and blocks possession on certain grounds until the breach is remedied.
• [ ] Cap the deposit correctly: maximum five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks’ rent where annual rent is £50,000 or more, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
• [ ] Cap any holding deposit at one week’s rent and follow the Tenant Fees Act rules on retention and repayment.
• [ ] Keep your protection live. If a deposit was protected years ago, confirm the certificate is still valid and the prescribed information matches the current tenant and rent.

For the underlying rules, see tenancy deposit protection in England explained and our breakdown of how much a landlord can charge as a deposit.

3. Rent increases (Section 13 only)

The Act standardises rent increases. There is now one lawful route, and the old habit of writing a “rent review” into the agreement is dead.

• [ ] Use the prescribed form, serve the current prescribed Section 13 form on GOV.UK; do not rely on an old template or an informal letter.
• [ ] Increase rent no more than once in any 12-month period.
• [ ] Give at least two months’ notice of the new rent before it takes effect.
• [ ] Do not rely on a rent-review clause, these are banned and unenforceable.
• [ ] Set a realistic figure. If the tenant challenges the increase, the First-tier Tribunal cannot set the rent above the figure you proposed. It can only confirm or reduce it, so an inflated “ambit claim” no longer carries a safety net, overreaching can only cost you.

Our step-by-step walkthrough on how to increase rent legally after the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 covers the timing and evidence in detail, and Section 13 rent increases explained sets out the mechanics.

4. Ending a tenancy and possession

This is the biggest behavioural change for most landlords.

• [ ] Stop using Section 21. It is abolished, no Section 21 notice can be validly served, and old templates are useless.
• [ ] Use Section 8 grounds for landlord-initiated possession. There are roughly 37 grounds; identify the correct one before serving anything.
• [ ] Serve the current prescribed Section 8 form on GOV.UK with the right notice period for your ground.
• [ ] Check eligibility timing. Some grounds (such as selling or moving in) cannot be used in the early months of a tenancy, confirm the current restriction before relying on one.

Key Section 8 grounds and notice periods

Grounds 3, 4 and 16 were abolished, so do not reach for an old grounds list. Always confirm the current ground, the arrears threshold and the exact notice period on GOV.UK before serving, because an error restarts the clock and can sink a court claim.

For the full picture, read Section 8 notice explained and the practical comparison in Section 8 vs Section 21.

5. Pets

The Act gives tenants a statutory right to request a pet (Housing Act 1988, new s.16A-16B), and it reshapes how you respond.

• [ ] Treat any written pet request seriously, you cannot apply a blanket ban or ignore the request.
• [ ] Respond in writing within 28 days (with up to a further 7 days where you reasonably need more information from the tenant).
• [ ] Do not unreasonably refuse. If you refuse, give your reasons in writing. There is no deemed consent, but an unreasonable or late-handled refusal is a compliance and reputational risk.
• [ ] Do not require pet insurance. You cannot make pet insurance a condition of consent (s.16A-16B), and you cannot charge a separate pet fee or higher deposit.

See can a landlord refuse a pet in England in 2026 for the test of reasonableness, and our pet policy checklist for handling requests step by step.

6. Certificates, safety and the new standards

None of the core safety duties have gone away, and the Act layers new standards on top.

• [ ] Valid EPC (current minimum E rating to let; watch the rising future minimum).
• [ ] Annual Gas Safety Record (CP12) served to the tenant within the required timescale.
• [ ] Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) in date, typically renewed every five years.
• [ ] Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms per the regulations, tested at the start of the tenancy.
• [ ] “How to Rent” guide provided to the tenant at the start of the tenancy (latest version).
• [ ] Licence in place if the property is an HMO or falls within a selective or additional licensing area.

On the horizon (plan, don’t panic): the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law are being extended to the private rented sector on a phased basis, tightening duties on hazards and the timescales for investigating and fixing serious problems such as damp and mould. Build these into your maintenance routine now rather than waiting for the start date.

A single missing or expired certificate is one of the most common causes of a failed possession claim and a council penalty. For a full self-audit, use our landlord compliance checklist template.

7. Future obligations to watch

Two headline measures are not yet in force on 18 June 2026, so you cannot register or join them today, but you should budget time and money for them:

• The PRS Landlord Ombudsman, expected to become mandatory around 2028. Landlords will be required to join the scheme once it launches, and it will handle tenant complaints without a court.
• The Private Rented Sector Database, phasing in across late 2026 and 2027. You will likely need to register yourself and your properties, and registration may become a precondition for marketing a property or serving certain notices.

