New right to rent rules came into force on 1 October.

Guidance on these was published in the Landlord Law News Blog.

Greater regulation impacting self-managing landlords

There is quite a bit in the news this week regarding whether self-managing rental properties is the right approach for all landlords, taking into account the additional rental reforms, new compliance requirements, and fines that the Renters’ Right Act has introduced.

74% of self-managing landlords say managing their properties is harder now than three years ago. 52% of landlords claim that maintenance and repairs are still the most time-consuming, whilst dealing with compliance is the most stressful. This is according to a survey carried out by Property management company Rushbrook.

Whilst this survey claims that many self-managing landlords are considering if this is still the ‘right approach’, landlords are being warned that by just ‘appointing a letting agent’ does not automatically assume that all responsibility for compliance goes with it. Landlords should always check that they are compliant even if a letting agent is managing your property, and should choose an agent very carefully.

Paul Endacott of 1st Avenue said

The biggest risk facing landlords today isn’t necessarily a bad tenant. It may be assuming someone else is managing compliance when, legally, the responsibility still comes back to the landlord.

Landlords looking for guidance with compliance should check out the Landlord Law service.

Sharp rise in County Court Judgements

There has been an 11.6% rise in consumer county court judgements within the last year, according to Registry Trust, which processes this data. They claim that 6% of the population now has at least one CCJ or other adverse rating against their name. Which means the likelihood of a landlord coming across a prospective tenant with one is becoming more likely.

One in ten landlords are now taking a lot more care with tenant references and employment status.

Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer of Leaders, says that landlords are justified in taking referencing ‘seriously’ and ‘most tenants do pass the referencing process’.

Where landlords are now unable to take rent in advance, referencing is becoming one of the most important tools a landlord has.

Voids between tenancies increase

There is now an average void time of more than three weeks between tenancies with this time span increasing year on year. This is an average time of 23.2 days in 2026 compared to 17.5 days in 2023.

This obviously incurs a cost to the landlord where the financial impact can be as high as £1357 in London and £859 in the West Midlands. And whilst voids are unavoidable and landlords with good management can minimise voids by planning ahead and identifying what works and maintenance needs doing before the previous tenancy ends and arranging to the works to start immediately after the tenant moves out. Actively managing the check-out process can also help reduce void periods.

You can read more here.

However, landlords should be careful about very short voids between lets as this will not allow sufficient time to check the property properly before reletting.  Remember that landlords will be liable to new tenants for damage or injury caused by any unauthorised alterations carried out by previous tenants.  Or, for example, the introduction of vermin such as bed bugs into the property.  The period between lets is also the best time to carry out improvement and upgrade works.

Whopping £100,000 fines for license breaches

A letting agent and managing agent have jointly been fined over £100,000 for breaching many of their license conditions. They had 20 tenants living in an overcrowded cockroach infested house with fire safety hazards, blocked escape routes and no working oven to name but a few. These all amounted to category 1 hazards.

The managing agent, Vispap Sarkari was found to be a repeat offender and now faces a banning order. The agent was fined £50,000 in addition to victim surcharges and prosecution costs of over £5,000. The acting agent Meet Valand was fined £40,000 and £3,183 victim surcharges.

A council spokesperson said that this should be a warning to other landlords or agents that ‘ignore their responsibilities’ and that property licensing is ‘a key tool in helping councils to raise standards and tackle rogue landlords’.

Snippets

Energy Efficiency – give demands to help landlords
Landlords warned over pop-up brothels and tenant checks
Tenant demand rises as supply falls
Tribunal cancels £11K penalty against landlord director

Newsround will be back again next week.  In the meantime, check out our Daily Tips service.

Calls to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance

There are renewed calls to unfreeze LHA payments as more than 1.1million low income households find that the gap between local housing market rates and the LHA allowance has grown even bigger as housing costs have increased rapidly.

The average shortfall is now over £100 as rents keep rising the gap is due to reach 23.3% by October this year.  A report by The Resolution Foundation is calling to unfreeze the LHA this coming budget and to re-link it to local rents with automatic auto linking.

Stephen Hunsaker of the Resolution Foundation said

With many tenants receiving housing support already going without essentials to pay their rent today, the Government should restore the automatic annual linking of LHA to relieve the pressure on low-income families in the private rented sector.

