Compliance audit

Renters' Rights Act Landlord Checklist: The 2026/27 Compliance Audit

October 2026 · 9 min read · England private rented sector

Since 1 May 2026, being a landlord in England has meant playing by a new rulebook. Section 21 is gone, fixed-term tenancies are gone, and a whole set of new duties — with civil penalties of up to £7,000 per breach — has taken their place. If you haven't sat down and audited your position since the Act came in, now is the time. This checklist walks through everything a private landlord in England should have in place, plus what's still on the way.

Work through it property by property. For each item, note three things: done or not, the date, and where the evidence is filed. A checklist without evidence is just a wish list — if a council officer or a tribunal ever asks, the paperwork is what counts.

1. Tenancy structure: is everything periodic?

The single biggest structural change: assured shorthold tenancies no longer exist in England. Every AST that was running on 1 May 2026 converted automatically into an assured periodic tenancy, and no new fixed-term assured tenancy can be created.

• No tenancy agreement granted since 1 May 2026 promises a fixed term — any fixed-term wording in a new agreement is ineffective.
• Any rent-review clause in an old agreement no longer works. Rent increases now run exclusively through the statutory Section 13 process (see the Form 4A guide).
• No Section 21 notice has been served since 1 May 2026. Every possession claim now goes through Section 8.
• Tenants understand they can end the tenancy with two months' notice at any time — your void planning should assume it.

2. Documents served: the paper trail

The Act turned document service into a compliance duty with teeth. Check each tenancy:

• Information Sheet: the official government Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 should have gone to every named tenant on pre-1 May tenancies by 31 May 2026. If you missed anyone, serve it now — late is far better than never. It must go as a hard copy or a PDF attachment; sending a link does not count. Read the full proof-of-service guide.
• Written statement of terms: every tenancy granted since 1 May 2026 needs written terms provided before the tenancy is entered into.
• How to Rent guide: the current version, served at the start of each tenancy.
• Gas Safety Certificate, EICR, EPC: valid, in date, and copies given to the tenant. EPC rating E or above unless an exemption is registered.
• Deposit protection: protected in an approved scheme within 30 days of receipt, and the prescribed information served within 30 days — a separate duty with its own penalty.

3. Advertising and tenant selection

• Every advert states a single, genuine asking rent — no "POA", no ranges.
• You have not invited, encouraged, or accepted offers above the advertised rent (the rental bidding ban).
• Adverts and referencing criteria contain no discriminatory wording — no "no DSS", "no benefits", "no children", "professionals only". Refusing tenants for receiving benefits or having children is now unlawful discrimination.
• No more than one month's rent taken in advance, and nothing taken before the agreement is signed.
• Holding deposits comply with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (one week's rent cap).

4. Rent increases: the Section 13 routine

• Increases happen at most once every 12 months — count 52 weeks from the last increase, not the calendar year.
• Every increase goes through Form 4A, the official GOV.UK form — never a letter or email.
• At least two months' written notice, with the new rent starting on the first day of a rent period.
• The proposed rent is a defensible market rent, with comparable evidence saved in case the tenant challenges it.

5. Pets: the 28-day process

• You have a written process for handling pet requests — who logs them, who decides, how the clock is tracked.
• Every request gets a written response within 28 days: approve, refuse with specific written reasons, or ask for more information (which gives a further 7 days from receipt).
• No blanket "no pets" policy remains in any agreement or advert.
• You are not demanding a pet deposit or mandatory pet insurance — neither is permitted.

The full workflow, including what counts as a valid refusal, is in the pet-request 28-day guide.

6. Repairs, records and day-to-day running

• Every repair report is acknowledged in writing and logged with dates — this is your defence if disrepair is ever alleged.
• All tenant communications that matter (notices, requests, decisions) are in writing and filed per tenancy.
• Proof of service is kept for every document and notice: sent emails with attachments, certificates of posting, signed receipts.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are installed, tested, and the checks recorded.

7. What's still coming: the next deadlines

Phase 1 is live, but the Act is being switched on in stages. Put these in your diary now:

The penalty backdrop

Why does all of this matter? Because the enforcement regime is the sharpest private landlords have ever faced: civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a first or standard breach and up to £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches, plus Rent Repayment Orders of up to 24 months' rent. The worked £7,000 fine scenarios show how ordinary slip-ups turn into five-figure exposure.

Not legal advice. This guide is general information for private landlords in England, written in October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a solicitor–client relationship. Housing law changes — check GOV.UK's guide to the Renters' Rights Act and your local council before acting, and take professional advice on your own circumstances.