Letting agents: 56 checked facts and figures, with sources

A notice served on 8 October 2026 cannot expire before 8 February 2027 (four months). For a tenancy that began on or before 7 February 2026, the four months decides the date. For one that began on or after 9 February 2026, the 12-month rule decides it: a tenancy that began on 14 February 2026 cannot have a Ground 1 or 1A notice expiring before 15 February 2027, so the earliest day to serve is 15 October 2026.

Source: GOV.UK, Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents (page updated 1 May 2026): Ground 1 and Ground 1A, notice of 4 months, no request to leave within the first 12 months of a new tenancy, notice may be given in that period but cannot expire before it ends, Ground 1A unavailable for assured tenancies created before 1 May 2026 that were not assured shorthold tenancies. Read 8 October 2026.

Full guide: Landlord wants to sell or move in: the earliest date a Ground 1 or Ground 1A notice can expire, worked for four tenancies

We ran a £1,250-a-month tenancy through the new rule; Ground 8 now needs £3,750 owed, so a tenant £3,200 behind, who would have met the old two-month test, is £550 short.

Source: GOV.UK "Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents" and "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act", read 2026-10-01. Our test is saved in tests/lettwell/tools-check.txt.

Free tool: Ground 8 rent arrears checker: is the new 3-month threshold met?

We built the letters on the post-May 2026 rules; the final letter only mentions Ground 8 when the arrears reach 3 months' rent, so on our £1,250-a-month example it switches wording at £3,750 owed, not the old £2,500.

Source: GOV.UK "Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents", read 2026-10-01. Support routes (Citizens Advice, Shelter, local council, Universal Credit managed payments) as published by each, read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Rent arrears letter template (UK): three letters, from reminder to final notice

We tabulated the government's grounds guidance; the gap between the shortest and longest common notice is now 4 weeks against 4 months, and a landlord who wants to sell cannot have the notice expire within the first 12 months of a new tenancy.

Source: GOV.UK "Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents" and "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act"; MHCLG "Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap"; Property Industry Eye on NRLA survey data; all read 2026-10-01; GOV.UK, Assured tenancy agreements: a guide for landlords, "If your tenant wants to leave", read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: Section 8 notices after the Renters' Rights Act: every common ground and its notice period

A standard breathing space lasts 60 days counting its start date as day one, so one that starts on 6 October 2026 ends on 4 December 2026; during it a landlord or agent cannot serve a possession notice on Grounds 8, 10 or 11 for the arrears it covers, and the guidance says any action taken in breach is null and void.

Source: Insolvency Service "Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) guidance for creditors" on GOV.UK; Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020, regulations 7 and 26 (legislation.gov.uk); both read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: What happens if a tenant in rent arrears goes into Breathing Space? The 60 days, worked through for a letting agent

Since 1 May 2026 a tenant's notice to quit an assured tenancy must be given not less than two months before it takes effect, or any shorter time the landlord has agreed in writing, and GOV.UK says it must end on a rent day or the day before; on a tenancy with rent due on the 20th, a notice given on 2 October 2026 cannot end the tenancy before 19 December 2026.

Source: Protection from Eviction Act 1977 sections 5 and 5A as amended and inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 sections 20 and 21 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK "Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords", parts "If your tenant wants to leave" and "If the tenancy started before 1 May 2026"; all read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: How long is a tenant's notice period in 2026? Two months at most, with the end date worked out

On an example rental profit of £10,000 with one spouse paying 40% and the other 20%, a 50/50 split gives £2,000 + £1,000 = £3,000 of tax, while a valid 90/10 declaration towards the 20% spouse gives £400 + £1,800 = £2,200, a saving of £800. A form signed on 3 November 2026 must reach HMRC within 60 days, which is by 2 January 2027 on a plain count of days. The profit, split and tax rates are our example figures, not a real client.

Source: HMRC Trusts, Settlements and Estates Manual, TSEM9820 (The 50/50 rule), TSEM9860 (Form 17 rule, when declaration takes effect: normal case) and TSEM9870 (action on receipt of Form 17), on GOV.UK, all showing an update of 10 September 2026, and TSEM9330 (joint ownership). Read 30 October 2026.

Full guide: A married couple own a rental together: the 50/50 income split, Form 17 and its 60-day limit, worked

On an example where a client's tax bill rises from £3,000 to £4,200, the 31 January 2027 payment is £1,200 + £2,100 = £3,300, against £1,500 in a flat year, and the 31 July 2027 payment is £2,100, so £5,400 leaves in six months. The exemption test at 80% of £4,200 is £3,360. The £3,000 and £4,200 are our example figures, not a real client.

Source: GOV.UK, Understand your Self Assessment tax bill: Payments on account, read 29 October 2026.

Full guide: A landlord client's tax bill jumps and January costs three times the usual: payments on account, worked

The £7,500 yearly limit is £625 a month (7,500 / 12) and the £3,750 shared limit is £312.50 a month (3,750 / 12). A room let at £600 a month brings in £7,200 and sits £300 under the limit; at £650 it brings in £7,800 and is £300 over; at £700 it brings in £8,400 and is £900 over. Shared by two owners, £8,400 is £4,200 each, £450 over each person's £3,750.

Source: GOV.UK, Rent a room in your home: Becoming a resident landlord, and GOV.UK, Rent a room in your home: The Rent a Room Scheme (neither page shows an update date); both read 28 October 2026.

