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

"Landlord compliance checklist" and "lettings compliance checklist" are among the most searched lettings phrases, and for good reason: the list got longer on 1 May 2026. Here it is in one place, England only, with the new items marked.

Before marketing

1. Valid EPC at or above the minimum rating, unless an exemption is registered. EPCs last 10 years.
2. Advertise a rent and stick to it. New. Landlords and agents can no longer ask for, encourage or accept offers above the advertised rent. "Best offers over" is out.
3. No blanket bans. New. It is now unlawful to discriminate against renters who have children or receive benefits, including by withholding information, refusing viewings or refusing a tenancy. Remove "No DSS" and "no children" from adverts and criteria.

Before the tenancy starts

4. Right to Rent check on every adult occupier, before the tenancy starts.
5. Holding deposit no more than one week's rent; deposit no more than 5 weeks' rent (6 weeks if annual rent is £50,000 or more). Our deposit cap calculator works out both.
6. Rent in advance: one month at most, and only once the agreement is signed. New.
7. Written tenancy terms. Changed. New tenancies are assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term, and the agreement has to contain the information the government has set out.
8. Gas safety record given to the tenant before they move in.
9. Electrical safety report (EICR) given to the tenant before they move in.
10. EPC given to the tenant.
11. Landlord's address for notices given to the tenant in writing. Under section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, rent is not treated as due until the tenant has an address in England or Wales where notices can be served on the landlord.
12. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms fitted where required and checked working on the first day of the tenancy.

Within 30 days

13. Deposit protected in an approved scheme and prescribed information given, within 30 days of receiving the money. The clock starts on receipt, not move-in.

During the tenancy

14. Gas safety check every 12 months, copy to tenants within 28 days. Can be done up to two months early keeping the same expiry date.
15. EICR at least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says; remedial work within 28 days.
16. Pet requests answered within 28 days. New. Landlords must consider a tenant's request and give valid reasons if they refuse.
17. Rent increases once a year, by Section 13 notice, with at least two months' notice. Changed. Rent review clauses no longer work.
18. Repairs and complaints recorded, with response times. Councils have new investigatory powers from 27 December 2025, and the coming Ombudsman will handle tenant complaints.

The compliance date tracker turns items 14 and 15 into calendar reminders for each property.

For tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026

Existing tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. Landlords did not have to re-issue agreements, but the roadmap required tenants to be given the government's Renters' Rights Act information sheet on or before 31 May 2026. If any of your managed tenancies missed it, issue it now and record the date.

What is coming next

From 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, the government will roll out the private rented sector database, which landlords will have to join and pay an annual fee to; it will ask for gas, electrical and EPC details for each property. A new Landlord Ombudsman follows, with membership expected to be required in 2028. Our guide on what the PRS Database means for agents covers how to prepare.

This is general information for England, not legal advice.