News and analysis for letting agents and landlords on rent tribunals, the Renters’ Rights Act and the PRS Database.
The government’s register opens in the West Midlands first, then one region a month. £65 a property a year, renewed every year. What it will ask for, and how to have each property ready before your window opens.
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Achieved rents, not asking rents: what wins at the rent tribunalTribunals set the rent from what similar homes actually let for. Asking prices, portal guides and area averages carry little weight. How to gather evidence that holds up — and why the tribunal can still go below today’s rent.
Rent tribunal decisions digest — October 2026191 market-rent decisions dated September 2026, 70 under the new rules. 73% of those were set below the landlord’s figure. What won, what lost, and three cases by district.
Section 21 is gone: what letting agents do nowSection 21 ended on 1 May 2026. Tenancies are assured periodic, possession runs through Section 8, and the rent review has replaced the renewal. What changes for agents.
Renters’ Rights Act checklist for letting agentsA practical Renters’ Rights Act checklist for agents in England: tenancies and notices, rent increases, safety, deposits, the PRS Database and the records to keep.
Let only vs fully managed: who is responsible for complianceOn let only, almost every duty sits with the landlord. On fully managed, the agent does most of the work — but only two duties can legally move. A duty-by-duty guide.
Can a tenant challenge a rent increase? The tribunal explainedYes. A tenant can refer a Section 13 increase to the First-tier Tribunal before it starts. What the tribunal can and cannot do, and what the 2026 figures show.
Gas Safety certificate: landlord vs letting agent dutyGas safety is one of only two duties that can move from landlord to agent — and only in writing. When it moves, when it does not, and the dates to track.
EICR rules for landlords: every 5 years and the 28-day copyAn EICR is due at least every five years, sooner if the report says so, and the tenant must have a copy within 28 days. Who is liable, and what to track.
What is a Landlord Registration Number (LRN)?The LRN is the number the government’s PRS Database gives a landlord. What it is, how it differs from a Property Registration Number, and where it must appear.
PRS Database registration: deadlines by regionThe PRS Database opens region by region from 15 December 2026. Every window, every deadline, and what registration costs.
How much notice for a rent increase in England?At least two months, and no more than once every 52 weeks. How to work out the real start date, with a worked example.
Section 13 notice: how to raise the rent in 2026How a Section 13 rent increase works in England since 1 May 2026: the two-month notice, the 52-week rule, service, and what happens if the tenant goes to the tribunal.
Why determinations cannot set the rent846 decisions across 514 postcode districts, and only 13 with five or more. What tribunal decisions can tell you about a rent — and what they can’t.
Rent tribunal decisions in 2026: what 846 decisions tell agentsWe read every market-rent decision published in 2026. Volumes, outcomes under old and new rules, how long it takes by region, and what moved the result.