Full guide: A landlord client lets a spare room to a lodger: the £7,500 Rent a Room limit worked as a monthly rent

Using our own assumed rate of 1 euro = £0.85 (not an official rate), 10,000 euros a month is £8,500 a month or £102,000 a year of rent for one property. Fees from GOV.UK: £300 application plus £400 per premises is £700 for one office, £1,100 for two and £1,500 for three in year one; renewal is £400, £800 and £1,200 a year. Adding £40 for each of two people tested gives £780 for one office in year one.

Source: GOV.UK, Money laundering regulations: who needs to register, and GOV.UK, Money laundering regulations: registration fees; both read 27 October 2026.

Full guide: Does a letting agent have to register with HMRC for money laundering supervision: the 10,000 euros a month test and the fees worked

On an example bill of £1,825 a year (£5.00 a day, 1,825 / 365), a void of 14 days costs £70, 28 days £140 and 42 days £210 with no discount. At the 4 times level GOV.UK mentions for homes empty 10 years or more, the same bill would be up to £7,300 a year. The £1,825 is our example, not a real band.

Source: GOV.UK, Council Tax: second homes and empty properties (page shows no update date), and GOV.UK, Council Tax: who has to pay; both read 26 October 2026.

Full guide: The tenant moves out and the flat sits empty for six weeks: what Council Tax a landlord client faces, worked per day

Filed and paid 7 months after 31 January 2027. On £10,000 of tax: return penalties £100 + £900 + £500 (5%) = £1,500, late payment penalties £500 + £500 = £1,000, total £2,500, which is 25% of the tax. On £2,000 of tax: £100 + £900 + £300 (the £300 minimum beats 5% = £100) = £1,300, plus £100 + £100 = £200, total £1,500, which is 75% of the tax. Interest is extra in both cases.

Source: GOV.UK, Self Assessment tax returns: penalties (page shows no update date); GOV.UK, Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines (2025 to 2026 tax year); both read 24 October 2026.

Full guide: A landlord client files the tax return late: the £100, £900 and 5% penalties worked out at £2,000 and £10,000 of tax

A home empty from Friday 6 November 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026 is 42 days, so flushing every 7 days gives 6 intervals and 7 flush dates (6, 13, 20, 27 November; 4, 11, 18 December). The gap between HSE's stored hot water figure (60 degrees) and its outlet figure (50 degrees) is 10 degrees. Across 40 managed homes with 3 voids a year each averaging 42 days, flushing logs come to 120 voids and 840 flush entries (120 x 7). Checks: 42 / 7 = 6; 6 + 1 = 7; 40 x 3 = 120; 120 x 7 = 840.

Source: HSE, "Legionella and landlords' responsibilities" (https://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/legionella-landlords-responsibilities.htm), page updated 30 September 2024 as shown on the page. Read 23 October 2026.

Full guide: Legionella in a rented home: the risk assessment HSE asks of landlords, the 60 and 50 degree figures, and a six-week void flushed weekly, worked

In our example damp case, reported Tuesday 3 November 2026, the log runs 2 days to inspection (Thursday 5 November), 6 days to the contractor's quote (Monday 9 November), 13 days to the start of works (Monday 16 November) and 17 days to completion (Friday 20 November). A 24-hour access notice emailed at 16:00 on Tuesday 3 November allows entry from 16:00 on Wednesday 4 November. The Act's first compliance year for existing periodic tenancies, 20 March 2019 to 20 March 2020, is 366 days because it includes 29 February 2020. Checks: 5 - 3 = 2; 9 - 3 = 6; 16 - 3 = 13; 20 - 3 = 17.

Source: GOV.UK, "Guide for landlords: Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018" (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-fitness-for-human-habitation-act-2018/guide-for-landlords-homes-fitness-for-human-habitation-act-2018), the GOV.UK publication page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homes-fitness-for-human-habitation-act-2018) and legislation.gov.uk, Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, section 1 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/34/section/1). Read 22 October 2026.

Full guide: Fit for human habitation: when the clock starts on a damp report, with the days from report to fix and the 24-hour access notice worked

In our example agency (fees of £7,200 a month from September 2025 to June 2026, then £9,000 a month for July, August and September 2026), the 12 months to 31 August 2026 total exactly £90,000 (not over) and the 12 months to 30 September 2026 total £91,800, which is over £90,000 by £1,800. Registration is due within 30 days of the end of September, by 30 October 2026, with an effective date of 1 November 2026. Checks: 10 x £7,200 = £72,000; 2 x £9,000 = £18,000; £72,000 + £18,000 = £90,000; 9 x £7,200 = £64,800; 3 x £9,000 = £27,000; £64,800 + £27,000 = £91,800.

Source: GOV.UK, "VAT registration thresholds" (https://www.gov.uk/vat-registration-thresholds) and GOV.UK, "Register for VAT" (https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat). Read 21 October 2026.

Full guide: VAT for a letting agency: the £90,000 test on fee income, with a rolling 12 months and the 30-day rule worked

Counting 10 days forward from the agreement date gives Thursday 12 November 2026 for an agreement on Monday 2 November, Monday 28 December 2026 for Friday 18 December, and Saturday 2 January 2027 for Wednesday 23 December. On a £1,500 deposit (5 weeks of £300, from rent of £1,300 a month: £1,300 x 12 / 52 = £300), deductions of £180 + £95 + £250 = £525 leave £975 to return, and £1,500 - £525 = £975.

