Key Takeaways
- Landlords in England must provide tenants with specific documents before or at the start of a tenancy, including a gas safety certificate, EPC and the How to Rent guide.
- The Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which takes effect from 1 May 2026, adds new obligations including providing tenants with the official information sheet by 31 May 2026.
- Fines for non-compliance range from £7,000 for a single breach to £40,000 for breaches that continue for more than 28 days after a penalty notice.
- Landlords can only increase rent once per year and must give at least 2 months’ notice using Form 4A.
Being a landlord in England has always come with legal responsibilities. Since the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, those responsibilities have expanded significantly. Landlords who are not across the new rules face financial penalties and, in some cases, the inability to recover possession through the courts.
This article sets out the core legal duties landlords owe to tenants, including the changes introduced in May 2026. Our landlord and tenant solicitors at Osbourne Pinner offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss any aspect of your obligations.
Documents You Must Provide at the Start of a Tenancy
Before or at the start of any assured shorthold tenancy, landlords in England are required to provide the tenant with:
- A current gas safety certificate (if the property has gas). This must be renewed annually.
- An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating of E or above. Landlords cannot let a property with an F or G rating without an exemption.
- The government’s How to Rent guide. The current version must be provided, not an older one.
- The tenancy deposit prescribed information, within 30 days of receiving the deposit.
Failure to provide these documents has serious consequences. Courts will not allow landlords to serve a valid Section 21 notice (before abolition) or, from May 2026, will refuse possession claims if deposit protection requirements have not been met.
New Obligations From 1 May 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces several new duties that take effect from 1 May 2026.
The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet
All landlords in England must provide their existing tenants with the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, either digitally or as a printed copy. For new tenancies starting after 1 May, the information sheet must be provided at or before the start of the tenancy. Tenants who do not have a written tenancy agreement must be provided with a written statement of the key terms instead.
Pet Requests
From 1 May 2026, tenants have a right to request to keep a pet, and landlords must properly consider the request. Refusals cannot be arbitrary. Where a landlord refuses, they must have legitimate grounds. Landlords who want protection against potential pet damage can require tenants to take out pet insurance as a condition of consent, which is a new provision in the Act.
Restrictions on Advance Rent
Landlords cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent payments before the tenancy agreement is signed. Once signed, landlords can ask for a maximum of one month’s rent in advance. Requiring large advance rent payments as a way of screening tenants is no longer permitted.
Prohibition on Discriminatory Terms
Lease, mortgage and insurance terms that restrict letting to people with children or those receiving benefits can no longer be used by landlords to justify refusing applicants. Landlords who have previously relied on such clauses to screen tenants will need to review their approach.
See also: Landlord Responsibilities and Rights
Rent Increases: What the Rules Require
From 1 May 2026, landlords can only increase rent once per year and cannot increase rent in the first year of a new tenancy. Increases must be proposed using Form 4A and landlords must give at least 2 months’ notice before the proposed increase takes effect.
Tenants who believe the proposed increase is above the market rate have the right to challenge it before the First-tier Tribunal. The tribunal can set the rent at the open market level. Where a tribunal decides the market rent is lower than what the landlord proposed, the landlord is bound by that decision.
Repair and Safety Obligations
Landlords have ongoing duties to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords are responsible for maintaining the structure and exterior of the property, sanitation and plumbing, heating and hot water systems, and electrical wiring.
Landlords must also install working smoke alarms on every floor and carbon monoxide alarms in any room with a solid fuel heating appliance. Electrical installation condition reports (EICRs) must be carried out at least every 5 years and provided to tenants.
What Happens If a Landlord Fails to Meet Their Obligations?
Tenants can report non-compliance with the new obligations to their local authority. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, local authorities can issue civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a single breach. Where the breach continues for more than 28 days after a penalty notice has been issued, further penalties of up to £40,000 apply.
Non-compliance with deposit protection and document obligations can also prevent landlords from recovering possession of their property through the courts, even where they have a legitimate ground for possession.
Related: Tenant Obligations and Rights
Speak to a Landlord and Tenant Solicitor about Your Obligations
The legal requirements on landlords have expanded considerably under the Renters’ Rights Act, and the financial penalties for non-compliance are substantial. If you are unsure whether you are meeting all of your current obligations, or if you need advice on how the new rules affect your existing tenancies, getting legal advice early is the safest approach.
At Osbourne Pinner, our landlord and tenant solicitors advise landlords across England on their legal obligations and how to adapt to the new rules introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act. We can review your compliance, advise on the new documentation requirements and represent you if a tenant raises a complaint.
Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We always recommend speaking to a qualified solicitor for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.
We offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your situation. You can speak with us via video call or visit our offices in Harrow, Canary Wharf, Piccadilly Circus or Manchester. To arrange your consultation, call 0203 983 5080, email [email protected] or complete the form below.
