Private Rented Landlords

The Renters’ Rights Act will change laws about renting and this guidance has been published to help private rented sector landlords and letting agents prepare. The new rules will apply on or after 1 May 2026. For information on the current law, refer to the existing tenancy agreements guidance.

A tenancy agreement is a contract between you and your tenant. It sets out the legal terms and conditions of the tenancy.  

This guidance will only apply to assured tenancy agreements. There will be different rules for lodgers, licensees and regulated tenancies. 

The agreement lets your tenant live in a property as long as they pay rent and follow the rules in the agreement. It can be in writing or oral (a spoken agreement).  

In future, if you have an oral agreement with your tenant, you will need to also give them a written statement of key terms.  

If more than one tenant signs the same agreement, this is a joint tenancy. All tenants on the tenancy agreement will be responsible for the rent.    

How long the tenancy lasts  

You will not be able to create an assured tenancy agreement with an end date (known as a ‘fixed-term tenancy’). If you were to do this, the end date would not apply. Your tenant will be able to complain to the council and you could be fined.   

Assured tenancies will always run on a rolling basis, for example, weekly or monthly. It will not be possible for them to be longer than a month at a time. This will mean that the tenancy will continue until:  

·         you and the tenant decide together to end the tenancy    

·         the tenant decides to end the tenancy  

·          you regain possession of the property  

If the tenancy started before 1 May 2026

On or after 1 May 2026, it will not be possible for tenancy agreements to have a set end date.   

All tenancy agreements will automatically become rolling tenancies on this date. If the tenancy had an end date, it will no longer apply.   

You will not need to do anything for this change to take effect.

From the 1 May 2026 There will be different reasons, or grounds, under which you can seek to end a tenancy. You will need to give your tenant the correct amount of notice for each ground. You can get more information on the Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and Letting agents  

You can get further information on Notices served before the 1 May 2026 

You can get further information on Notices served after 1 May 2026

The Renters’ Rights Act will change laws about renting and this guidance has been published to help private rented sector landlords and agents prepare. The new rules will apply on or from 1 May 2026.

On or from 1 May 2026, you or your letting agent will not be allowed to ask for, encourage or accept an offer that is higher than the advertised rent. If someone offers to pay more than the advertised rent for a property, this is known as ‘rental bidding’.  

You may be fined up to £7,000 for your first offence.

When you advertise a property 

When you advertise or offer a property in writing, you will need to include how much the rent will be. It will need to be a specific amount as a price range will not be allowed. 

A written advert may be: 

• an online property advert  
• a printed advert   
• a social media post   
• any digital communication, for example, emails, text messages or direct messages 

It does not include ‘to let’ signs outside a property. 

After you’ve advertised a property 

After you’ve published an advertised price for your property, you will not be allowed to:  

• ask for offers above the advertised rent  
• publish a price range for the property and ask tenants to bid within that range, or higher   
• encourage someone to offer more than the advertised rent  
• tell someone you have received other bids to encourage them to bid more than the advertised rent  
• act in any way that leads a person to believe they need to offer more than the advertised rent   
• accept an offer to pay more than the advertised rent  

If someone offers more than the advertised rent 

You will not be able to accept an offer that is more than the advertised rent. 

You may be reported to the local council if you accept a higher offer, even if the tenancy agreement has been signed. 

If someone reports you for ‘rental bidding’ 

The council may ask for: 

• evidence of the advertised rent   
• the tenancy agreement  
• a statement

If the council agrees that rental bidding has happened, they may issue a civil penalty notice of up to £7,000 for your first offence.  

You could be fined for a ‘repeated breach’ if you commit the same offence within 5 years.  If you are fined for a ‘repeated breach’, you will have to pay: 

• up to £7,000 for the breach on its own 
• up to £7,000 if you repeat the same type of breach within 5 years 

Example 

You advertise a property but do not include the price of rent in the written advert. Someone reports this and you’re fined up to £7,000.  

2 years later you advertise another property without including the price of rent. Someone reports this and you are fined up to £7,000 for the breach as well as another £7,000 for the ‘repeated breach’. 

You could pay a total of £21,000 for the 2 offences.  

It will not be a ‘repeated breach’ if you are reported for different things.

Example 

You advertise a property but do not include the price of rent in the written advert. Someone reports this and you’re fined up to £7,000. 

One year later, you advertise another property and include the price of rent in the written advert, but you then accept an offer of more than the amount advertised. Someone reports this and you’re fined up to an additional £7,000. 