Source: GOV.UK, "Tenancy deposit protection: returning your deposit" (https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/returning-deposit) and GOV.UK, "Tenancy deposit protection: disputes and problems" (https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection/disputes-and-problems). Read 20 October 2026.

Full guide: Returning a tenant's deposit: the 10-day clock starts when you agree the amount, with dates worked for three move-outs

A check on 14 January 2026 needs its copy with existing tenants by Wednesday 11 February 2026 (14 January plus 28 days). For a property last checked on 1 November 2025, an early check on 1 September 2026 needs its copy to tenants by Tuesday 29 September 2026 and, on HSE's wording, kept until two further checks are done. A tenant moving in on 20 October 2026 must have the 1 September record before that day, not within 28 days.

Source: HSE, "Gas safety check records and what to keep" (hse.gov.uk/gas/landlords/gassaferecord.htm): copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the check being completed; copy to prospective tenants before they move in; keep records at least two years; early check up to 2 months before the deadline, treated as if carried out exactly 12 months after the previous check, record kept until two further checks have been carried out; list of what the record must contain. Read 16 October 2026.

Full guide: Gas safety record: copy to the tenant in 28 days or before move-in, and keep it for two further checks

A landlord who has already spent £2,150 including VAT on qualifying improvements has £1,350 more to spend before the £3,500 high-cost exemption can be claimed. Renting out an F-rated home for four months (up to £4,000) and then ignoring a compliance notice (up to £2,000) adds to £6,000 on paper, but the guidance caps the total at £5,000 per property.

Source: GOV.UK (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero), Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance (band E minimum, £3,500 including VAT cap, exemption periods, penalty amounts, £5,000 maximum per property). Page last updated 5 May 2026; read 7 October 2026.

Full guide: Can a landlord let a property rated F or G? The EPC band E minimum, the £3,500 cap, the exemptions and the penalties

A deposit received on Friday 2 October 2026 counts as day 1, so day 30 is Saturday 31 October 2026 (2 October + 29 days). Counted wrongly as 30 working days it would be Thursday 12 November 2026, which is 12 days too late. On a 5-week deposit of £1,326.92 (5 x £265.38, rent £1,150 a month), the court range is £1,326.92 to £3,980.76 (3 x 1,326.92), on top of returning the deposit.

Source: legislation.gov.uk, Housing Act 2004 section 213 and section 214; GOV.UK, Deposit protection schemes and landlords; all read 2026-10-06.

Full guide: Deposit protection: 30 calendar days or 30 working days? The last safe date worked out, and what a miss costs

At £1,150 a month, annual rent is £13,800 (1,150 x 12) and one week is £265.38 (13,800 / 52). The most you can ask before the tenancy starts is first month £1,150 plus a 5-week deposit of £1,326.92 (5 x 265.38), so £2,476.92 in total. A two-months-upfront ask would be £2,300 + £1,326.92 = £3,626.92, which is £1,150 over the limit; the first-breach penalty of up to £5,000 is 4.3 times that excess (5,000 / 1,150).

Source: GOV.UK, Asking for rent in advance: guidance for local authorities (updated 8 May 2026); GOV.UK, Renting out your property: rent payments and deposits; GOV.UK, Guide to the Renters' Rights Act; all read 2026-10-06.

Full guide: Can we take rent before the tenancy is signed? The one-month limit on rent in advance, worked through for letting agents

For a five-bedroom HMO let at £650 a month per room, two years of rent is 24 x £650 = £15,600 per tenant and 5 x £15,600 = £78,000 for the house; if £350 of each month's rent was paid by Universal Credit, only the tenant's own £300 counts, which is £7,200 per tenant and £36,000 for the house. Under the old 12-month limit the all-tenant figure was £39,000.

Source: GOV.UK "Rent Repayment Orders: guidance for tenants" (gov.uk/guidance/rent-repayment-orders-guidance-for-tenants), updated 1 May 2026, read 2026-10-06; GOV.UK "Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords" (gov.uk/guidance/renters-rights-act-an-overview-for-landlords), updated 1 May 2026, read 2026-10-06; Housing and Planning Act 2016 Part 2 Chapter 4 (legislation.gov.uk), located 2026-10-06 but not read in full. The pound figures are our arithmetic on an invented house.

Full guide: Rent repayment orders now reach two years of rent: what an unlicensed or unlawful let can cost a landlord client

With rent at £950 a month and an illustrative agency rule of annual income at least 30 times the monthly rent, the line is £28,500 (30 x £950). Three applicants on £28,800 a year each, one from wages, one from Universal Credit and child benefit, one from a pension, all pass by £300; the same rule applied to wages only would have rejected 2 of the 3, which is the pattern the guidance treats as discrimination. A first breach carries up to £7,000, and a breach that continues more than 28 days after notice adds another £7,000, so one unresolved advert can reach £14,000.

Source: GOV.UK, Rental discrimination under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (updated 6 May 2026); GOV.UK, Rental discrimination: a guide for landlords; GOV.UK, Guide to the Renters' Rights Act; all read 2026-10-06. The 30 times rent rule is our example, not a legal figure.

