Landlord Compliance Checklist 2026

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the biggest shake-up of private renting in England in over 30 years. It abolishes Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, introduces the Decent Homes Standard for the private sector, and creates new rules for rent increases, pets, and property standards.

Use this checklist to make sure you have everything covered before, during, and at the end of every tenancy. You can also generate your full document pack to cover the paperwork side in minutes.

This checklist applies to assured tenancies in England. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have separate legislation.

Before Letting / At Start of Tenancy

These must all be in place before your tenant moves in.

•  Gas Safety Certificate — obtained annually from a Gas Safe registered engineer. A copy must be given to the tenant before they move in, or within 28 days of the check.
•  EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) — required every 5 years by a qualified electrician. Must be provided to the tenant before they occupy the property. See our EICR guide for more detail.
•  EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) — your property must have a minimum E rating (with a move towards C rating in future). A valid EPC must be available to prospective tenants and provided before the tenancy starts.
•  Smoke and CO alarms — working smoke alarms must be fitted on every floor. Carbon monoxide alarms are required in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (e.g. gas boiler, wood burner). Test them on the day the tenancy begins.
•  How to Rent guide — the current version of the government's 'How to Rent' checklist must be provided to the tenant at the start of the tenancy. Our document pack includes this automatically.
•  Deposit protected in an approved scheme — the deposit must be registered with one of the three government-approved schemes (DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS) within 30 days of receipt. See our deposit protection guide.
•  Prescribed information served on the tenant — you must provide the prescribed information about the deposit scheme within 30 days. Failure to do so can result in penalties of up to 3x the deposit amount.
•  Written statement of tenancy terms — the Renters' Rights Act requires landlords to provide a written statement setting out the key terms of the tenancy. Generate yours here.
•  Property registered on the PRS database — the Act establishes a new Private Rented Sector database. Once live, landlords must register their property and tenancy before letting. Keep an eye on government announcements for the launch date.
•  Legionella risk assessment — landlords have a duty to assess and control the risk of legionella bacteria in the water system. This doesn't always need a professional assessment, but it must be documented.
•  Right to Rent check completed — you must verify that every adult tenant has the legal right to rent in England before the tenancy starts. Keep copies of the documents for the duration of the tenancy and for one year after it ends.

During the Tenancy

Ongoing obligations for the duration of the tenancy.

•  Annual gas safety check — renew the Gas Safety Certificate every 12 months without fail. Provide a copy to the tenant within 28 days or before they move in, whichever is sooner.
•  Respond to repairs in reasonable timeframes — under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (s.11) and the new Decent Homes Standard, you must keep the structure, exterior, and installations in proper repair. Emergency repairs (e.g. no heating or hot water) should be addressed within 24 hours.
•  Decent Homes Standard compliance — the Renters' Rights Act extends the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time. Your property must be free from Category 1 hazards and meet minimum standards for repair, facilities, and thermal comfort.
•  Awaab's Law compliance (damp and mould timelines) — named after Awaab Ishak, these rules set strict timeframes for investigating and fixing damp, mould, and condensation. Landlords must acknowledge hazard reports within 14 days, begin repairs within a further 7 days, and complete emergency repairs within 24 hours. See our Awaab's Law explainer.
•  Section 13 for any rent increases — under the new Act, landlords may only increase rent once per year using a Section 13 notice, giving at least 2 months' notice. The increase must reflect market rent, and tenants can challenge it at a tribunal. Our Section 13 notice generator can help you get the form right.
•  Respond to pet requests within 28 days — tenants have the right to request permission to keep a pet. You must respond within 28 days. You can only refuse on reasonable grounds and may require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance.
•  Maintain records of all compliance documents — keep copies of gas certificates, EICRs, EPCs, deposit protection certificates, prescribed information, inventory reports, and all correspondence. You may need these if a dispute goes to a tribunal or the PRS Ombudsman.
•  Keep deposit protection active — the deposit must remain protected in an approved scheme for the entire duration of the tenancy. If you switch schemes, re-serve the prescribed information within 30 days.

Ending the Tenancy

What you need to know when a tenancy comes to an end.

•  Use the correct Section 8 ground and notice period — Section 8 notices must specify the correct ground(s) for possession and give the prescribed notice period for each ground. Common grounds include rent arrears (Ground 8 — mandatory, 4 weeks' notice), antisocial behaviour (Ground 14 — immediate), and landlord wishes to sell (Ground 1 — 4 months' notice). See our Section 8 grounds reference.
•  Cannot use Section 21 (abolished) — the Renters' Rights Act abolishes Section 21 'no-fault' evictions entirely. Any Section 21 notice served after the Act comes into force will be invalid. All possession claims must now use Section 8 with a valid ground.
•  12-month restriction on Grounds 1, 1A, and 6 — you cannot use Ground 1 (landlord wishes to move in), Ground 1A (landlord wishes to sell), or Ground 6 (redevelopment) within the first 12 months of a tenancy. This prevents landlords from granting short tenancies and immediately evicting.
•  Return deposit within 10 days — once both parties agree on any deductions (or a dispute has been resolved by the scheme), the deposit must be returned within 10 days. Make sure your deductions are properly documented with an itemised schedule.

Quick-Reference Summary