You could pay a total of £14,000 for the 2 offences. 

As a landlord, you will not be able to do anything to make a tenant less likely to rent a property (or prevent them from renting it) because they have children or receive benefits. This is called ‘rental discrimination’. 

You could be issued with a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for each offence.  

This could include:  

• Withholding information about a property including its availability   
• Stopping someone from viewing a property   
• Refusing to grant someone a tenancy   

It will also apply to anyone acting on your behalf, like letting agents, referencing services, friends or family members.  

Rental discrimination could happen if someone is looking for somewhere to rent or if a household’s circumstances change during their tenancy.  

It will still be rental discrimination if you treat someone unfairly based on something that is not true, for example, if you think someone has children when they do not.  

What counts as rental discrimination  

You will not be able to stop someone doing any of the following because they have children or get benefits (or you think they do):  

• Accessing information about the property  
• Viewing a property  
• Renting a property  

Accessing information   

Information could include:   

• The availability of the property  
• The date it becomes vacant  
• Details of the property, such as the size, location or number of bedrooms  

Viewing a property  

This will include refusing to let someone view the property or knowingly making it difficult for them to view it, such as by offering unreasonable times.  

Renting a property  

This will include poor treatment to make it less likely for someone to want to rent the property, for example, a rental agreement that puts the tenant at a disadvantage.

In the future, there will be rules about when you or a letting agent can ask your tenant to pay rent.  

You will only be able to ask for rent in advance after you and your tenant have signed the tenancy agreement and before the date the tenancy starts.  

If your tenant will be paying rent monthly, the maximum amount you can ask for is 1 month’s rent. 

If they will not be paying rent monthly, the maximum amount you can ask for is 28 days’ rent. 

Before you and your tenant sign the tenancy agreement 

In the future, you will not be able to ask the prospective tenant to pay rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. 

You must not accept, ask for or encourage your prospective tenant to pay rent before you both sign the tenancy agreement. 

You or your letting agent will be able to ask the tenant for the following deposits: 

• A holding deposit (this can be up to one week’s rent), to reserve the property while you carry out checks 
• A tenancy or security deposit before the tenancy agreement is signed 

The maximum tenancy or security deposit you will be able to ask for is:

• Up to 5 weeks’ rent if the rent for the year is less than £50,000  
• Up to 6 weeks’ rent if the rent for the year is £50,000 or more 

You must keep your tenant’s deposit safe using a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme. 

After the tenancy agreement has been signed you will be able to ask for rent in advance before the tenancy agreement begins.  

Before the tenancy starts (the ‘pre-tenancy period’) 

The ‘pre-tenancy’ period is the time from when the contract is signed until the start date of the tenancy.  If your tenant will be paying their rent monthly, you will be able to ask them to pay their first month’s rent at any time during the ‘pre-tenancy’ period. 

If your tenant will be paying their rent weekly, you will be able to ask them to pay rent up to the first 28 days of the tenancy.  

You will not usually be able to ask your tenant to pay more than those amounts. 

This does not apply to Private Registered Providers of social housing (PRPs) as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 changes will only apply to PRPs from 2027.

When you will be able to ask for more rent 

In some circumstances, you will be able to ask your tenant for more than one month or 28 days’ rent in advance after the tenancy agreement has been signed. 

You will only be able to do this if: 

• The tenancy was agreed by the local council because they were legally homeless  
• Your property will be let as either social or supported housing 

When the tenancy starts 

Your tenant should pay rent on the day that is in the tenancy agreement. This could be weekly or monthly. For example, Monday each week or the last working day of the month. 

You will not be able to include any terms in the tenancy agreement asking the tenant to pay rent in advance. 

Once the tenancy has started, your tenant can choose to pay any amount of rent early.  

If someone reports you 

In the future, your local council will be able to investigate if you or your letting agent are reported for asking for rent in advance before the tenancy agreement has been signed.  

You or your letting agent could still be reported if the tenant: 

• Did not agree to pay rent in advance despite you asking, inviting or encouraging them to do so 
• Offered to pay rent in advance which you then accepted 
• Has already moved in

New private renting rules in England are coming on 1 May 2026.  

If you’re a landlord, there are some things you need to do to be ready.  

The tasks are quite simple but need your attention – and if you have a letting agent you may want to speak to them about the changes.  

While most landlords treat their tenants well, the Renters’ Rights Act guarantees protections for all 11 million people who privately rent a home in England.  