Many landlords do not get their tenancy agreements checked

90% of landlords do not get their tenancy agreements checked by a solicitor according to a new survey out this week by Lendlord, and only a quarter of them would make them trust the legal wording if they did use a solicitor. Out of 5,235 agreements that they have on their platform 79% now have periodic tenancies following the Renters’ Rights Act. Lendlords spokesperson said that landlords need ‘clear agreements’ and need to know what their  ‘ongoing obligations’ are.

5.7% of landlords are using a mixture of both rolling and fixed tenancy agreements and 14.5% only had fixed tenancy agreements. 45% of landlords had obtained their tenancy agreement from their letting agent. Lendlord said that this shows that there is a greater need for ‘clarity and confidence for landlords’.

Particuarly worrying is the fact that some landlords may still be giving tenants fixed-term agreements.  Not only will these (assuming the tenancy is assured) be ineffective in creating a fixed term, the landlords are vulnerable to a Local Authority penalty charge of up to £7,000.

Over 70’s percentage rent deemed unsustainable

Renters over the age of 70 are now spending over 46% of their income on rent, which is putting added pressure on paying other bills, and this is concerning as 40% of gross pay is statistically what is recorded as being sustainable.

32% of gross income is the average; 20-29 year olds spend on average 35% of their income on rent, but by 60-69 years old it rises to 36%. Whilst older renters can be really good tenants, they now may require more careful ongoing assessment. HomeLet who carried out the research, also reported that taking on a guarantor has increased to one in five tenancies.

They say

Being open to guarantors and other structured forms of support can help turn a borderline case into a sustainable, long‑term tenancy, provided robust checks are in place.

They add that ‘tenant quality’ rather than rushing to let a property, is now critical in ‘protecting returns’.

Snippets

Renters Rights Act leads to ‘phenomenal’ surge in rent guarantors
Bristol landlord handed whopping £58,000 bill for HMO failings
Council pays thousands to private firm working on landlord licensing
Landlords and letting agents urged to understand revamped HHSRS

Newsround will be back again next week

Government questioned over data integrity

The government was questioned over how they intend to share landlords information between the new PRS Database and the Landlord Ombudsman. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook admitted that it is not yet known how this will work.

The Ombudsman will be sharing information of non-compliant landlords with local authorities, the new database will hold information on landlords but have not detailed yet how much of that a tenant will be able see. There is concern that as many landlords are private individuals they may not want all their information public but will be compelled to register.

Sean Hooker, Head of Property Redress Scheme said

Neither property agents nor private landlords have a regulator yet and without this safeguard the government is wise to tread carefully and not rush through a scheme without considering these challenges.

The new database will not be a regulatory or enforcement agent.

Landlords tenant selection process becomes more vigorous

Stats out this week show that more and more landlords are taking extra steps and being more careful when taking on new tenants which is being driven by the lack of confidence they have in the eviction process post Renters’ Rights Act.

The survey carried out by The Lettings Hub claim that 95% of letting agents have no confidence in the court system especially in the time it now takes to evict a tenant through the court system. However, Beth Richardson Head of Operations at The Lettings Hub claims that ‘excessive caution risks shrinking the supply of houses’.

She goes on to say that landlords should ‘reference tenants thoroughly and use professional guarantors’, further adding that landlords should have ‘practical guidance on the new possession process’.

EPC’s to be sympathetic to a property’s characterisitics

Martin McCluskey the Energy Minister has stated that the new EPC reforms will take into account ‘the characteristics of each property’ and that an ‘enhanced exemption regime’ has been drafted.

He added that any energy improvements undertaken prior to 2030 to achieving an EPC C before 1 October 2029 will be ‘recognised as compliant until the EPC expires or is replaced’. He added that

The government has also announced the maximum expenditure required and is designing an enhanced exemptions regime, recognising that efficiency improvements need to be sensitive to the characteristics of each property. We will set out more detail in guidance and regulations.

Industry leaders have previously raised their concerns that ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will not work, where in some properties improvements for energy are not practical or even possible due to the fabric of the building.

Snippets

Rising rents are contributing to rough sleeping claims government
Rogue agent used landlords’ properties to run drugs empire
Lower proportion of complaints upheld by Housing Ombudsman in 2025/26
Shrinking PRS claims exaggerated, report finds
Updated health and safety guide published by government

Newsround will be back again next week

Landlord Database – dates & details now published

The government has now announced details of the landlord database that all landlords will need to register with. It launches on a roll-out basis on December 15th this year in the West Midlands first. Each region has its own deadline date for registering, with a three month window to sign up.