Treat these as conditional, future duties. We track the timing in our Renters’ Rights Act commencement dates timeline, and our pre-1 May 2026 action plan shows how the rollout sequences over the coming years.

Worked example: auditing a converted AST

Consider Priya, who lets a two-bedroom flat in Leeds. Her tenant signed a 12-month AST in September 2025 at £1,200 per month, with a deposit of £1,500 and a clause allowing a “rent review each September”.

Running this checklist, Priya finds five things to fix:

1. Tenancy type. On 1 May 2026 the AST automatically became a periodic assured tenancy. The fixed term and the September “rent review” clause are now unenforceable, so she removes them from her records and stops relying on them.
2. Rent increase. She cannot simply apply the contractual review. To raise the rent she must serve the current prescribed Section 13 form on GOV.UK, give at least two months’ notice, and not increase more than once in 12 months. She sets a defensible figure of £1,260, knowing the tribunal could only confirm or reduce it.
3. Deposit. Her £1,500 deposit exceeds the five-week cap. At £1,200 per month, one week’s rent is roughly £276.92 (£1,200 x 12 ÷ 52), so five weeks is about £1,384.61. She must return the £115.39 difference and confirm the deposit is still protected with current prescribed information.
4. Pets. Her old agreement says “no pets”. When the tenant emails asking to keep a cat, Priya cannot refuse out of hand. She has 28 days to respond in writing and must not demand pet insurance.
5. Possession. If the tenant later falls three months into arrears, Priya’s route is Section 8 (Ground 8), not Section 21. She serves the current prescribed Section 8 form with the correct notice period.

None of these fixes is hard alone. The risk is missing one, a single missed deposit cap or expired certificate is exactly what an enforcement officer or a defended possession claim will seize on.

Quick compliance summary

In short:

• Periodic assured tenancies only; no fixed terms, no rent-review clauses.
• Deposit protected and prescribed information served within 30 days; five-week cap (six weeks at £50,000+ annual rent).
• Rent increases via the prescribed Section 13 form, once a year, two months’ notice.
• Possession via Section 8 on a correct ground using the current prescribed form.
• Pet requests answered in writing within 28 days; no blanket bans; no compulsory pet insurance.
• EPC, gas, electrical and alarm certificates current and served; licensing in place.
• Prepare for the Ombudsman, PRS Database, Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law as they phase in.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Renters’ Rights Act apply to tenancies that started before 1 May 2026?

Yes. The Act converted existing assured shorthold tenancies into periodic assured tenancies automatically on 1 May 2026. There is no separate “switch-over” date for individual tenancies and no need to re-sign, but you should update your records and stop relying on fixed-term or rent-review wording immediately.

Can I still serve a Section 21 notice if my tenant moved in before the change?

No. Section 21 is abolished for all assured tenancies in England. A Section 21 notice served now is not valid, regardless of when the tenancy began. To regain possession you must use the appropriate Section 8 ground and serve the current prescribed Section 8 form on GOV.UK. See is Section 21 still valid in 2026.

How often can I increase the rent now?

Once in any 12-month period, using the current prescribed Section 13 form on GOV.UK with at least two months’ notice. Contractual rent-review clauses are banned, so the statutory route is the only lawful one. If the tenant challenges it, the First-tier Tribunal cannot set the rent above the figure you proposed.

What happens if I refuse a pet request the wrong way?

There is no automatic “deemed consent” if you miss the deadline, but mishandling a request is still a risk. You must respond in writing within 28 days (plus up to 7 more days where you reasonably need information), and you cannot unreasonably refuse or require pet insurance. Our guide on how to refuse a pet request in writing sets out a lawful approach.

Do I need to register on the PRS Database yet?

Not on 18 June 2026. The Private Rented Sector Database is expected to phase in across late 2026 and 2027, and the PRS Landlord Ombudsman is expected around 2028. You cannot register today, but you should plan for both. We track the dates in our commencement timeline.

What is the single biggest compliance risk for landlords now?

Defective possession. With Section 21 gone, a flawed Section 8 notice, wrong ground, wrong notice period, or an unprotected deposit blocking the claim, can leave you unable to regain your property for months. Getting deposits, certificates and notices right is what keeps the possession route open.

Coming soon

Tenancy Pilot is launching soon with an interactive compliance dashboard that turns this checklist into a live, property-by-property tracker, flagging missing certificates, deposit deadlines and the documents you still need to serve, with renewal reminders so nothing slips. Join the waitlist to be first in when we launch.

This guide is general information for England landlords and is not legal advice. The law changes and individual circumstances vary, always check the latest position on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk, and consult a qualified solicitor before acting.