Landlord guides
English landlord law, in plain words, with a date on it.
Everything a self-managing landlord in England needs to know after 1 May 2026. Each guide says when it was last checked. This is information, not legal advice; for a dispute or a possession case, speak to a solicitor or a landlord association.
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act came into force in England on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is gone, every tenancy is now periodic, and rent rises follow one procedure. Here is what a self-managing landlord actually has to do differently.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
The assured periodic tenancy explained
Every private tenancy in England is now an assured periodic tenancy. What that is, how it starts, how it ends, and what your agreement can and cannot say.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
How to raise the rent (once a year, section 13)
In England you can raise the rent once every twelve months, by a section 13 notice on the prescribed form with two months' notice. Here is the procedure and what the tenant can do about it.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
A tenancy deposit in England is capped at five weeks' rent, must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must get the prescribed information. Miss any of that and you face a penalty of up to three times the deposit.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
The certificates every let needs (gas, electrical, EPC, alarms)
A private let in England needs a gas safety record every year, an electrical report every five years, an EPC rated E or better, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. What each one is, how often, and what happens if you let without it.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
Pet requests: you have to consider them
Since 1 May 2026 a tenant in England can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse. How the request works, what counts as reasonable, and what you can ask for in return.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
Getting your property back after section 21
Without section 21, possession in England depends on the grounds in Schedule 2. The main ones a self-managing landlord uses, the notice periods, and why MyLandlordPA hands this to a human.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
The landlord database and ombudsman: when you must register
The Private Rented Sector Database opens region by region from 15 December 2026, and the landlord ombudsman follows. Every landlord in England will need an entry for each property before letting or advertising it.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
Right to rent checks
Before any adult moves into a property you let in England, you must check they have the right to rent, and keep the evidence. Manual, online share-code or certified digital checks, and what to do about time-limited permission.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered
Self-managing versus using an agent: what you actually do
Self-managing a let in England is legal and common. The jobs, month by month, and how a PA plus the people you choose to hire compare with a full-management agent.
Checked 27 September 2026 · 3 questions answered