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Since 1 May 2026, Section 21 is gone — possession runs on grounds, and compliance gaps can block it. Answer eight questions and see your exposure at today's figures, checked against the legislation each figure comes from.
Your answers never leave your browser — the check runs entirely on this page.
Serving a Section 8 notice? Read the grounds for possession and how to complete Form 3A — then check what could block the claim.
Six duties a private landlord in England must meet, scored by the app's own engine against today's figures. Each row links to the verified guide for that duty and to the provision the maximum comes from. Penalties are statutory maxima ("up to"); a council may impose less, and a court or tribunal decides any award.
| Area | The rule | Maximum exposure | Statute (source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas safety | Gas Safety Record (CP12) renewed every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer | Unlimited fine + up to 2 years' prison | Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998; Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 ss.33, 37, Sch 3A |
| Electrical safety (EICR) | Electrical Installation Condition Report at least every 5 years | Up to £40,000 | Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/312) reg 11(2)(b), as amended by SI 2025/1043 |
| Energy (EPC / MEES) | A valid EPC of band E or above, or a registered exemption | Up to £5,000 | Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/962) reg 40 |
| Deposit protection | Protected in a government-approved scheme and the Prescribed Information served within 30 days beginning with the day the deposit is received | 1×–3× the deposit + blocks possession | Housing Act 2004 ss.213–215 (s.214(4) award; s.215 possession bar, substituted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025) |
| Right to Rent | Every adult occupier checked before the tenancy agreement is made, with follow-up checks where permission is time-limited | Up to £10,000 per occupier (£20,000 repeat) + up to 5 years' prison | Immigration Act 2014 ss.23, 25 |
| Licensing (HMO) | A licence where 5 or more occupiers form 2 or more households, plus any additional or selective scheme the council runs | Up to £40,000 + Rent Repayment Order (up to 24 months' rent) | Housing Act 2004 ss.72, 95, 249A, 251; Housing and Planning Act 2016 ss.13–17 (banning), ss.40–44 (RRO) |
The check also notes PAT / appliance testing, which is not a legal requirement for a standard let in England but is commonly a condition of an HMO licence. It does not cover every duty: repairs, fitness for habitation, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the written statement of terms and the Private Rented Sector Database are tracked in the app and explained in the landlord compliance checklist.
Yes. The check is free, takes about 60 seconds and needs no account or email address. It runs entirely in your browser: your postcode, dates and answers are never sent to us or stored anywhere, which is also why the page cannot remind you later. The ComplyWithMe Landlord app (free to download) does that part.
It depends on the duty. A council may impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000 for breaching the electrical safety regulations (such as a missing or out-of-date EICR); letting a licensable HMO without a licence can mean up to £40,000 + Rent Repayment Order (up to 24 months' rent); an EPC breach can mean up to £5,000 per property; Right to Rent failures carry up to £10,000 per occupier (£20,000 repeat) + up to 5 years' prison. Gas safety is a criminal matter: unlimited fine + up to 2 years' prison. Each figure is a statutory maximum; a council, court or tribunal may impose less.
Not on most grounds. Housing Act 2004 s.215, as substituted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and in force since 1 May 2026, bars a possession order on every ground except 7A and 14 until the deposit position is put right. The bar is tested when the court decides whether to make the order: compliance, even late, or return of the deposit in full or with agreed deductions, satisfies it (s.215(2), (3), (5)). Separately, the tenant can still apply under s.214 for an award of one to three times the deposit.
Yes. Section 21 was abolished for private assured tenancies in England on 1 May 2026 by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (commenced by SI 2026/421). Possession is now claimed on the grounds in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 through a Section 8 notice (Form 3A). Only a possession claim the court had already been asked to issue before 1 May 2026, on a pre-commencement notice, continues under the old regime (the transitional provisions in Schedule 6 to the Renters' Rights Act 2025).
No. The duties, cadences and penalty figures in this check are the law for private landlords in England only. Scotland and Wales have their own regimes (for example Scotland's landlord registration and Wales's Renting Homes framework), so a result here should not be read across to a property outside England.
From the same compliance engine the ComplyWithMe Landlord app gates on. Every penalty figure, cadence and deadline is verified against the Act or regulations on legislation.gov.uk, or GOV.UK guidance where the government sets the value, and the statute is named on the result screen beside each exposed area. The figures are re-verified before each release.
General information about duties in England, not advice on your tenancy. Verified against legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK; see how we verify.
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 a year (until 28 February 2027, or earlier if the limited launch places are taken)from £119 a year for one property. Sign in with the same account and the full app unlocks.