Full guide: Can we turn down an applicant on benefits or with children? The same-income test, worked through for letting agents

For a managed book of 40 homes (25 two-storey houses, 10 three-storey houses and 5 flats on one storey) the rule needs at least 85 smoke alarms, one per storey, each shown working on the day a new tenancy starts. The maximum penalty is £5,000 per failure to follow a remedial notice, so one unfixed notice on one home is £5,000 against an alarm that costs a few pounds.

Source: The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, regulations 4, 5 and 8 (legislation.gov.uk, SI 2015/1693); The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (SI 2022/707, in force 1 October 2022), legislation.gov.uk. Both read 6 October 2026.

Full guide: Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rented homes: what a letting agent must check at each tenancy start, and the £5,000 penalty

For an inspection on Tuesday 6 October 2026 that records a C2, we counted the remedial deadline as Monday 2 November 2026 (28 days, starting with the inspection day); if the work is finished on Friday 30 October, the written confirmation and report must reach every tenant and the council by Thursday 26 November 2026. One failed report creates four dated tasks, and the maximum penalty per breach rose from £30,000 to £40,000 when the 2025 amendment came fully into force on 1 May 2026.

Source: The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/312), regulations 3 and 11 as amended by SI 2025/1043 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance (published 1 November 2025); all read 2026-10-05.

Full guide: EICR came back unsatisfactory: the 28-day remedial deadline, who gets copies, and the dates worked out

We set the £7,000 maximum civil penalty for a bidding breach against the gain from it: on a £1,250-a-month let, an accepted offer £50 a month above the asking rent is worth £600 a year, so one maximum penalty equals 11.7 years of that extra rent, and the £14,000 available for a second breach that is also a repeat equals 23.3 years.

Source: GOV.UK "Rental bidding: a guide for local authorities and councils" (Chapter 6 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025); GOV.UK "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act"; GOV.UK "Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords"; all read 2026-10-05.

Full guide: Rental bidding ban for letting agents: what an advert must say and what to do with an offer above the asking rent

We built the tracker from HSE's gas rules and the 2020 electrical safety regulations; for a check done on 1 November 2025, the next gas check is due by 1 November 2026 and can be done from 1 September 2026 without losing a day of the certificate.

Source: HSE "Gas safety: landlords and letting agents"; Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3; GOV.UK EPC guidance for landlords; all read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Lettings compliance date tracker: gas, EICR and EPC due dates, straight into your calendar

We checked each item against its source on 1 October 2026; of the 18 items on our list, 6 are new or changed since 1 May 2026, including the bans on rental bidding and on more than one month's rent in advance.

Source: GOV.UK "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act" and "Grounds for possession" guidance; MHCLG Renters' Rights Act roadmap; HSE gas safety guidance; Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020; GOV.UK tenancy deposit protection pages; Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 section 48; all read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: Lettings compliance checklist 2026 (England): what changed with the Renters' Rights Act

GOV.UK says the information sheet had to reach every named tenant by 31 May 2026 as the exact 4-page PDF, printed or attached, and that a link to it is not valid; the maximum penalty is £7,000, and a managing agent must have given it even if the landlord also did.

Source: GOV.UK "The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026" (updated 8 June 2026); GOV.UK "Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant"; GOV.UK news story of 20 March 2026; Renters' Rights Act 2025 Schedule 6 paragraph 7 and section 15 (legislation.gov.uk); all read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Renters' Rights Act information sheet: who had to give it, how, and how to prove it

The Home Office landlord's guide updated on 1 October 2026 allows the tenant to be seen by live video call, but for a manual check the agent must be in physical possession of the original documents first and must not rely only on viewing a document on the call; records are kept for the tenancy and at least one year after it ends, and the penalty for a first breach is £10,000 per tenant.

Source: Home Office "Landlord's guide to right to rent checks: 1 October 2026"; GOV.UK "Checking your tenant's right to rent" (all five parts) and "Penalties for illegal renting"; all read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: Can I still do a right to rent check by video call? What the Home Office guide of 1 October 2026 allows

HSE says its inspectors "will look for at least three attempts to complete the gas safety check" where a tenant prevents access, that force must not be used to enter, and that a record of all correspondence should be kept; the two-month flexibility runs before the 12-month deadline, so there is no extra time after it.

Source: HSE "Gas safety - landlords and letting agents" FAQs (page dated 6 November 2024), "Dealing with tenants" (15 October 2024), "Gas safety checks - what if?" and "Gas safety check records and what to keep" (23 September 2024); Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36 (legislation.gov.uk); all read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Tenant will not give access for the gas safety check: the three-attempt record and the letters to send

We wrote this list of 24 steps in 5 stages from the rules set out in 9 of our guides and the official pages each step names. Five of the 24 steps carry a deadline of 7, 15 or 30 days: 15 days for a holding deposit to lead to an agreement, 7 days to repay it in two different cases, and 30 days each for protecting the deposit and giving the prescribed information. None of those five clocks starts on the move-in date.

