The London landlord's 2026 compliance checklist

This is the list we work through with every landlord who asks where they stand in 2026. It splits three ways: what the Renters' Rights Act requires now, what is scheduled but not yet live, and the standing obligations that predate all of it.

Now: the Act's live requirements

• Information Sheet served for every written tenancy (deadline was 31 May 2026; serve late rather than never, and keep proof).
• Verbal tenancies: written key terms provided.
• Tenancies understood as periodic: no fixed terms, tenants leave on 2 months' notice.
• Possession planning built on the reformed Section 8 grounds: 4 months' notice and a 12-month protected period for sale or moving-in grounds, 3 months' arrears and 4 weeks' notice for mandatory arrears possession.
• Rent increases once a year via Form 4A with 2 months' notice.
• Adverts state an asking rent, no bidding above it, no more than one month's rent in advance.
• Pet requests answered individually, in writing; no insurance condition, because the Act does not contain one.
• No blanket bans on children or benefit recipients.

Coming: scheduled, not yet live

• Private Rented Sector Database: registration expected to open from late 2026, with a fee.
• Ombudsman membership: currently expected in 2028.
• Decent Homes Standard and Awaab's Law for the private sector: powers exist in the Act, commencement dates not set, consultation ongoing.

Always: the perennials

• Deposit protected in a government-approved scheme, with prescribed information served.
• Annual gas safety record, EICR no more than five years old, working alarms.
• EPC rated E or better, valid and provided to the tenant.
• Right-to-rent checks completed and recorded.
• Licensing checked against your borough's current schemes, especially for shared houses.

Why the stakes rose

Enforcement grew teeth alongside the reforms: civil penalties reach £7,000 for initial breaches and up to £40,000 for serious or repeat ones, and rent repayment orders can now stretch to two years' rent. The cost of drifting out of compliance is no longer theoretical.

None of this list is difficult. It is just long. The landlords who struggle are the ones who try to hold it in their heads.

Implementation is phased and this article reflects the position at publication; always confirm the current state on GOV.UK. General guidance, not legal advice. If you would rather hand the list to someone whose job it is, our free compliance review covers every line of it for your specific properties.

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