Compliance Checklist

The Renters’ Rights Act is the biggest change to renting legislation in over thirty years. Starting from 1 May 2026, it will introduce a host of changes, including a new default tenancy, the end of Section 21, changes to rent in advance, a new landlord database and a number of other really significant changes to your business. 

However, many of the existing legal obligations on landlords will remain in place. Particularly those obligations related to serving certificates and ensuring that the property is safe to live in for tenants. 

What will change is that local authorities will start making greater use of their enforcement powers once the Renters Rights Act comes into force. 

The Act grants local authorities significant powers to investigate potential offences of PRS legislation and, if necessary, issue substantial fines for non-compliance.

In addition to this, local authorities will have a statutory duty to enforce this legislation which means they are very likely to be significantly ramp up their enforcement work in the near future. 

You can read more about these potential offences here.

As a responsible landlord who is reading this information, we don't expect you to be at risk from these penalties. You probably meet all of your legal requirements already as NRLA surveys have consistently found that our members are very aware of what they need to do to be a professional, legally compliant landlord. 

However, it is good to regularly review your practices to make sure that everything is in place. The following template is designed to give you piece of mind that you are complying with your current legal obligations before the Renters' Rights Act comes into force.

This will give you more time to focus on ensuring that you meet your upcoming legal obligations as well. 

Compliance checklist

The NRLA has prepared a compliance checklist to help our members understand what legal obligations they should be meeting ahead of the Renters' Rights Act coming into force on 1 May 2026. 

By following this checklist, you can ensure you are meeting your legal requirements, provide safe homes for your tenants, and ensure that you are not at risk of local authority fines. 

You can access this resource, and many more, by joining the NRLA today.