Renters' Rights Act 2025 — The Landlord Checklist

The Act creates a Private Rented Sector Ombudsman that every private landlord will have to join, but it is not live: no administrator has been appointed, there is nothing to register for, and mandatory membership is currently expected in 2028. The PRS Database is the one with a date — registration opens 15 December 2026, West Midlands first.

Awaab's Law — named after a child who died from mould exposure — now applies to private rented properties. You must investigate and begin fixing emergency hazards (heating failure, major leaks) within 24 hours and respond to non-emergency hazards like damp and mould within 14 days. Councils can now issue emergency repair notices with enforcement action.

Landlords can no longer include a blanket 'no pets' clause. Tenants have a right to request a pet and you must respond in writing within 28 days. You can only refuse on specific reasonable grounds. You can require a tenant to take out pet insurance, but you cannot charge a higher deposit (deposit cap still applies). Silence counts as refusal after 28 days and can be challenged.

Deposit protection rules are unchanged but now sit alongside a periodic tenancy framework. Since there are no fixed-term end dates, you need to ensure your deposit protection is renewed or maintained if you switch providers. The 30-day protection deadline from receipt of deposit is unchanged.

Section 8 now has expanded mandatory grounds to compensate for losing Section 21. Key new/updated grounds: Ground 1A (selling — 4 months' notice, cannot serve in first 12 months), Ground 1 (family occupation — 4 months' notice), Ground 6A (demolition/redevelopment), Ground 7A (antisocial behaviour — immediate/serious cases). Courts can still refuse possession if proper procedure is not followed.

Landlords and agents can no longer invite or accept bids above the advertised asking rent. You must set an asking price and stick to it. If multiple tenants apply, you choose based on non-financial criteria. Breaching this rule is an offence under the Renters' Rights Act.

With Section 21 gone, getting a problem tenant out is slower and more expensive than before. The minimum timeline for possession through the courts — even on a clear rent arrears case — is typically 3-6 months. Some landlords in the Midlands are switching to guaranteed rent schemes to remove tenant risk entirely: you get paid every month regardless, and the scheme provider takes on tenancy management, compliance, and void risk.

With rents now only reviewable once a year via a formal process, and court costs for possession rising, accurate P&L tracking per property is more important than ever. Know your actual net yield. Know when your rent is due for review. Know your Section 24 tax position. Managing without this data is the most common reason landlords take a loss without realising it.