To help you get started, here is some guidance and pointers to the places you need for more info. 

1. Read up on the rules & sign up to government alerts  

Familiarising yourself with the changes is the best place to start. You might have read about it in the news or from expert organisations, but on gov.uk, you can access information easily and quickly anytime. See the government’s official guidance especially for landlords.  

 Understanding the changes will help ensure you’re compliant from 1 May 2026, saving you time and money in the long run. We recommend you sign up to receive updates from the government. 

2. Get vital paperwork ready  

You need to share some important paperwork with your tenants by certain dates.   

These are one-off tasks – but we’d advise that you get these done as they’re legal requirements.   

Emailing or giving a hard copy is fine, just make sure you can prove you’ve given these documents to your tenants in time.   

For your existing tenants, whose tenancies are in writing, you must give them:  

• The government’s information sheet by 31 May: This explains how the Renters’ Rights Act affects their tenancy. The government has written it so everyone gets the same vital info but it’s your duty as a landlord to share it with all those renting your property. 

• You can now download it from gov.uk and give it to your tenants.

For all new tenancies starting on or after 1 May, you must provide:  

• Written information for your tenant: From 1 May 2026, you will need to give new tenants certain written information about the key terms of the tenancy - info like your name and address, rent amount/due date, deposit amount, repair responsibilities and what bills your tenant must pay.  

• This will ensure that tenants and landlords have a clear, written record of the key terms of the tenancy, helping them to understand their rights and responsibilities and assist in avoiding or resolving disputes.  

• You will need to give this information when you create a new tenancy on or after 1 May 2026 and before you agree the tenancy. You may include this information in a written tenancy you can give it separately.  

• See more guidance on how to write this on the Gov.uk website.  

Important side note - if you have a verbal tenancy agreement with a renter, you will now need to formalise it by giving them a written record explaining the specific terms of the agreement as above. You must provide this by 31 May.   

And remember: From 1 May, you will need to use a Section 8 notice to get your property back if there are serious issues with your tenant – like antisocial behaviour or rent arrears.   

From 1 May, Section 8 will also be a route to regain possession for other valid reasons, say you need to move in or sell the property.  From 1 May, Section 21 will not exist. 

3. Fix your rent increase routine   

The Renters’ Rights Act is crystal clear that from 1 May any rises you’re planning to make must be:   

• Once every 12 months (max)  
  Made with at least two months’ notice  
  Made formally through Section 13 only (even if you’ve discussed it with your tenants first, as you should)    

4. Check your ads are compatible with the Act  

With only a few weeks until the changes kick in, now is a good time to ensure any new adverts for properties you’re planning to rent out are compatible with the Renters’ Rights Act. For example, from 1 May, you must make sure you’re meeting the following rules:  

• No bidding wars - you must publish an asking rent in any written advert and not accept an offer above this price i.e. no wording that says ‘or offers above £x’  
• No more than one month’s rent upfront - and you can only accept the rent once all parties have signed the tenancy agreement  
• No tenant discrimination - you can’t refuse prospective tenants because they have children or receive benefits  

Clean up your listings, emails and agent scripts ASAP so you don’t accidentally slip up. And if you’re a bigger landlord, you might have a tenant-facing website so it’s important you also check it’s compliant with the Renters’ Rights Act.  

5. Keep proper trail of your due diligence   

This is a given for any business but now is a reminder to keep a clear record of your due diligence as a landlord.   

Councils have beefed up powers to investigate where renters’ rights are not being met, so it's important you keep your records safe.   

You might want to keep a digital record for every property, including safety certificates, EPC, deposit docs, licences, right to rent checks and logs of repairs.  

6. Student landlords, write to tenants by 31 May  

If you’re a student landlord, you have until 31 May this year to formally write to your tenants that end the tenancy using Ground 4A of the new Renters’ Rights Act.   

Once you’ve told them, from 1 May 2026 to 30 July 2026, you can then give them two months’ notice to end the tenancy using Ground 4A.  

Don’t delay it, as it’s temporary. This short-term change is to help continue the normal flow of student properties coming onto the market for new university students starting in September.   

After 30 July 2026 you will need to give at least 4 months notice. See more guidance on the Government website.  

Download the Renters Rights Act: Landlord Checklist 

Blaby District Council has a range of services that provide help and support to tenants living in the district who are struggling with their tenancy. Some of the support we provide includes, addressing rent arrears, maximising income, budgeting and debt management, setting up a new home. 

