The Act started life as the Renters (Reform) Bill in May 2023 and finally made it onto the statute books on 27th October 2025. This is the biggest piece of legislation to affect the rental sector since the Housing Act 1988, and introduces many changes documented in 270 pages. We have been following the passage of the Act through Parliament, and this article summarises what we think every landlord should know about the Act. The commencement date for the Act is 1st May 2026. The government guidance (not law) states that it would not be possible to legislate for every…

1. If it needs it, upgrade your property to ensure it will meet the Decent Homes Standard: Doing this may involve more investment, but you can’t expect to make money without putting money in. In some cases, there may be funds available for upgrades. 2. Be rigorous about the way you select your tenants. The last thing you want is a bad tenant under the new RRA regime. Consider doing some or all the following: The demand for property will continue to outpace supply – finding tenants will be easier, finding the right tenant will be harder so choose your next…

Myth 1: All evictions are banned under the Act. Fact: The Act abolishes possession without a reason (known as a ground), but evictions are not banned. The Act once fully implemented, will establish a total of 37 specific grounds for possession available to landlords under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 e.g., rent arrears, landlord selling the property, landlord or his family moving into the property. Myth 1A. The Act bans ‘no fault evictions’. Fact: You can still seek possession of your property but if you want possession, you will need to provide a reason. The two most common reasons will…

The agreement to, and payment of, a holding deposit creates a legally binding contract between the landlord (or his agent) and the prospective tenant. The contract is commonly called a holding deposit agreement, sometimes referred to as a HDA. A HDA is a conditional contract, which grants the prospective tenant both the right and obligation to enter into the proposed tenancy provided the landlord (or his agent) can verify the information provided by the prospective tenant is correct. The conditions of the contract can be oral or written, or both. If written, the conditions will be in a document typically…

On 7th September 2023 the UK government issued guidance on damp and mould in rented accommodation. The guidance is 56 pages long, not including linked references, and there are 185 occurrences of the word ‘landlord’. This article provides a summary of what it is landlords should be doing regarding damp and mould in their properties. The guidance can be found here: Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home Preventative Have clear processes in place to document, manage and act on reports of damp and mould and to identify common issues and trends in your…