Source: GOV.UK EPC guidance for landlords; GOV.UK, Guide to the Renters' Rights Act; Housing Act 2004, sections 72 and 249A; Reading Borough Council licensing pages; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1 paragraph 3; GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2; GOV.UK, Check your tenant's right to rent, read 1 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2 paragraph 5 and section 8; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2; GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy; GOV.UK, Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant; Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, section 48; Tenant Fees Act 2019; GOV.UK tenant fees guidance; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2 paragraphs 3(a) and 6; HSE, Gas safety: landlords and letting agents; Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020; GOV.UK, Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations: guidance for landlords and tenants, read 1 October 2026; GOV.UK, Tenancy deposit protection; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2 paragraph 7; Housing Act 2004, section 214; GOV.UK, Tenancy deposit protection; HSE gas safety guidance; Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020; GOV.UK EPC guidance; Our Section 8 guide: what to check before serving; Housing Act 1988, section 13(2); each step names its source, and the linked guide shows the working.

Free tool: New tenancy checklist for letting agents: every step from the advert to day 30

On 1 October 2026 Reading Borough Council's licence for a 3 or 4 person HMO cost £1,500 (£750 with the application and £750 when the draft licence is issued), or £1,750 if the application is more than 12 weeks late; the maximum civil penalty for an unlicensed HMO has been £40,000 since 1 May 2026, not the £30,000 both official pages still quote.

Source: Reading Borough Council "Extension of property licensing in Reading" and "HMO application guidance"; Home Safe "Reading Borough Council's Additional Licensing Scheme"; Housing Act 2004 sections 72 and 249A, S.I. 2026/319, Housing and Planning Act 2016 sections 41 and 44 and S.I. 2026/421 regulation 11 (legislation.gov.uk); all read 2026-10-01, prices confirmed in a browser.

Full guide: HMO licence cost in Reading: £1,500 for a 3 or 4 person house, the late fee and the penalties

Under section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 a landlord must give or refuse consent to a tenant's written pet request in writing on or before the 28th day after the request; for a request made on 1 October 2026 that is 29 October 2026, and where the landlord asks for more information the deadline is the 7th day after the tenant supplies it, if that is later.

Source: Housing Act 1988 sections 16A and 16B, inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 section 11 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK "Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords", parts "If a tenant wants a pet to live with them" and "Rent in advance and deposits"; GOV.UK "Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy" (updated 7 July 2026); all read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Can a landlord refuse a pet in 2026? The 28-day reply rule for letting agents, with dates and reply letters

We wrote this list of 25 steps in 5 stages from the rules set out in 8 of our guides and the official pages each step names. The same 28-day period appears in four of the 25 steps: the gas record to the tenant, the copy of a new EICR, electrical remedial work and the reply to a pet request. The gas check is the only yearly date with an early window, of two months.

Source: MHCLG, Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap; HSE, Gas safety: landlords and letting agents; HSE, Gas safety: landlords and letting agents, FAQs; HSE, Gas safety checks: what if?; Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36; HSE guidance; HSE, Gas safety check records and what to keep; Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3; Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020; GOV.UK EPC guidance for landlords; GOV.UK, Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations: guidance for landlords and tenants, read 1 October 2026; Housing Act 2004; Reading Borough Council licensing pages; Reading Borough Council and Home Safe fee pages; Housing Act 1988, section 13(2); GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords; Housing Act 1988, section 13; Form 4A, Note A; Form 4A; Housing Act 1988, section 14ZB; GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026; Housing Act 1988, section 16A; GOV.UK, Guide to the Renters' Rights Act; each step names its source, and the linked guide shows the working.

Free tool: Yearly renewals checklist for a managed rental property: gas, EICR, EPC, licence and rent

On an additional property, SDLT is the standard band charge plus 5% of the whole price: £180,000 costs £1,100 + £9,000 = £10,100; £300,000 costs £5,000 + £15,000 = £20,000; £450,000 costs £12,500 + £22,500 = £35,000. Each higher-rate bill is exactly the standard bill plus 5% of the price, which I checked against the higher-rate table band by band.

Source: GOV.UK, "Stamp Duty Land Tax: buying an additional residential property" (higher rates from 1 April 2025: 5% up to £125,000, 7% to £250,000, 10% to £925,000, 15% to £1.5 million, 17% above; refund of the higher part if the previous main home is sold within 3 years) and GOV.UK, "Residential property rates" (standard bands: nil to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million, 12% above; 5% on top if you own another residential property). Read 19 October 2026.

Full guide: Stamp Duty on a landlord's next buy-to-let: the extra 5% worked on £180,000, £300,000 and £450,000

A sofa sold for £100 and replaced at £600 gives a deduction of £500. A £800 fridge with a £300 trade-in gives £500. A washing machine at £700 plus £40 delivery and £20 disposal, with the old one sold for £50, gives £710. The three items together are £1,710. If the old sofa would cost £450 to replace like for like and the landlord buys a £900 one, the deduction is capped at £450.

Source: HMRC Property Income Manual PIM3210, "Replacement of domestic items relief" on GOV.UK (deduction for replacement, not initial purchase; moveable furniture, furnishings, household appliances, kitchenware; fixtures such as baths and boilers do not qualify; four conditions including a property business letting a dwelling-house and no capital allowances on the new item; not for furnished holiday lettings or where Rent-a-Room relief is claimed; cost of new item, or the lesser of new cost and like-for-like cost where there is an improvement; incidental costs such as delivery and disposal added; sale proceeds deducted; part-exchange counts only as cash spent beyond the trade-in). Read 14 October 2026.

