Quick answer
Since 1 May 2026, letting agents in England work with assured periodic tenancies, no Section 21, rent increases by Section 13 only, and a ban on rental bidding that names agents directly. Next comes the PRS Database, opening region by region from 15 December 2026. The checklist below covers tenancies and notices, rent, safety, deposits, Right to Rent, registration and records.
Tenancies and notices
- Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026. Fixed terms became assured periodic tenancies.
- Possession is by a Section 8 notice, on a named ground, with the period that ground requires.
- Ground 8 (rent arrears) needs at least 3 months’ rent unpaid, or 13 weeks if paid weekly, and 4 weeks’ notice.
- Tenancies from 1 May 2026: a written statement of terms before the tenancy starts.
- Earlier tenancies: the How to Rent guide that applied when the tenancy began.
Advertising and letting
- Rental bidding is banned. The advertised rent is the ceiling.
- The Act names agents directly as duty-holders on the bidding ban.
- Discrimination bans and the tenant’s right to request a pet are in force.
- Once the advert rules start, adverts carry the landlord and property identifiers.
Rent increases
- Section 13 only, at most once every 52 weeks.
- At least two months’ notice from deemed service, moved to the rent day.
- Email service only with the tenant’s written agreement.
- Form checked against the GOV.UK prescribed forms: Form 4A, SI 2026/354.
- Landlord approval on the record before the notice goes.
- The tribunal cannot award more than the landlord proposed.
Time any increase with the free Section 13 rent increase calculator.
Safety records
- Gas Safety record: every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Copy to existing tenants within 28 days.
- EICR: at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so. Copy within 28 days. Remedial work within 28 days or less.
- EPC: valid for 10 years, rated E or above, given before the tenancy.
- Smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation. Carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, not gas cookers. Tested on the first day of each tenancy.
Deposits and Right to Rent
- Deposit protected in a government-backed scheme within 30 days of receipt.
- Prescribed information given within the same 30 days, with proof of how and when.
- Late protection exposes the landlord to a claim of one to three times the deposit.
- Right to Rent checked for every adult occupier before the tenancy, with follow-up checks diarised.
Who is responsible
Only two duties can move to an agent: Right to Rent and gas safety, both in writing. Everything else stays with the landlord, whatever the agreement says. Record the service level per property.
PRS Database
- Opens 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands. Every English region has a three-month window. All registered by 14 November 2027.
- £65 per property per year. The landlord registers.
- Once registration is required for the property, an unregistered landlord cannot obtain a possession order except on grounds 7A or 14.
- No public API is planned. Plan for manual entry.
Find each property’s deadline with the PRS Database deadline checker.
Records to keep
- Proof of service for every notice: method, date, who served it.
- Dates each safety record was given to each tenant.
- The rent history, so the 52 weeks survive a sale or a change of agent.
- Anything attached to a live notice or tribunal case, kept readable.
Score a single property in two minutes with the free landlord compliance checker, or take the whole list as the Renters’ Rights Act compliance checklist.
Penalties on one page
| Breach | Maximum | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical safety (EICR, remedial work, copies) | £40,000 per breach | Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, reg. 11 |
| Housing Act offences: licensing, HMO management, improvement notices | £40,000 | Housing Act 2004, s.249A |
| Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms | £5,000 penalty charge | Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations 2015, reg. 8 |
| PRS Database: not registered | £7,000; up to £40,000 for false information or repeat breaches | Renters’ Rights Act 2025 |
| Gas safety | Criminal offence; prosecuted by the HSE | Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 |
Four appeals worth knowing
| Case | What happened | Result |
|---|---|---|
| MAN/00DA/HNA/2025/0603 | Landlord appealed a £7,500 penalty; no proof of a valid gas record on the day of inspection | Raised to £10,500 |
| MAN/32UD/HNA/2022/0085 & 0086 | Council said the gas record was never sent; the manager proved it was posted | Penalties cancelled |
| BIR/00CN/HNA/2025/0014 | Penalties of £11,250 and £6,750 for licence conditions, including smoke alarms | Quashed: the landlord had a reasonable excuse |
| BIR/00FK/HIN/2025/0031 & 0032 | Smoke alarm penalty charges on two joint owners after a remedial notice | £1,500 each, confirmed |
- Appeals are re-hearings: the amount can go up as well as down.
- Proof of sending is as important as the certificate itself.
- Joint owners can each be charged for the same breach.
Cases are First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on gov.uk. Each turns on its own facts; read the full decision before relying on one.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Where Abide.Rent fits
Abide.Rent is one file per property. Duties show who does each task and who is legally responsible. Rent reviews, proof of service, certificates and PRS Database numbers sit on the same record.
Abide.Rent tracks this for every property you manage. Free for a month, no card.
Not legal advice.
More from the blog
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.
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.
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.