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Keeping landlords safe

WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO?

The rules keep changing and nobody sends you the list. We track every requirement, what is coming next, and what each one means you should do, verified monthly.

See the legislative timetable

HN_Keys In Door Renters' Rights The Hello Neighbour Toolkit for the Renters’ Rights Act – keeping you safe Read the full report
Compliance reads

KNOW YOUR OBLIGATIONS.

Everything tagged compliance: the content we keep updated as the rules change.

Pets and the Renters' Rights Act: what landlords have to do

9 min read · 19 Aug 2026

Pets and the Renters' Rights Act: what landlords have to do

Since 1 May 2026 tenants in England can ask to keep a pet. The 28-day rule, when a refusal is reasonable, why you cannot charge, and what to put in writing.

Read article
EPC rules for landlords: what you need to do now

8 min read · 26 Jul 2026

EPC rules for landlords: what you need to do now

Learn what landlords in England and Wales must do to comply with new EPC rules by 2030, including key dates, costs, and funding options.

Read article
Does a better EPC rating increase rent?

3 min read · 26 Jul 2026

Does a better EPC rating increase rent?

Discover which EPC improvements are worth investing in, the available grants, and the best order to enhance energy efficiency in rental properties.

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Which EPC improvements are actually worth it?

3 min read · 26 Jul 2026

Which EPC improvements are actually worth it?

Discover which EPC improvements are worth investing in, the available grants, and the best order to enhance energy efficiency in rental properties.

Read article
EPC grants for landlords in 2026: ECO4, BUS and more

4 min read · 26 Jul 2026

EPC grants for landlords in 2026: ECO4, BUS and more

Discover the latest EPC grants for landlords in 2026, including ECO4 and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, to enhance property energy efficiency and compliance.

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The Home Energy Model: how the new EPC works

4 min read · 26 Jul 2026

The Home Energy Model: how the new EPC works

Discover the upcoming changes to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in 2027, focusing on new metrics and compliance tests for rented homes.

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The timetable

Every rule, one list.

What is in force, what is coming, and what is only proposed, each with the one thing it means you should do. Reviewed monthly.

Now effective 1 may 2026
In force

The Renters' Rights Act

Section 21 abolished, all tenancies periodic, no letting above the advertised asking rent, possession through Section 8 only.

Reference thoroughly, take an independent inventory, price correctly up front

Visit our Renters' Rights Hub
NOW ONGOING
In force

The standing certificate set

Gas safety annually, EICR every five years, a valid EPC before letting, deposit protected in a scheme, ICO registration for tenant data.

Check every certificate date in one sitting; diarise renewals

Now Ongoing
In force

Selective and additional licensing

Nearly 400,000 licensed properties in England and growing as more councils adopt schemes. Whether you need a license depends on the postcode.

Check your council's scheme before every new tenancy

Now Phase 1
In force

Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024

The Act removes the two-year wait for lease extensions and freehold claims, while making Right to Manage easier and cheaper. It also strengthens rentcharge and building-safety protections, including recovery of certain related costs.

No action yet but quicker access to lease extensions/freehold purchase and greater control through Right to Manage

oct 2030 effective date
Commencing

EPC minimum standard changes

Significant changes to EPC requirements are due, likely to require investment in energy performance for many rental properties.

Get your current rating and quote upgrade work early; costs fall on planners, not scramblers

TBC monitor
Proposed

Rent controls and NI on rental income

Both have been floated publicly; neither is law. We track them so a headline never catches you out.

Nothing to do yet; subscribe below and we will tell you if that changes

Statuses: in force means the rule applies now; commencing means enacted or scheduled with a date; proposed means publicly floated but not law. Each entry is verified against the source legislation on the monthly review.

The stakes

WHAT GETTING IT WRONG COSTS.

Compliance is cheap next to the alternative. The certificate set is a few hundred pounds a year; the penalties are not.

£205 A year for the full certificate set, annualised: gas, EICR, PAT, ICO
£40,000 Maximum civil penalty for letting an unlicensed property
400,000 Licensed properties in England, and the number is growing
24 months Maximum rent repayment order exposure for licensing breaches
£320m

What the top 50 councils have earned in licensing revenue. Enforcement is funded and motivated.

Figures from the Landlord Economics report (May 2026) and its cited sources where marked; penalty figures are placeholders pending verification from source legislation.

Quick answers

THE QUESTIONS EVERY LANDLORD IS ASKING.

Get started
What certificates do I legally need to let a property?

 The standing set: an annual gas safety certificate for any gas appliances, an EICR at least every five years, a valid EPC before the property is marketed, deposit protection in a government scheme, and ICO registration because you handle tenant data. Budget around £205 a year annualised for the certificate group. 

 

What did the Renters' Rights Act change for landlords?

 From 1 May 2026: Section 21 is gone, every tenancy is periodic, you cannot accept above the advertised asking rent, and possession runs through Section 8 grounds in court. The practical consequence: referencing, an independent inventory and rent protection have moved from optional to essential, because mistakes are slower and costlier to unwind. 

 

When do the new EPC rules apply?

 Significant changes to EPC requirements are due in October 2030 and are likely to require investment in energy performance for many rental properties. The exact scope is still being finalised, which is exactly why the timetable above carries a verified date rather than a rumour. If it changes, subscribers hear first. 

Rule-change alerts

NEVER GET CAUGHT OUT.

When a rule changes, commences or moves from proposed to law, we email you what it means and what to do.