Full guide: Landlord replaces a sofa, fridge or washing machine: replacement of domestic items relief, worked for three items

With £10,000 of finance costs, £18,000 of property profit and £35,430 of other income above the £12,570 allowance, the lowest figure is £10,000 and the reduction is £2,000. With only £6,000 of property profit it is £1,200 and £4,000 carries forward. A landlord with £14,000 of profit and no other income has £1,430 above the allowance, so £1,430 x 20% is £286 and £7,570 of £9,000 carries forward.

Source: GOV.UK, "Changes to tax relief for residential landlords: how it's worked out" (reduction is the basic rate value, currently 20%, of the lower of finance costs, property business profits and adjusted total income above the personal allowance; cannot create a refund; unused amounts carry forward). Read 13 October 2026.

Full guide: Landlord mortgage interest relief: 20% of the lowest of three amounts, worked for three landlords

A rent of £1,300 a month is £15,600 a year, or £300 a week. The holding deposit cap is £300 and the tenancy deposit cap is 5 weeks, £1,500. A rent of £4,500 a month is £54,000 a year, over the £50,000 line, so the cap moves to 6 weeks: £1,038.46 a week, £6,230.77, which is £1,038.46 more than 5 weeks would have been.

Source: GOV.UK, "Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy" (holding deposit maximum one week's rent; 15 calendar days unless agreed otherwise in writing; return within 7 days; tenancy deposit up to 5 weeks' rent where annual rent is below £50,000 and up to 6 weeks between £50,000 and £100,000). Read 11 October 2026.

Full guide: Holding deposit and tenancy deposit caps: one week's rent, 15 days, then 5 or 6 weeks, worked at £1,300 and £4,500 a month

Rent of £1,400 with £500 of expenses leaves a £900 profit on expenses and £400 on the allowance, so the allowance cuts taxable profit by £500. Rent of £5,000 with £4,500 of expenses leaves £500 on expenses and £4,000 on the allowance, so expenses win by £3,500. The break-even is £1,000 of expenses: below it, the allowance is better.

Source: GOV.UK, "Tax-free allowances on property and trading income" (property allowance of up to £1,000 a year; full relief at £1,000 or less of income; partial relief deducts up to £1,000 but not more than the income; no deduction of expenses as well; not available where the income is from a company you own or control, a partnership you or someone connected to you is in, or your employer). Read 10 October 2026.

Full guide: A landlord with one garage or room let: the £1,000 property allowance or expenses, worked at four rent levels

A landlord with £30,000 of other taxable income completes the sale of a let flat on 15 December 2026 with a gain of £60,000. The 60 days end on 13 February 2027. After the £3,000 annual exempt amount the taxable gain is £57,000: £7,700 of basic rate band is left (£37,700 less £30,000), so £7,700 at 18% is £1,386 and £49,300 at 24% is £11,832, a total of £13,218. Exchanging in November changes nothing; the clock runs from completion.

Source: GOV.UK, Report and pay your Capital Gains Tax: if you sold a property in the UK on or after 6 April 2020 (report and pay within 60 days of completing the sale; include it in Self Assessment if registered; interest and a penalty if late); GOV.UK, Capital Gains Tax rates (from 6 April 2026: 18% within the basic rate band and 24% above it; annual exempt amount £3,000; basic rate band £37,700 for 2026 to 2027). Read 9 October 2026.

Full guide: A landlord client is selling a let property: the 60-day Capital Gains Tax deadline from completion, and the 18% and 24% sums worked

With Bank Rate at 3.75% on 2 October 2026, the most that can be charged on late rent is interest at 6.75% a year, and only once the rent has gone unpaid for 14 days; on £1,250 due on 20 October 2026 and paid on 19 November 2026 that is 29 days at about 23p a day, £6.70 in all, so a flat £25 late fee is £18.30 over.

Source: Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1 paragraph 4 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK "Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy" (updated 7 July 2026); Bank of England "Interest rates and Bank Rate"; GOV.UK "Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) guidance for creditors"; all read 2026-10-02.

Full guide: Can a letting agent charge a late fee when rent is late? The 14-day rule and the daily interest, worked out

Under sections 8 and 12 of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 a first prohibited payment can bring a council penalty of up to £5,000 on top of repaying it, and a second breach within five years of the first penalty is a criminal offence or a penalty of up to £30,000; a final notice served on 3 March 2025 keeps that higher tier open until 2 March 2030.

Source: Tenant Fees Act 2019 sections 1, 8, 10, 12 and 15, Schedule 1 and Schedule 3 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK "Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy" (updated 7 July 2026); all read 2026-10-02.

Full guide: What happens if a letting agent charges a prohibited fee? Repayment, the £5,000 penalty and the five-year rule

We wrote this questionnaire of 5 questions and 8 outcomes from the rules set out in 5 of our guides and the sources each outcome names. The five questions make 11 routes that end in eight outcomes. Four of the 11 routes, late rent and lost keys, turn on one answer: whether the signed tenancy agreement provides for the fee. Without that term, neither charge is a permitted payment.

