TL;DR
Preparing for renters rights bill compliance? Here’s where you stand: it’s now the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, with Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and Phase 1 commenced on 1 May 2026. Section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished, all assured shorthold tenancies have converted to assured periodic tenancies, fixed-term ASTs are no longer possible, and landlords have until 31 May 2026 to serve the government Information Sheet on every existing tenant (£7,000 first-offence penalty, £40,000 for repeats). This guide is the compliance checklist for landlords whose first task is now urgent.
🚨 The 31 May 2026 deadline — start here
If you let property in England with existing tenancies that pre-date 1 May 2026, you have a statutory obligation that becomes overdue on 31 May 2026:
- Serve the government’s official Information Sheet on every existing tenant
- For tenancies that were verbal or partially undocumented pre-1 May, also serve a written statement of terms
The Information Sheet is published by the government and explains the changes the Act has made to the tenant’s position. It can only be downloaded from the gov.uk source; locally-edited or re-formatted versions are not compliant. Failure to serve by 31 May carries:
- £7,000 civil penalty for first offence
- £40,000 civil penalty for second or repeat offence (where the failure continues after a first penalty)
For new tenancies (commenced on or after 1 May 2026), the written statement of terms must be provided before the tenancy is entered into — it can be a standalone document or part of the tenancy agreement.
If you’re reading this guide and you haven’t completed this step yet, this is the most urgent landlord-side compliance task currently active. The window to act is 18 days from the date this post was last updated. The five-step checklist below covers everything else; this paragraph is the headline. For any landlord still preparing for renters rights bill compliance, this is the first and most urgent task.
For when other provisions of the Act commence (Phase 2 in late 2026, Phase 3 from 2035), see our pillar guide to the Renters’ Rights Act 2026. For the implementation timeline in detail, see when does the Renters’ Rights Act come into effect.
Preparing for renters rights bill — the 5-step landlord checklist
Beyond the urgent Information Sheet step above, the operational shift introduced on 1 May 2026 has five practical implications for the landlord portfolio. The sequencing matters — Step 1 is most time-sensitive, Step 5 is the longest-running operational adjustment.
| # | Action | When | Cost (typical London landlord) | Risk of skipping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Serve Information Sheet on existing tenants | By 31 May 2026 (18 days) | £0 — internal admin time | £7,000–£40,000 civil penalty |
| 1 | Audit existing tenancy agreements | Within 30 days | £0 — internal admin time | Operating under unenforceable clauses |
| 2 | Refresh inventory documentation | Within 60 days | From £125 per Studio (Click Inventories) | Weakened evidence for any future possession claim |
| 3 | Verify deposit protection paperwork | Within 30 days | £0 — verification check, possibly re-protection fees | 1-3× deposit penalty claims; restrictions on possession routes |
| 4 | Confirm all compliance certificates are current | Within 30 days | £170-£320 per property for full cert stack | Up to £30,000 penalty per certificate breach |
| 5 | Establish a periodic-inspection cadence | Ongoing — set up now, run 6-monthly | From £90 per mid-term inspection | Issues compound; weaker evidence at possession claim |
Each step expanded below.
Step 1: Audit existing tenancy agreements
On 1 May 2026, every existing assured shorthold tenancy converted automatically into a Section 4A assured periodic tenancy under the Act. The fixed-term portion of any AST is no longer enforceable. Walk through every current tenancy in your portfolio and identify which clauses are now superseded by the Act:
- Fixed-term length clauses — no longer enforceable
- Automatic-renewal provisions — no longer needed; tenancy runs periodic indefinitely
- Section 21 no-fault notice references — Section 21 is abolished; cannot be served
- Rent-in-advance clauses requiring more than one month at signing — capped at one month under new Section 4B Housing Act 1988
- Anti-pet clauses without a reasonable refusal mechanism — tenants now have a right to request a pet, with landlords needing a "good reason" to refuse
You don’t need to issue replacement tenancy agreements for existing tenancies — the conversion was automatic. What you do need is an internal record of which provisions in each agreement no longer apply, so you don’t accidentally rely on them.
