What are the main compliance duties for UK landlords in 2026?

The core duties are: an annual Gas Safety Record (CP12), an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) at least every five years, a valid Energy Performance Certificate, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, protecting the tenant's deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and serving the prescribed information, carrying out Right to Rent checks, giving the current How to Rent guide, holding any licence your council requires, and following the Renters' Rights Act rules now in force. Always verify the current position for your property on GOV.UK.

Did the Renters' Rights Act change what landlords must do?

Yes. The main provisions came into force on 1 May 2026 in England: Section 21 'no fault' evictions were abolished, most tenancies became periodic, rent can be increased only once a year using a Section 13 notice, rental bidding above the advertised rent is banned, and blanket bans on tenants with children or on benefits are unlawful. A PRS Database and a landlord ombudsman are being rolled out from late 2026.

Does LandlordProof keep me compliant?

LandlordProof is a compliance support tool: it tracks your certificate and renewal dates with reminders, stores your documents in one place, and helps you keep the evidence trail. It does not replace legal advice or your statutory responsibilities — always confirm the current rules on GOV.UK. One property is free forever, with paid plans from £39/year up to 30 properties.

Updated for 2026

The UK landlord compliance checklist

Every duty a private landlord in England needs to stay on top of in 2026 — the certificate, the deadline, and where to check it. Skim it, save it, and let LandlordProof remember the dates for you.

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Last reviewed: 22 August 2026. General guidance, not legal advice — rules change and vary by property and council, so always confirm the current position on GOV.UK.

Safety certificates

Get these — and keep the dates

Gas safety — an annual Gas Safety Record (CP12) from a Gas Safe registered engineer; give the tenant a copy. What a CP12 is →
Electrical safety — an EICR at least every 5 years (sooner if it says so); supply the report to tenants and, on request, the council. EICR explained →
Energy (EPC) — a valid EPC to let (minimum band E under current MEES). The government has confirmed plans to raise the minimum to band C by 2030 — check on GOV.UK.
Smoke & CO alarms — a smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance; test at the start of a tenancy.
Legionella — assess the risk of legionella in the water system and act on it (a simple assessment is usually enough for a typical let).

The AI reader pulls the expiry date off each certificate for you. See the AI cert reader →

Money & the tenant

At the start of every tenancy

Protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and serve the prescribed information — miss it and a court can order 1–3× the deposit and block a Section 8. Deposit rules →
Right to Rent — check every adult occupier's right to rent before they move in, and diarise any follow-up checks. How to check →
How to Rent guide — give the tenant the current version at the start of the tenancy (England).
EPC, gas & electrical documents — hand the tenant copies; keep proof you served them.
Written tenancy terms — provide the tenancy agreement and keep a dated copy.

Vet applicants and pull a previous-landlord reference before they sign. Tenant referencing →

Now in force

The Renters' Rights Act rules you're living with

The main provisions came into force on 1 May 2026. The everyday rules that catch landlords out:

Section 21 is gone

No more "no fault" evictions. Possession is Section 8 only now — a valid ground plus airtight evidence (in-date certs, a clean rent record, proof you served documents). What changed →

One rent rise a year

Increase rent only once every 12 months, using a Section 13 notice with proper notice — the tenant can challenge it at tribunal. The new rules →

No bidding, no blanket bans

You can't accept offers above the advertised rent, and blanket "No DSS" or no-children policies are unlawful. Judge each applicant on the facts.

Licensing

Check whether your property needs a licence

Mandatory HMO licence for larger houses in multiple occupation.
Additional & selective licensing vary by council and change often — a property can fall inside a new scheme without you realising.
Operating without a required licence risks a large civil penalty and a Rent Repayment Order — check your local council's current schemes. Licensing explained →

Repairs & hazards

Keep the home safe — and the record

Keep the property free of serious hazards and deal with disrepair within a reasonable time — log every report and response.
Damp and mould: investigate promptly and keep the dated evidence. (Awaab's Law's fixed timescales apply to social housing now; extension to private renting is expected but not yet in force — treat prompt response as good practice.)
Give tenants a simple way to report repairs, timestamped. Repairs by WhatsApp →

Coming — get ready now

The PRS Database is on its way

A new Private Rented Sector Database is rolling out on a phased basis from late 2026 (it is already being tested with real landlords). When it reaches you, you'll need to register yourself and each property — and once it's required, an unregistered landlord can lose key possession grounds and face penalties. Crucially, you can't register until your compliance information is in order, so getting every certificate in date now is the way to be register-ready. The database, explained → · PRS registration tracker →

Stop remembering this list yourself

Add your property and certificates once. LandlordProof tracks every date, reminds you before anything expires, and keeps the evidence in one place — ready the day a council, a court or the database asks.

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More tools: Compliance tracker · Deposit tracker · Right to Rent log · Rent arrears reminders