Source: Tenant Fees Act 2019 sections 1 and 2 and Schedule 1 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026); read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraphs 4 and 5 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026); read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraph 4 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026); Bank of England, Bank Rate (held at 3.75% in September 2026); read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraph 4(2)(a) and (3) (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026); read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraph 6 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026); read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraph 7 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026); GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords, If your tenant wants to leave; read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraph 1(1A), inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy and Assured periodic tenancies: rent in advance and deposits; read 2 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019 Schedule 1, paragraphs 2 and 3, and Schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy (updated 7 July 2026) and Assured periodic tenancies: rent in advance and deposits; read 2 October 2026; each outcome names its source, and the linked guide shows the working.

Free tool: Can I charge a tenant for this? Five questions on the Tenant Fees Act, with the limit

We wrote this questionnaire of 5 questions and 8 outcomes from the rules set out in 2 of our guides and the sources each outcome names. The five questions make 18 routes that end in eight outcomes. Three answers end it before the 52-week question: a social housing landlord, an old Form 4 notice still running, and a review clause increase agreed before 1 May 2026 but due after it, which GOV.UK says will not apply.

Source: Housing Act 1988 section 13(1) and (4C) as amended (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Assured tenancy forms; read 2 October 2026; GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords, Rent increases; Housing Act 1988 section 13(2)(c); read 2 October 2026; GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords, Rent increases; Housing Act 1988 section 13(4A) (legislation.gov.uk); read 2 October 2026; Housing Act 1988 section 13(2), (3A) and (3B) (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords, Rent increases; read 2 October 2026; Housing Act 1988 section 14ZB (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Apply for an open market rent determination; read 2 October 2026; Housing Act 1988 section 13(2) (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Apply for an open market rent determination; read 2 October 2026; Housing Act 1988 section 13(4) (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Apply for an open market rent determination; read 2 October 2026; Housing Act 1988 section 13(2) (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords, Rent increases; GOV.UK, Assured tenancy forms; read 2 October 2026; each outcome names its source, and the linked guide shows the working.

Free tool: Can the rent go up now, and from what date? Five questions on Form 4A and the 52 weeks

We ran a £1,250-a-month let both ways; the legal cap is £1,442.30, but dividing monthly rent by 4 gives a "weekly" rent of £312.50 and a deposit of £1,562.50, which is £120.20 over the limit.

Source: Tenant Fees Act 2019 and the government's Tenant Fees Act guidance for landlords and agents; GOV.UK "Tenancy deposit protection"; Housing Act 2004 section 214; GOV.UK "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act" on rent in advance; all read 2026-10-01. Our sums are saved in tests/lettwell/tools-check.txt.

Free tool: Tenancy deposit cap calculator: 5 or 6 weeks' rent, worked out the way the law does it

We worked one tenancy through the three date tests on Form 4A; for a monthly tenancy that began on 20 November 2025, a notice served on 2 October 2026 cannot take effect before 20 December 2026, and if a tribunal decides on 10 February 2027 the new rent starts on 20 February 2027 with nothing backdated.

Source: Housing Act 1988 sections 13 and 14ZB as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk); Form 4A (version 05.26) and "Assured tenancy forms" on GOV.UK; GOV.UK "Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords"; GOV.UK "Apply for an open market rent determination" (updated 10 August 2026); all read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Section 13 rent increase: how to serve Form 4A and work out the earliest start date

HMRC's guidance says form NRLQ for the quarter ending 30 September must arrive by 30 October; on £3,750 of rent collected in the quarter with £750 of deductible expenses paid by the agent, the agent deducts 20% of £3,000 and pays HMRC £600.

Source: HMRC "Using the Non-resident Landlords Scheme if you're a letting agent or tenant" (updated 18 March 2026), parts "What the Non-resident Landlords Scheme is", "Which agents should operate the Non-resident Landlords Scheme" and "Record keeping"; GOV.UK "Paying tax on rent on behalf of landlords who are abroad"; GOV.UK "Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances"; GOV.UK "Self Assessment tax returns: deadlines"; all read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: Non-resident landlord tax: the letting agent's quarterly return due 30 October 2026, worked through

Under Schedule 2 of the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a holding deposit received on 1 October 2026 has a deadline for agreement of 15 October 2026 and must be repaid, or the reason for keeping it given in writing, by 21 October 2026; on a £1,250-a-month let the most you can take is £288.46.

Source: Tenant Fees Act 2019 section 8, Schedule 1 paragraph 3 and Schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk); GOV.UK "Fees you can charge as part of a tenancy" (updated 7 July 2026); GOV.UK "Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords"; GOV.UK "Tenancy deposit protection"; all read 2026-10-01.

Free tool: Holding deposit rules for letting agents: the 15-day deadline, the 7-day refund and when you can keep it

At £1,250 a month (£15,000 a year) per property, a sole owner passes the £50,000 line at 4 properties (£60,000; 3 give £45,000), the £30,000 line from April 2027 at 3 properties (2 give exactly £30,000, which is not over it), and the £20,000 line from April 2028 at 2 properties; the 7 November 2026 update covers 183 days, 6 April to 5 October.

Source: GOV.UK, Use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: send quarterly updates, read 5 October 2026; GOV.UK news release, Sole traders and landlords earning more than £30,000 urged to act now (5 October 2026); GOV.UK, Deadline approaches for first Making Tax Digital quarterly update, read 5 October 2026.

Full guide: Making Tax Digital for landlords: which of your clients are in from April 2026 and 2027, and the quarterly dates

We matched 12 phrases common on lettings websites before May 2026 to the rule that now makes each wrong; 5 describe things that are now unlawful to do (bidding, rent in advance before signing, more than a month's rent in advance, blanket benefit bans, blanket child bans), not just out of date.

