Each guide answers the question first, then explains the duty, the deadline and the penalty, with every figure linked to legislation.gov.uk or GOV.UK and the date it was checked.
In England a landlord must check that every adult who will live in the property as their only or main home has the right to rent, before the tenancy starts. Check original documents in person, use the Home Office online service with a share code, or use a registered digital provider. Keep copies for the tenancy plus one year.
Updated 15 October 2026The Private Rented Sector Database is the landlord register created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 for England. As at 15 October 2026 the duty to register is not yet in force: the regulations are still a draft. GOV.UK has announced a regional rollout from 15 December 2026. You register on the government service itself, not through any app.
Updated 15 October 2026Since 1 May 2026 a private landlord in England can only seek possession on a Housing Act 1988 Schedule 2 ground, served on Form 3A under section 8. Notice runs from two weeks to four months depending on the ground, and the court cannot make an order while the deposit is unprotected, except on Grounds 7A and 14.
Updated 15 October 2026In England you need a mandatory HMO licence if your property is let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Smaller HMOs and ordinary lets may still need a licence where your council runs an additional or selective scheme. Check your council's licensing pages and public register by postcode.
Updated 15 October 2026Not yet. Awaab's Law (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s.10A) binds registered providers of social housing. Section 60 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 will extend it to private tenancies in England, but on 15 October 2026 it was not in force and needs regulations; a government consultation on the timescales runs to 18 December 2026.
Updated 15 October 2026Before letting in England a landlord must check Right to Rent, protect the deposit within 30 days, hold a gas record, an EICR and an EPC of band E or above, give a written statement of terms, fit alarms and hold any licence. Checks recur during the tenancy; since 1 May 2026 possession is on Section 8 grounds only.
Updated 15 October 2026A private landlord in England needs a gas safety record (every 12 months), an EICR (every five years), an EPC of band E or above (valid 10 years), deposit protection with prescribed information (within 30 days), working smoke and CO alarms, any HMO or council licence, and Right to Rent records. PRS database registration is not yet in force.
Updated 15 October 2026In England a private landlord must have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years, give each tenant a copy of the report within 28 days, fix any C1, C2 or FI item within 28 days, and keep the report. Councils can impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per breach.
Updated 15 October 2026Not legal advice. The law changes often under the Renters' Rights Act 2025; each guide shows when its figures were last verified.
Download the free app, then subscribe on the web at complywithme.co/subscribe — launch offer £59.99 for your first year with one property, then £119/year (until 28 February 2027, while 100 launch places last)from £119 a year for one property. Sign in with the same account and the full app unlocks.