Registration is a legal requirement, and fines will be issued for those that fail to register. Only properties currently let will need to register, but unoccupied properties will need to be registered prior to advertising. The cost will be £66 per property, renewable each year.

Matthew Pennycook, Housing Minister, said

Rollout of a national landlord registration service is an important first step toward establishing our new innovative database of private rented sector properties which will empower tenants, support responsible landlords

You can read more here along with rollout dates and other industry-leading views.

Court delays are not improving

It appears that the delays in the court system are not improving. A Landlord has called out the court system as ‘a fallacy’ when the courts ordered his tenant to leave by 21st August this year, but his solicitor did not receive the notification until the 4th September. Furthermore, the order was dated 27th August – six days after the tenant should have vacated the property.

The Ministry of Justice has released new figures stating that possession claims were down from 98,766 to 91,093 in 2025. However, claims are taking even longer to process. The average repossession claim is taking up to 27 weeks; this is up from 25 weeks in the previous year. This now stands at the longest wait time in 20 years.

The government announced this week that the HMRC Valuation Office will take over rent challenges and rent increases, which they say will free up the tribunals. You can read more on this here.

Landlords of short lets: new registration scheme

The government has announced this week that landlords in England who manage short-term lets such as holiday lets will have to sign up to a national register from March next year. They will need to provide information on themselves and their accommodation along with a fee.

Lisa Nandy, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, said that this will enable councils to strike the right balance between tourism and local housing whilst enabling councils to carry out enforcement on non-compliant short let accommodation.

Scotland already has a similar scheme in place, and Wales short let landlords will have to start registering with the Welsh Revenue Authority from October this year.

Trade body issues warning over licensing requirements

Propertymark, the lettings agent trade body, is reminding all letting agents and landlords to keep up to date with their local councils’ licensing requirements as penalties have risen substantially since the commencement of the Renters’ Rights Act.

They say agents and landlords need to watch not only licences but also any other Article 4 Directions a council may bring into force. It is not only civil penalties that can be incurred but also rent repayment orders demanding anything up to two years’ rent.

They are calling for more coherence between national and regional regulations, as regulation becomes more and more complex Tim Thomas, Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer said

Agents and landlords need to be absolutely clear about whether a property requires a licence, what conditions apply and who carries responsibility within the ownership and management structure.

Propertymark ask that their members engage fully with council consultations to ensure it benefits both landlords and tenants and does not just keep increasing the regulatory burden.

Note that Landlord Law members will find comprehensive information and guidance on local authority powers and how to deal with the new rules in our Dealing with Local Authority Enforcement Kit.

Snippets

Council slams rogue landlords who are ‘quick to collect their rent’
Government defends Making Tax Digital for landlords
Future landlords will be younger, female and more diverse
England’s housing courts at breaking point as renters battle no-fault evictions

See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law

Newsround will be back again next week

Landlords’ request for a guarantor increases

An interesting report claims that more than half of all landlords are now requesting a guarantor if the tenants’ affordability checks are not easily met, where previously they would have taken more than one month’s rent upfront and now cannot due to the Renters’ Rights Act.

51% of tenants say they would seek a cheaper property if they were asked to provide a guarantor and 16% would stop looking for a property. LRG, a lettings agent, said that there is ‘a significant gap in awareness’ of what is available for tenants if they are asked to provide a guarantor.

Here at Landlord Law we have our own comprehensive Guarantee Deed, members can read about it and create their own form here.

Outdoor space appeals to tenants

Rental properties with outdoor space attracts more tenants than those without, claims a new survey by CIA Landlords. 36.2% of the 72,930 surveyed had a garden. Leeds came out lowest at only 25.7% of rentals with gardens and Edinburgh was the highest with 55.5% of properties with outdoor space.

Almost three quarters of tenants take this into consideration when looking for a property to rent. Landlords, however, need to be clear to tenants on who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of a garden.

Rent tribunal cases surge

There is now a claim that the balance of power has now shifted to the tenant where rent increases are concerned since the Renters Rights Act come into force.

Letting agents Hamptons state that there were 166 rent tribunal cases in July this year compared to 44 in July 2025. The monthly court average was 42 decisions to late April 2026, but this has increased significantly to 129 in June.

Tenants are using this route to dispute a pay increase because it is relatively cheap for them to do so, and whilst waiting for a hearing it can delay an increase for another two or three months, and once heard, even if they lose, the rent increase (at the moment) cannot be backdated.

