Renting has changed. Staying ahead is easier than catching up.

In force now

• In force No more section 21. “No fault” evictions ended on 1 May 2026, and tenancies now roll on month to month (or week to week) rather than for fixed terms.
• In force Rent increases once a year. Increases go through the section 13 process, with at least two months’ notice.
• In force Stronger council enforcement. Councils now have a duty to enforce, and fines are higher: up to £7,000 for some breaches and up to £40,000 for more serious offences, including failing to comply with an improvement notice.
• In force Repair duties you already know. You must keep the structure and exterior in repair, including drains, gutters and external pipes (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11). Councils can act on serious hazards such as damp and mould under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), the system councils use to assess hazards in a home.
• In force Safety checks. A yearly gas safety check. An electrical inspection (EICR) at least every five years. A smoke alarm on every storey with living space and a carbon monoxide alarm wherever there’s a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).

Coming next

• Coming A national landlord database. It rolls out area by area from late 2026, and registration will be mandatory.
• Coming A Landlord Ombudsman. Membership is expected to become mandatory in 2028.

Confirmed for the future (rules still to be made)

• Confirmed, rules not yet made A new Decent Homes Standard for private and social rented homes, due from 2035. It includes a home being in reasonable repair, with roofs counted as a key part of the home, and being free of damp and mould. More on the Decent Homes Standard.
• Confirmed, rules not yet made Energy efficiency. Private rented homes are to reach EPC C by 1 October 2030, with a £10,000 cost cap per property.

Proposed

• Proposed Awaab’s Law for private rentals. It would set fixed timescales to deal with hazards such as serious damp and mould. The government is consulting until 18 December 2026, so there’s no start date yet. (It already applies to social housing.)

Renting in Wales or Scotland? Wales has its own “fit for human habitation” rules (since December 2022). Scotland has the Repairing Standard, which requires a home to be wind and water tight, with gutters and external pipes kept in good repair. The basics are the same: keep the roof and gutters sound. Do we work in Wales and Scotland? Not at the moment: Ridgewatch works across the East of England.