Renters' Rights Act 2026: Complete Landlord Checklist

What it is:The government has published an official Information Sheet explaining what the Renters' Rights Act means for tenants. If you have an existing tenant with a written AST signed before 1 May 2026, you must give them this document.

Deadline: 31 May 2026. You can serve it now, do not wait.

How to serve it: Email with the PDF attached, WhatsApp with the PDF attached, or printed copy handed or posted. A link alone is not valid, the tenant must receive the actual PDF. Keep proof of delivery in case of dispute.

Download the official PDF: GOV.UK — The Renters' Rights Act: information sheet 2026

Under the Act: You must send the actual PDF as an attachment — emailing or texting a link is not valid under the Act.

What if there is no written tenancy agreement? If your tenancy is based entirely on a verbal agreement made before 1 May 2026, you do not send the Information Sheet. Instead, you must provide the tenant with a written record of the key terms of the tenancy (rent amount, landlord name and address, deposit amount, repair responsibilities) by 31 May 2026.

What about new tenancies from 1 May onwards? For any tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, you must provide written information about the key terms before the tenancy begins. This can be included in the tenancy agreement or provided separately.

Penalty: Civil penalty of up to £7,000 for failing to serve the Information Sheet. Rising to £40,000 if not remedied within 28 days in some enforcement scenarios.

What it is:Under the Renters' Rights Act, tenants now have the right to request permission to keep a pet. You must respond within 28 days. You can only refuse on reasonable grounds, and if you refuse, you must state those grounds in writing.

Reasonable grounds for refusal include: the property is genuinely unsuitable for the type of pet requested (a large dog in a studio flat, for example), the lease of a leasehold property prohibits pets, or there is a history of damage from a previous pet kept by this tenant.

What is not a reasonable ground:a blanket "no pets" policy. The Act specifically removes the right to refuse without reason.

If you approve a pet request: You may require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance as a condition of approval.

Penalty for ignoring a request: The tenant can apply to a tribunal. A finding against you can result in a rent repayment order.

Practical tip: Log every request the day it arrives. 28 days passes quickly, especially over holiday periods.

What it is:Under the Renters' Rights Act, you may only increase rent once every 12 months. Any rent review clause in an existing tenancy agreement is now invalid. The only lawful way to increase rent for an assured periodic tenancy in England is through the Section 13 process.

How it works:

• Serve a Section 13 notice (the prescribed form) on your tenant
• Give at least two months' notice before the proposed increase takes effect
• The new rent must reflect the open market rate
• The tenant can challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it is above market rate

What happened to existing rent review clauses? Any clause in a tenancy agreement that allows rent to be increased by a fixed percentage or by RPI is now unenforceable. You must use Section 13 regardless of what your tenancy agreement says.

Penalty for getting it wrong: An improperly served notice is invalid. The rent increase does not take effect and you must start the process again, losing months of the increase you were entitled to.

Always verify the form against the current prescribed version on GOV.UK before serving. LetCompliance generates a working draft only, not a substitute for legal advice.

What changed: From 1 May 2026, you can no longer serve a Section 21 no-fault eviction notice. Any Section 21 notice served before 30 April 2026 must have court proceedings started by 31 July 2026, after that date, even previously served notices are dead.

What replaces it: Section 8, which requires you to prove a specific ground for possession. There are 37 grounds available, including:

• Ground 8— now requires 3 months' arrears (increased from 2 months) at both the date of notice and the hearing. Notice period increased from 2 weeks to 4 weeks.
• Ground 1A — you intend to sell the property (new ground under the Act)
• Ground 1B — you intend to move in or a close family member intends to move in
• Ground 14 — antisocial behaviour

Rent in advance— from 1 May 2026, you cannot require more than one month's rent in advance. Any clause in an existing tenancy agreement requiring more than one month upfront is now void. Holding deposits remain capped at one week's rent.

Why compliance matters more now: Courts assessing a Section 8 claim will look at your compliance record. A missing Gas Safety certificate, an unprotected deposit or an expired EICR gives the tenant grounds to challenge your claim and can cause the court to adjourn the hearing. The backdoor exit that Section 21 provided, where compliance gaps could be bypassed, is permanently closed.

Practical tip: Before serving any Section 8 notice, check that every compliance item is current: Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, deposit protection, Right to Rent, How to Rent guide, and now the Information Sheet.

These requirements existed before 1 May 2026, but their significance has increased under the new regime.

Gas Safety (CP12): Annual inspection by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days, to new tenants before move-in. A lapsed certificate can cause a court to refuse your Section 8 claim. Penalty: up to £6,000 plus potential criminal prosecution.

EICR: Every 5 years by a qualified electrician. Provide to tenants within 28 days. Carry out any C1 or C2 remedial work within 28 days. Penalty: up to £30,000 per property.

EPC: Must be E or above to let legally. Every 10 years, or when starting a new tenancy with an expired certificate. Penalty: up to £5,000.

Deposits must be protected in one of three government-approved schemes within 30 days of receipt: DPS, TDS or mydeposits. Prescribed Information must be served on the tenant within the same 30-day window.

Under the Renters' Rights Act, deposits must remain protected for the full duration of the tenancy, including any holdover period. An unprotected deposit blocks a Section 8 possession claim until it is returned or a penalty is paid.

Common issue: Landlords who transitioned from a fixed-term to a periodic tenancy without re-registering the deposit. If this applies to you, check your deposit status now.

The Renters' Rights Act extends the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time.

What it means in practice:

• Your property must be free from Category 1 hazards (serious risks to health or safety)
• The structure and exterior must be in good repair
• Heating, hot water and basic facilities must be in working order

Awaab's Law: Named after Awaab Ishak, these rules set specific timeframes for responding to damp and mould. You must acknowledge a hazard report within 14 days, begin an investigation within a further 7 days, and complete emergency repairs within 24 hours.

Penalty: Tenants can apply to a tribunal. From May 2026, the maximum claim period for rent repayment orders doubles to 24 months.

Right to Rent checks remain mandatory before every tenancy begins. For tenants with time-limited immigration status, follow-up checks are required before status expires.

Penalties increased in 2024: up to £20,000 per tenant for a first breach, higher for repeat offences.