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New rules for landlords: which apply to you, and by when?

The Renters’ Rights Act changed the rules at every stage of a let, and more dates are still to come.

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Answer a few questions about one property and get the list that applies to it: what is overdue, what has a date, and what is already in force. It takes about a minute.

  1. 1.Where is the property?

0 of 1 answered. Your list appears when you finish.

The dates behind the answer

1 May 2026
The main changes took effect in England: periodic tenancies, the end of Section 21, and the rules on rent rises, adverts, rent in advance, pets and discrimination. Every change in one list →
31 May 2026
The information sheet was due to every tenant whose tenancy began before 1 May. Who needed it →
15 December 2026 to 14 November 2027
The landlord register opens one region a month, each with three months to register, at £65 a property. Your date by postcode →
Date to come
The landlord ombudsman. The government has said landlords will be given notice of the date. What it will ask for →
Where it sits

A guide to which rules to look at, not legal advice. It covers assured tenancies in England and is summarised from the government’s overview for landlords, its Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act and the Housing Hub’s register page, each linked from the item it supports. Where a tenancy is unusual, take advice.

LetBuddy keeps each property’s dates, certificates, rent ledger and tenancy record, and emails you before anything is due. It sits beside the Act: which ground applies, or whether a reason is valid, stays your decision.

Common questions

What are the new rules for private landlords in England?

Since 1 May 2026: every tenancy is periodic with no end date, Section 21 has gone and possession needs a Section 8 ground, rent rises go through a Section 13 notice once a year, adverts need an asking rent with no bids above it, no rent can be taken before the agreement is signed, tenants can ask to keep a pet, and applicants cannot be refused for receiving benefits or having children. A landlord register opens region by region from 15 December 2026, and a landlord ombudsman is to follow.

Do the new rules apply to my existing tenancy?

Yes. An assured shorthold tenancy in England that began before 1 May 2026 became an assured periodic tenancy on that date. You did not need a new agreement, but the tenant was owed the government’s information sheet by 31 May 2026, or written information about the key terms where the tenancy is verbal.

When do I have to register on the landlord register?

It opens one region a month from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, and each region has three months to register. The last deadline is 14 November 2027, in the South West. It costs £65 a property, and your date depends on where the property is. The checker shows your region’s window.

What if I have not sent the information sheet?

Send it now and record the date and how it went. Take advice on what the delay means for your tenancy.

Does the checker cover Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

No. The Renters’ Rights Act’s tenancy rules apply in England. If you choose another nation, the checker tells you where landlords register there.

Is anything I answer stored?

No. The check runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. Nothing is kept unless you choose to save the property to a free account.

What does saving it do?

It creates a free account with the property in it, your region’s register deadline on its calendar with an email before it, and the information sheet as a dated task if it is still owed. Your first property is free for good, and no card is asked for.

A guide, not legal advice.

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