To apply for support from the Resident Support team, you will need to complete an online referral. Referrals can be accepted from professionals, other agencies, community groups and self-referrals from residents. You can also do an online referral to get help from the tenancy sustainment officer.

Your local council will have new powers to investigate, collect and act on evidence if you break the law. 

If your tenant believes you have committed certain offences, or if you have been convicted of certain offences, they can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order (RRO).

If the Tribunal finds you have committed the offence, you may be ordered to pay the tenant an amount of rent that was originally paid. Local councils can also apply for an RRO against you for rent paid by Universal Credit. 

The list of offences for which an RRO can be awarded will be expanded. The maximum amount a landlord can be ordered to pay will increase from 1 to 2 years’ rent.

Harassment is anything a landlord does to deliberately disrupt or make a tenant  leave their home. Harassment can also be done by someone else, such as a family member or friend of the landlord.

Examples of harassment include:

• Cutting off gas, electricity or water supply
• Violence or the threat of violence
• Opening tenants mail or taking things from their home
• Harassment based on the gender, race or sexuality of the tenant
• Going into their home without their permission or without notice, or at unsocial hours

Harassment is a criminal offence, you can find out more details about private renting evictions on the Gov.uk website.

Visit Shelter's pages on illegal eviction, for details about dealing with rogue landlords.

If you're having issues with your tenants, then please contact the Resident support team or the tenancy sustainment team. We might be able to help with any issues the tenants might be experiencing.

Tenants have a right to live in their home that's adequately heated. All rooms (including kitchens and bathrooms) should have fixed heating which are capable of achieving an internal temperature of 18C when it's freezing outside.

Energy performance certificates

An EPC measures the energy efficiency of a property on a scale of A to G and they're valid for 10 years. Since 2007 an EPC has been a legal requirement before a property can be sold, let or constructed. The most efficient homes are in band A, resulting in lower fuel bills.

All dwellings in the private rented sector must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 also established a minimum level of energy efficiency for houses in the private rented sector. This is known as MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard).

Since 1 April 2020, if a property has an EPC rating of F or G it would be unlawful to let them in the private rented sector. Any property that doesn't meet this standard must be brought up to the minimum rating of E. From 2030 this will change to C.

If a property is not improved to a level E, the landlord must apply for an exemption that can last for up to five years. Please note exemptions remain with the landlord and not the property. You can find search for an exemption on the Government website.

Improving energy efficiency

There are several ways you a landlord can improve the energy efficiency of the property. This includes measures such as external or cavity wall insulation, underfloor insulation, loft or room in roof insulation and heat pumps. Depending on your personal circumstances you may be eligible for financial support to help.

For information about damp and condensation, take a look at our damp and mould webpage.

Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO is a highly poisonous gas that can kill quickly and without warning, as you cannot see it, taste it or smell it. By taking care of your gas appliances properly you're taking care of your home, your loved ones and even looking out for your local community.

Follow these few simple checks to keep you and others safe:

• Check your Landlord's gas safety record. By law, you must arrange a gas safety check of the appliances and flues. This must happen every year and they must give you a record of the check.
• Look out for any warning signs from gas appliances. If you've spotted any dark staining, sooty marks around your appliance. Excessive condensation indoors or pilot lights that frequently go out, your appliance may be unsafe. Contact a gas engineer as a matter of urgency.
• Know the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. This is headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness. From 1 October 2022, all landlords must install carbon monoxide alarms. These should be in any rooms with a fixed combustion appliance such as gas heaters/fires and boilers excluding gas cookers.
• Get your gas appliances checked annually. A landlord isn't responsible for gas appliances that the tenants own. They should arrange for these to be safety-checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• Check the engineer is qualified for the type of gas they're checking. This includes natural gas, domestic boiler. You can find these details on the back of their Gas Safe ID card and the Gas Safe Register website.

For gas safety advice and to find or check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website.

As a landlord, please make sure:

• Your tenants’ bins are stored either on your property or in a bin store
• Your tenants’ bins are put out for collection at the correct time on collection day, at the front of your property without obstructing the pavement
• Any waste that doesn't fit in your tenants’ bins is disposed of correctly. It can be done either at a local household waste recycling centre by using our bulky collection service or by a licensed waste carrier
• Your bins aren't contaminated - if they are, they won't be collected. 

Leaving a property

When a tenant is leaving the property, make sure rubbish is removed, your tenant can contact use the bulky waste collection service.