Source: GOV.UK "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act"; MHCLG Renters' Rights Act roadmap; Propertymark's warning about outdated agency web content as reported by Letting Agent Today, 20 May 2026; all read 2026-10-01; GOV.UK, Assured tenancy agreements: a guide for landlords, "If your tenant wants to leave" and "If the tenancy started before 1 May 2026", read 2026-10-01.

Full guide: Your agency website after the Renters' Rights Act: 12 phrases to find and fix

We read the government's implementation roadmap; the database will ask for gas, electrical and EPC details for every property, which are the same three dates our compliance tracker already holds, and Ombudsman membership is not expected to be required until 2028.

Source: MHCLG "Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap for reforming the private rented sector", read 2026-10-01; GOV.UK "Guide to the Renters' Rights Act", read 2026-10-01; GOV.UK news story "Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters", 9 September 2026, read 2026-10-01 (launch date, three-month window, 14 November 2027, registration numbers on adverts).

Full guide: The PRS Database and Landlord Ombudsman: what letting agents should prepare before 15 December 2026

On 1 October 2026 a one-branch agency holding under £500,000 of client money would pay £687 before VAT in its first year on the cheapest published route (Property Redress Entry at £190, Client Money Protect from £445, ICO fee £52) and £849.22 with The Property Ombudsman instead (£277.96 a year plus a £74.26 joining fee).

Source: GOV.UK "Registering with a redress scheme as a property agent" and "Protecting clients' money if you're a property agent"; The Property Ombudsman "Types of Registration and fees"; Property Redress business page; Client Money Protect agent page; Money Shield FAQs; UKALA "Join UKALA"; ICO "Data protection fee" guide and FAQs; GOV.UK "VAT rates"; all read 2026-10-01, prices confirmed in a browser.

Full guide: How much does it cost to be a letting agent in 2026? Redress scheme, client money protection and ICO fees, priced

On the example hours for a small letting agency (28 office hours a week, 21 of them on six jobs a tool can prepare, a quarter of each kept for checking), 15.8 hours a week could be handed over: 56% of the total, costing £10,868 a year at £15 an hour over 46 weeks.

Source: Arithmetic on the hours entered; the checking share is our stated assumption and can be changed. Rules behind what is drafted: Renters' Rights Act 2025 and the government's grounds for possession guidance; Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 as amended

Free tool: Admin scorecard for letting agents: how many office hours a week could AI prepare for you to check, job by job

On 1 October 2026 a ChatGPT Business seat was £15 a month billed annually (£18 billed monthly), which is £60 a month for a four-person agency, and OpenAI's pricing page said business data is not used for training by default; its policy page said content on its plans for individuals may be used to train its models unless the user opts out.

Source: ChatGPT pricing page, OpenAI "Enterprise privacy" (updated 8 January 2026) and "How your data is used to improve model performance" (updated 13 March 2026); Claude pricing page and Anthropic Privacy Center articles (19 August 2026 and 16 March 2026); Microsoft 365 Copilot Business pricing page and Microsoft Learn "Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft Copilot"; Google Workspace pricing page and "Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy Hub" (updated 14 August 2026); GOV.UK "Assured tenancy forms"; ICO "Guidance on AI and data protection" and "Our work on Artificial Intelligence"; UK GDPR Article 28 (legislation.gov.uk); Letting Agent Today, 24 September 2026. Vendor pages read in a browser on 2026-10-01, the others read the same day. Desk check only: we did not test any of the four.

Full guide: Can a letting agent use ChatGPT for tenant emails, property descriptions and notices? Prices, data terms and three prompts

We wrote ten questions from the rules set out in 9 of our guides; for 4 of the ten the answer that is in order is "no", so the check cannot be passed by ticking yes. The first asks: Does the agency work out the deposit cap from the yearly rent divided by 52, not from the monthly rent divided by 4? The cap is five weeks' rent, and a week's rent is the annual rent divided by 52. On £1,250 a month that is £1,442.30; dividing the monthly rent by 4 gives £1,562.50, which is £120.20 over the limit.

Source: Tenant Fees Act 2019; GOV.UK grounds for possession guidance; GOV.UK Guide to the Renters' Rights Act; GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2 and section 8; Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 2 paragraph 7; GOV.UK tenancy deposit protection; Housing Act 1988, section 13; Form 4A; HSE, Gas safety: landlords and letting agents; Housing Act 1988, section 16A; each rule is set out with its source in the guide the question links to. The test record is in tests/readiness/tools-check.txt.

Free tool: Letting agent readiness check: ten yes-or-no questions on deposits, notices, rent increases, pets and gas safety

On 1 October 2026 we checked the websites of Arthur Online, Fixflo, Goodlord, Reapit, Alto and Street; only Arthur Online published full plan prices, and on our reading of its page a 120-unit agency would pay between £180 and £216 a month before VAT.

Source: Arthur Online pricing page; Fixflo pricing page; goodlord.com, reapit.com, altosoftware.co.uk and street.co.uk/pricing; all read 2026-10-01. Desk check only: we did not request quotes or sign up for trials.

Full guide: Letting agent software prices: which firms publish them, and what a 120-property agency would pay