Enforcement measures for landlords
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-13)

This guide is designed to help landlords and agents understand what happens if they commit an offence or break the rules.

This guide is designed to help landlords and agents understand the tenancy reform enforcement measures in Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which will come into force on or from 1 May 2026.

There is different guidance for local authorities (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/enforcement-under-the-renters-rights-act-2025).

When the measures start

The new restrictions will apply to all assured tenancies in the private rented sector on or from 1 May 2026. Only breaches and offences related to the new restrictions that happen after this date can be enforced against.

For assured tenancies of social housing where you are a private registered provider, the restrictions will apply at a later date.

The Renters’ Rights Act will add to and change existing rules. This guidance does not cover all possible breaches and offences.

You will need to continue to meet existing obligations that the act does not change, as well as new obligations introduced by the act and existing obligations that have been changed by the act.

Find out more about landlord and tenant (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/landlord-and-tenant-rights-and-responsibilities-in-the-private-rented-sector/landlord-and-tenant-rights-and-responsibilities-in-the-private-rented-sector) rights and responsibilities in the private rented sector

Who the measures apply to

These measures will apply to all landlords in England who let out properties on assured tenancies.

Landlords will be able to use people acting on their behalf to meet their duties, such as letting agents.

People acting on your behalf, or claiming to, can also be liable for breaching these measures.

Legal representatives will be exempt from the enforcement measures.

Breaches and offences under the Renters’ Rights Act

Enforcement of the new measures will be split into two categories: breaches and offences.

Breaches

On or after 1 May 2026, you could be given a financial penalty of up to £7,000 if you do one or more of the following:

claim to let the property on a fixed-term tenancy instead of a rolling tenancy, for example, by adding an end date

claim to end a tenancy verbally

require a tenancy to be ended verbally

fail to give a tenant written notice that a specified ground might be used where this is required by law - for example, Ground 1B, sale of dwelling-house after rent to buy agreement

fail to give a written statement of terms containing the information required by regulations

fail to give existing tenants an information sheet which tells them about changes made by the act on or after 1 May 2026

use a possession ground in a section 8 notice, ‘purported’ notice of possession or claim form when you do not reasonably believe that a possession order will be granted by the court on that ground

try to end the tenancy using a ‘notice to quit’ or purported notice of possession

Using a notice to quit or a ‘purported’ notice of possession

A ‘notice to quit’ is a written document, which can include texts or WhatsApp messages, and may:

include the heading notice to quit or say that it is a notice to quit

give a date the tenancy will end as a result of the tenant being given the document

tell the tenant they must leave the property completely by a certain date in order to end the tenancy

A ’purported’ notice of possession will be a written document, which can include texts or WhatsApp messages, and may:

wrongly claim to be a valid section 8 notice given before possession proceedings (for example, it is invalid because a ground or notice period is not detailed or the incorrect form has been used)

claim to be a notice that allows possession proceedings to begin as required under section 8, but it is not valid under section 8 - this still applies if no explicit reference is made to section 8 in the document

claim to bring a tenancy to an end or require the tenant to leave (whether or not it refers to a ground for possession) and is not a claim form or a document produced for the purpose of court proceedings

Enforcement action based on invalid notices of possession will not usually be taken if it was clear that there was a simple mistake (such as a spelling error) it would otherwise be a valid section 8 notice.

You will need to use the correct process (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/renting-out-your-property-guidance-for-landlords-and-letting-agents/giving-notice-to-evict-tenants) if you want a tenant to leave.

Offences

On or after 1 May 2026, you could be given a financial penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution if you are found to have done one or more of the following:

relet or remarketed a property within the 12 month no relet and remarketing ‘restricted period’ after using statutory grounds for possession 1 or 1A, unless you took all reasonable steps not to or an exception applies

knowingly used a ground for possession despite knowing that a court would not order possession on it, or being reckless about that, resulting in the tenant leaving within 4 months without an order for possession being made

committed a breach within 5 years of a previous offence

committed a breach within 5 years of receiving a financial penalty for a previous breach that has not been withdrawn

continued to commit a breach for more than 28 days after receiving a financial penalty for that breach that has not been withdrawn and is not the subject of an ongoing appeal

Exceptions to the 12 month no relet and remarketing ‘restricted period’

The 12 month restricted period following use of possession grounds 1 or 1A will not apply or will end early if:

you or a close family member moves in and use the property as an only or main home

a licence to occupy is entered into where the licensee has agreed to buy the property or lease it for more than 21 years

the new lease being marketed or granted will be for more than 21 years

the court makes an order for possession of the property on a ground other than Ground 1 or 1A

Remarketing will include:

advertising that the property is or may be available to let, for example, posting an advert online

conducting letting agency work, telling someone that the property is or may be available to let

Businesses that host property adverts provided by other people and do not do any lettings agency work themselves will not commit breaches or offences related to remarketing, even if an advert on their website breaks the restricted period rule.

Enforcement

A local authority will be able to impose fines on you, letting agents or anyone acting on your behalf (other than a qualified legal representative).

They will need to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a breach or offence has taken place before they take action.

Local authorities will need to gather evidence and give you notice that they will issue a fine. You will then have 28 days from the day the notice is issued to make written representations. After this, the local authority will be able to decide whether to issue a final notice.

Appeals

If a local authority issues a final notice, you will be able to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal against either:

the decision to issue the fine

the amount of the fine

You will need to appeal within 28 days from the day the final notice is issued.

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