The 8 Renters' Rights Act breaches that can cost a landlord up to £7,000

Councils have started to publish the first fines under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. So what exactly can a landlord be fined for? Government guidance for councils sets it out, and most of the items are everyday paperwork mistakes rather than anything dramatic.

This guide walks through that list in plain English, so you can check your own lettings against it.

Who can be fined, and from when

According to the GOV.UK enforcement guidance, the new rules apply to all assured tenancies in the private rented sector from 1 May 2026, and only breaches that happen on or after that date can be enforced. Every housing authority in England has a duty to enforce them.

A council can fine landlords, letting agents or anyone acting on a landlord's behalf.

The 8 breaches with a fine of up to £7,000

The guidance says a council can fine up to £7,000 if a landlord, or someone acting for them, does one or more of the following:

1. Claims to let on a fixed term. For example, by adding an end date, instead of letting on a rolling tenancy.
2. Claims to end a tenancy verbally.
3. Requires a tenancy to be ended verbally.
4. Fails to give written notice of a specified ground where the law requires it. The guidance gives Ground 1B (sale of dwelling house after a rent to buy agreement) as an example.
5. Fails to give a written statement of terms containing the information required by regulations.
6. Failed to give existing tenants the government's information sheet by 31 May 2026. Our Renters' Rights Act information sheet guide explains what this was.
7. Uses a possession ground without a reasonable belief it will succeed. This covers a section 8 notice, a "purported" notice of possession or a claim form where the landlord does not reasonably believe the court will grant possession on that ground.
8. Tries to end the tenancy with a notice to quit or a purported notice of possession.

A text or WhatsApp message can count

Item 8 catches more people than you might expect. The guidance says a notice to quit is a written document, which can include texts or WhatsApp messages. It might give a date the tenancy will end, or tell the tenant they must leave by a certain date.

A "purported notice of possession" is wider still. It includes a document that wrongly claims to be a valid section 8 notice, for example because a ground or notice period is missing or the wrong form was used. The guidance also says councils should not usually take action where it is clear that, but for a simple mistake such as a spelling error, the notice would otherwise have been a valid section 8 notice.

The safe habit: never tell a tenant in a message that they must leave by a date. Use the correct possession process instead. Our guide to how landlords regain possession now that Section 21 has gone explains the background.

When it can be up to £40,000

The guidance also lists offences where a council can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution. They include:

• reletting or remarketing a property within the 12 month restricted period after using possession Ground 1 or 1A, unless an exception applies or all reasonable steps were taken (see our guide to the Ground 1A reletting ban)
• knowingly or recklessly using a ground the court would not grant, where the tenant then leaves within 4 months without a possession order
• committing a breach within 5 years of a previous offence, or within 5 years of a financial penalty for a previous breach that has not been withdrawn
• continuing a breach for more than 28 days after receiving a financial penalty for it, where that penalty has not been withdrawn and is not the subject of an ongoing appeal

How the process works

The guidance tells councils to give the landlord notice before issuing a fine. The landlord then has 28 days to make written representations, after which the council decides whether to issue a final notice. A final notice can be appealed to the First-tier Tribunal within 28 days, against the decision to fine or the amount.

The guidance also says there is no expectation that councils send a warning letter first.

Quick self check

• Do your tenancy documents still show an end date or a fixed term?
• Has every tenant had a written statement of terms, and did existing tenants get the information sheet by 31 May 2026?
• Do any of your templates, emails or texts tell a tenant to leave by a date?
• If you rely on a possession ground, can you show why you believe it applies?
• Do you keep a record of what you served and when? See serving notices and proof of service.

This is general information, not advice about your tenancy. If you are unsure what applies to you, take advice from a solicitor or your council's housing team before you act.

LandlordProof helps you organise your certificates, documents and reminders. Using it does not by itself meet your legal duties as a landlord, and it does not register you on the PRS database.

Sources: GOV.UK, Enforcement of the tenancy system under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (updated 1 May 2026); Council news release, 23 October 2026; Local Government Lawyer, 22 October 2026.