Hamptons say

Any proposed increase must be supported by robust evidence of market rent, including comparable local lettings, property condition, location, amenities and recent rental transactions. A clear audit trail showing how the figure was reached and ensure strict compliance with the statutory section 13 process will need to be kept.

Here at Landlord Law we have introduced the Landlord Law Market Rent and Tribunal Kit, which will help landlords navigate the new rental landscape.

The student rental market is uncertain

As we start the new academic year within the new Renters Rights Act, there is concern that the ban on rent in advance is impacting both international students and landlords. Landlords can only accept one month’s rent in advance, whereas international students or those struggling to find a guarantor can no longer pay seven months or more rent up front.

Neil McGimpsey, chief operating officer of Lomond, said

The act limits landlords to requesting one month’s rent in advance, meaning some students are struggling to provide financial assurances and therefore are finding it difficult to access the market.

Furthermore, with no more fixed-term tenancies, tenants can leave once their exams are over, leaving landlords with void periods and uncertainty.

The government, however, sees this as a positive move for giving students more flexibility, enabling them to ‘move as and when their circumstances change’.

Solar plug-in awareness for landlords

And, a final note this week on the new plug-in solar panel systems that were launched last week following changes from the government. These systems can be installed by households and plug directly into to a standard socket; they do not require a qualified electrical installer.

A warning from Risktop, a risk assessment specialist, that landlords need to make sure that they are secured correctly in external areas, will withstand high winds and bad weather and do not pose a risk hazard to others. Suitability and a risk assessment should be undertaken by landlords, and tenants should ask for landlord approval before installing them to ensure product compliance and correct installation.

No doubt we will be hearing more about these in the times to come.

Landlord Law members can find out more in our new FAQ on this.

Snippets

Landlord costs surge as income stalls – HMRC
Tenancy deposit reform ‘overlooks’ estimated £750m
HMO landlords are planning £10,000 upgrades
Croydon postpones licensing schemes at eleventh hour

See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law

Newsround will be back again next week

Increase in guarantor demand

Since the start of the Renters Right Act which bans landlords taking rent in advance there has been a gradual increase in tenants being asked to provide a guarantor.

37% of tenants are unaware what a guarantor is but now landlords Housing Hand Managing Director, Graham Hayward says

The fact that tenants no longer have the option to pay several months’ rent upfront is driving (guarantor) demand, with landlords now seeking an alternative form of security.

Housing Hand’s claim that 37% of renters would not know what to do if they could not pay their rent, and 33% of renters do not plan their finances for their future.

Tribunals back tenants in rent disputes

New analysis out this week by LonRes states that the average wait time from application to hearing a case at a rent tribunal is now 96 days; this increases to 142 days in London. Furthermore, two-thirds of rent tribunal cases have been ruled against the landlord, new court figures show.

Since January 2025, there have been 1,325 rent disputes, of which 73% were ruled that the proposed rent was too high, and only 18% agreed the proposed rent. 47% that went to a tribunal hearing had evidence-based discrepancies in rent increase cases.

Chris Welch of LonRes said

It can be both a costly and time-consuming process for a landlord and underscores the importance of setting rent rises correctly from the onset and importantly with a firm evidence base.

A tribunal will never set a higher rent; it will set the rent either lower or the same as what the landlord has stipulated in their notice form, but this does emphasise that landlords need to get their evidence watertight and accurate before commencing a rent increase.

Note that we are developing a new Landlord Law kit to help landlords research and set their rents and deal with tenants tribunal applications.  This should be ready shortly.

Longer delays for repossessions

Since the Renters’ Right Act came into force on 1st May this year, landlords regaining their property back claim that it is now more problematic, with 25% saying it is more challenging.

39% of landlords are now a lot more cautious when vetting a new tenant, and 9% are spending more time trying to retain good tenants. This is according to a survey carried out by Goodlord. Further research found that 41 out of every 1000 tenancy applications were suspected as fraudulent between July 2025 and June this year.

23% of landlords have seen their agent letting fees increase, and 29% have been impacted by the stricter compliance regulations and insurance costs.

Snippets

MP’s demand tougher penalties for housing associations
Council vows to ‘come after’ neglectful landlords 
Letting agent accused of leaving landlords and tenants out of pocket
Rent controls could cut supply and trap families in unsuitable homes
London landlords’ latest tactic: Inverse bidding wars

See also our Quick News Updates on Landlord Law

Newsround will be back again next week