Practical action: spreadsheet listing each property, the original AST start date, the current rent, the deposit scheme + reference, and a flag for any clause now superseded by the Act. This becomes your portfolio-state baseline — and the operational reference point for everything else when preparing for renters rights bill enforcement.
Step 2: Refresh inventory documentation
The Act tightens possession grounds substantially. Section 21 (no-fault) is gone; the restructured Section 8 grounds are now the only landlord-initiated route to possession, and several grounds require four months’ notice (Ground 1, landlord/family occupation; Ground 1A, sale of property). The grounds also require documented evidence — landlord assertion alone is no longer sufficient.
The inventory cycle (check-in, check-out, mid-term) produces that documented evidence. If any property in your portfolio doesn’t have a current AIIC-format check-in report, commission one now. If a property has only a self-produced "inventory" — landlord-drafted, no clerk credentials, no standard vocabulary — replace it with a proper check-in. Mid-tenancy commissioning is unusual but legally valid; it sets a fresh baseline for the periodic phase. This is the evidential workstream that matters most when preparing for renters rights bill possession claims.
Every Click Inventories clerk holds personal AIIC membership. London check-in fees start at £125 (Studio). For the full service breakdown see our inventory clerk hub. For the clerk’s role at adjudication, see inventory clerk: what they do.
Step 3: Verify deposit protection paperwork
Tenancy deposit protection was already a legal requirement, and the underlying rules (30-day protection deadline, prescribed information service, scheme selection) are unchanged by the Act. What’s changed is the enforcement context: local authorities have stronger powers under the Act, and the consequences of non-compliance now interact differently with possession routes. Landlords preparing for renters rights bill enforcement should treat deposit-records currency as a non-negotiable baseline.
The audit:
- Every deposit currently protected? Confirm scheme reference and protection status for each property
- Prescribed information served on time? Within 30 days of receipt the prescribed information setting out scheme details, deposit amount, and tenant rights must have been served. Missing this is a common historical compliance failure that becomes a current liability
- Records digitally retrievable? Insured-scheme deposits sometimes have paperwork the landlord can’t easily produce. Make sure you can demonstrate compliance on demand
For the comparison of the three approved schemes (TDS, DPS, MyDeposits), see our TDS vs DPS vs MyDeposits comparison. For the deposit protection context, see our tenancy deposit scheme pillar guide. For how long a landlord can hold a deposit after tenancy end, see how long can a landlord hold a deposit.
Step 4: Confirm all compliance certificates are current
Compliance certificates aren’t directly altered by the Act, but the Act increases enforcement activity across the rental sector. A landlord with an expired Gas Safety certificate is in a worse position now than they were pre-1 May — local authorities have stronger powers and a more visible regulatory profile. Certificate stack hygiene is one of the highest-leverage workstreams when preparing for renters rights bill regulatory exposure.
The certificate stack to verify:
- Gas Safety Certificate — annual renewal, £85 standalone (Click Inventories)
- EICR — 5-year max validity, £170 standalone, see our renewal guide
- EPC — 10-year renewal, separate inspection
- HMO licence — typically 5-year, council-specific renewal cycles
Click Inventories bundles EPC + Gas + EICR at £320 (saving £20 against standalone sum). For the broader compliance context, see our EICR and landlord safety certificates pillar guide.
Step 5: Establish a periodic-inspection cadence
The Act’s headline operational change — periodic tenancies as the default — removes the natural fixed-term endpoint that used to trigger landlord-tenant renewal conversations. Tenancies now run open-ended. The mid-term inspection cycle replaces that natural pause point as the operational management mechanism.
The recommendation: 6-monthly mid-term inspections on every property, conducted by the same AIIC clerk who produced the check-in. Mid-terms catch developing issues early (damp, unauthorised alterations, gas/electrical concerns, lease breaches), and the cumulative inspection record becomes the evidence base for any future Section 8 possession claim under the restructured grounds. Anyone preparing for renters rights bill compliance long-term should treat the inspection cadence as the core operational rhythm, not an optional add-on.
Tenant notice rules under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (minimum 24 hours’ written notice, reasonable time of day) continue to apply for inspection access. Click Inventories’ mid-term inspection service is from £90 per visit. For the full mid-term context see mid-term inspections: how often, what to check, and why.
