The rules for private landlords in England changed significantly on 1 May 2026, when the main parts of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force. This checklist covers what you must legally provide to tenants now: the paperwork, the safety checks, and the equipment.
This is a general guide for private landlords in England, not legal advice. Rules are different in Wales and Scotland, and they don’t apply in the same way to lodgers who live with you. Always check GOV.UK for the latest position.
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Quick checklist
- Written statement of terms (new tenancies from 1 May 2026)
- Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet (existing written tenancies, by 31 May 2026)
- Latest “How to Rent” guide
- Valid EPC (rating E or above)
- Gas safety record (every year)
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (at least every 5 years)
- Smoke alarm on every storey, and CO alarms where required
- Deposit protected within 30 days, with prescribed information
- Right to Rent checks
- A property licence, if your property needs one
1. Tenancy documents after the Renters’ Rights Act
Assured periodic tenancies
Assured shorthold tenancies and fixed terms no longer exist for private lets in England. Existing ASTs converted automatically to assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, and all new tenancies are periodic (rolling) from the start. Section 21 “no-fault” evictions have ended. Landlords now need a legal ground to seek possession.
Written statement of terms (new tenancies)
For any tenancy starting on or after 1 May 2026, you must give the tenant a written statement of the key terms before the tenancy is agreed. This can be part of the tenancy agreement itself. Old fixed-term AST templates should no longer be used.
The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 (existing tenancies)
If a tenancy started before 1 May 2026 and had a written agreement, you had to give each named tenant the official government Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. It must be the official PDF from GOV.UK, given as a printed copy or attached to an email or text. A link on its own doesn’t count. Councils can fine landlords up to £7,000 for not providing it. If you missed it, take advice and put it right as soon as possible.
If the tenancy was purely verbal, the Information Sheet doesn’t apply. You must give written information about the key terms instead.
How to Rent guide
Give tenants the current version of the government’s How to Rent guide. Download it fresh each time, as it’s updated periodically.
Rent rules to know
- Rent can only be increased once a year, using a Section 13 notice with at least two months’ notice. Rent review clauses no longer work.
- You can’t ask for rent in advance before the tenancy is signed, and the most you can take after signing is one month’s rent.
- You must advertise a fixed rent and can’t accept or encourage offers above it (“bidding wars” are banned).
- Blanket bans such as “no DSS” or “no children” are no longer allowed.
- Tenants can ask to keep a pet. You must respond within 28 days and can’t unreasonably refuse.
2. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Most rented homes need a valid EPC rated E or above, and you must give tenants a copy at the start of the tenancy. You can check a certificate on the EPC register.
3. Gas safety
If there’s a gas supply, every gas appliance and flue you provide must be checked every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Give existing tenants a copy of the gas safety record within 28 days of the check, and give new tenants a copy before they move in.
4. Electrical safety (EICR)
This is a legal requirement, not optional. The electrical installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years. Give tenants a copy of the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), and send it to the council if they ask for it. Any urgent remedial work the report identifies must be carried out.
PAT testing of appliances isn’t a specific legal requirement for most lets, but any appliances you provide must be safe. Many landlords PAT test anyway, especially in HMOs, as it’s an easy way to show that.
5. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Since 1 October 2022, private landlords in England must:
- Fit at least one smoke alarm on every storey that has a room used as living accommodation.
- Fit a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler, gas fire or wood burner. Gas cookers are the only exception.
- Check alarms work on the first day of each new tenancy, and repair or replace them once you’re told they’re faulty.
Councils can fine landlords up to £5,000 for not complying with a remedial notice.
Landlord kit worth having in stock:
- 10-year sealed battery CO alarms – look for EN 50291 on the packaging.
- 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms – no batteries for tenants to “borrow”.
- Wireless interlinked smoke and heat alarms – often asked for in HMOs. Check what your council or fire risk assessment requires.
- Kitchen fire blanket – commonly required in HMO kitchens.
- Key safe – handy for contractors doing gas and electrical checks.
6. Fire safety and furniture
If you let a property furnished, upholstered furniture and furnishings must meet the fire safety regulations. Look for the permanent fire safety label. Tenants must also have clear escape routes. HMOs have stricter fire safety requirements, so a fire risk assessment is strongly recommended.
7. Deposits
Deposits are capped at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000. They must be protected in a government-approved scheme (DPS, mydeposits or TDS) within 30 days, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same 30 days. If you get this wrong, a court can order you to pay the tenant up to three times the deposit. Our deposit schemes guide covers this in detail.
8. Right to Rent
Before a tenancy starts, you must check that every adult who’ll live there has the right to rent in England, and keep a record of the check.
9. Property licensing in Leicester
- Mandatory HMO licence: needed anywhere in England if five or more people from two or more households share facilities.
- Selective licensing: Leicester City Council runs a selective licensing scheme covering parts of several wards, including Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields, Saffron and Stoneygate. Every private rented home in those areas needs a licence unless exempt. The scheme started on 10 October 2022 and runs for five years. Check the council’s map for your exact address.
What’s coming next
More of the Renters’ Rights Act is still to come in. This includes a private rented sector database that landlords will have to register with, a new landlord ombudsman, Awaab’s Law timescales for fixing hazards like damp and mould, and the Decent Homes Standard (from 2035). Dates for some of these haven’t been confirmed yet, so keep an eye on GOV.UK.
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