What’s still coming under the Act
Phase 1 (May 2026) is now in force. The Act is being commenced in stages:
- Phase 2 — late 2026: PRS Database launches (mandatory landlord and property registration), PRS Ombudsman scheme activates
- Phase 3 — from 2035: Decent Homes Standard extended to PRS, Awaab’s Law applied to private landlords (mandatory remediation timescales for reported hazards)
The 31 May Information Sheet deadline is the only currently-overdue obligation. Phase 2 deadlines will be announced by commencement order during 2026. Anyone preparing for renters rights bill obligations should bookmark the official commencement-order page for ongoing updates.
What this checklist doesn’t replace
This checklist is operational guidance for landlords, not legal advice. Specific contested cases — possession applications, complex portfolio restructures, edge-case tenancy questions — warrant solicitor consultation. The NRLA’s landlord legal helpline is one route; the government’s Renters’ Rights Act guidance is the authoritative status source.
For tenant-side framing on the same changes, Citizens Advice provides a balanced reference — useful awareness for landlords anticipating the conversations the Act will trigger.
Working with Click Inventories
Click Inventories supports steps 2, 4, and 5 of this checklist directly: refreshed AIIC-format inventories, complete compliance certificate stacks (EPC + Gas + EICR), and the ongoing mid-term inspection cycle that replaces the fixed-term endpoint under the Act’s periodic-tenancy default. Preparing for renters rights bill compliance shouldn’t be a scramble — get the documentation stack done once, then run the cadence quietly in the background.
See our inventory clerk hub, compliance bundle, or read about why landlords choose us.
Frequently asked questions
Will I need to issue new tenancy agreements now that the Act has commenced?
No — existing assured shorthold tenancies converted automatically into assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. The conversion was statutory; no landlord action was required. For landlords still preparing for renters rights bill changes operationally, the paperwork side is now the priority. What does need action: serving the government Information Sheet on every existing tenant by 31 May 2026, and (where the original tenancy was verbal or partially undocumented) providing a written statement of terms by the same deadline.
Should I do a fresh inventory on all my properties because of the Act?
If existing check-ins are current AIIC-format reports, no — they remain valid baselines. If any property has only a self-produced inventory or no inventory at all, commission a fresh AIIC check-in. The Act makes evidence-based possession harder to win without proper documentation; the inventory cycle produces that evidence. This is the single most consequential workstream when preparing for renters rights bill enforcement at portfolio scale.
Will my existing deposit protection paperwork still be valid?
Yes — deposits remain protected under the existing schemes (TDS, DPS, MyDeposits) on their existing rules. The Act doesn’t change scheme mechanics. Verify your records now rather than discover a gap later — the consequences of non-compliance are operationally heavier under the Act’s strengthened enforcement profile. Landlords preparing for renters rights bill enforcement should treat the deposit-records audit as table stakes.
Do I need to re-issue Section 8 grounds for existing tenancies?
Section 8 grounds remain the operational possession route, but the grounds themselves have been restructured under the Act. Existing tenancies don’t require re-issuing in advance; if you intend to pursue possession on any ground, take current legal advice on whether the ground still applies under the new structure and what notice period applies (some grounds require 4 months under the Act). Anyone preparing for renters rights bill possession scenarios should map their existing grounds onto the new ground numbers before any action.
What if I want to sell the property — what’s the notice rule?
Under Ground 1A (sale of property) introduced by the Act, the landlord must give four months’ notice to the tenant. The ground is one of the new evidence-based grounds — landlords must demonstrate genuine intent to sell, with consequences (including disqualification from re-letting the property for 12 months) if the property is then not sold. This is a substantial procedural shift from the pre-Act position and warrants legal advice for specific cases. Landlords preparing for renters rights bill exit strategies should factor the 12-month re-letting bar into any disposal timeline.
This checklist is built for residential ASTs (now assured periodic tenancies) in England. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 applies to England specifically; Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish landlord obligations operate under separate frameworks. Commercial leases and corporate lets follow different rules. Specific case-law and procedural questions — particularly contested possession or complex portfolio restructures — warrant solicitor consultation rather than reliance on this checklist alone.
