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Landlords · Compliance
Every legal duty a private landlord in England must meet in 2026, with what is required, how often and the official source, plus notes on where Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Part of: Landlord insurance
In short
Private landlords in England need an annual gas safety check, an electrical inspection at least every five years, a valid EPC rated at least E, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a protected deposit and right to rent checks. HMOs with five or more occupants need a licence, and councils can require licences for other rented homes. Since 1 May 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act has ended section 21 evictions and introduced new information duties, and landlord registration on a national database begins on 15 December 2026. Insurance does not replace these duties, and poor compliance can affect claims.
This checklist covers private landlords letting homes in England. It is a summary of the duties and where they come from, not legal advice, and local councils can add licensing conditions of their own.
| Obligation | What is required | How often | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas safety | Gas Safe registered engineer checks every gas appliance and flue you provide; give tenants the record | Every 12 months; record to existing tenants within 28 days, new tenants before move-in; keep 2 years | HSE |
| Electrical safety (EICR) | Qualified person inspects and tests the fixed installation; give tenants the report; fix faults | At least every 5 years; remedial work within 28 days | SI 2020/312, reg 3 |
| EPC and MEES | Valid EPC for prospective tenants; property must reach at least band E unless a registered exemption applies | EPC valid 10 years; MEES applies whenever you let | GOV.UK |
| Smoke and CO alarms | Smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation; CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers) | Working on the day each tenancy starts; repair once reported | GOV.UK |
| Deposit protection | Protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme and give the tenant the required information | Within 30 days of receiving it | GOV.UK |
| Right to rent | Check every adult who will live there as their only or main home (England only) | Before the tenancy; follow-up checks for time-limited permission | Home Office |
| HMO licensing | Mandatory licence where an HMO is occupied by 5 or more people; councils may license other HMOs | Before letting; renew as the licence requires | GOV.UK |
| Selective licensing | Licence for each rented property in a council-designated area | For as long as the designation runs (up to 5 years) | MHCLG |
| Legionella | Assess and control the risk; no test certificate required | Review periodically and when anything changes | HSE |
| Fire safety in common parts | Fire risk assessment of common parts; fire safety information to residents in buildings with 2+ flats | Keep under review; extra door checks above 11 metres | GOV.UK |
| Hazards (HHSRS) and Awaab’s Law | Keep the home free of serious hazards such as damp and mould, electrical faults and falls | Continuous; Awaab’s Law timescales for private lets under consultation | MHCLG |
| Tenant information | Written information on tenancy terms for new tenancies; Information Sheet for pre-May 2026 tenancies | At the start of each new tenancy | GOV.UK |
| Landlord database | Register yourself and each property; annual fee per property | Regional deadlines from 14 March 2027 to 14 November 2027 | GOV.UK |
Gas. Checks can be done up to two months before the anniversary without losing the original date (HSE).
Electrical. The 2020 regulations also require you to send the report to the council within seven days of a written request. Councils can impose a penalty of up to £40,000 for a breach (regulation 11).
Alarms. Failing to comply with a council remedial notice can lead to a penalty of up to £5,000 (government guidance).
Legionella. HSE says the assessment need not be in-depth: keep hot water hot, cold water cold and water moving, and take extra care with empty properties (HSE).
Order the EPC before you market the property (GOV.UK). Under the current standard you need not spend more than £3,500 including VAT on improvements, and penalties can reach £5,000 per property (MEES guidance). The government’s January 2026 response confirms all private tenancies will need EPC C or equivalent by 1 October 2030, with spending capped at £10,000 per property, subject to Parliament approving the regulations (government response).
Deposits. Within the same 30 days, give the tenant the scheme’s details, the reasons you might keep some of the deposit and how to get it back (GOV.UK). A court will only grant possession if the deposit rules have been met (Renters’ Rights Act overview).
Right to rent. Check adults whether or not they are named on the tenancy, and keep copies for the tenancy plus at least a year. Since 1 October 2026, digital checks must use a registered provider (Home Office guide).
Information. A written tenancy agreement can meet the duty to give new tenants written terms. In most cases you no longer need to give the How to Rent guide (government landlord hub).
A property may be an HMO if at least three tenants forming more than one household share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet (GOV.UK). Selective licensing is made under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 (MHCLG guidance). Schemes start and end, so check your council’s website before you let. See our guide to HMO landlord insurance.
In a building with two or more sets of domestic premises, such as a house converted into flats, the Fire Safety Order 2005 covers the common parts and, since the Fire Safety Act 2021, flat entrance doors. Since 23 January 2023 the responsible person must give residents fire safety instructions and information about fire doors. Above 11 metres, communal fire doors need quarterly checks and flat entrance doors annual checks (GOV.UK fact sheet). See our Fire Safety Act explainer.
Councils assess homes under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, which was revised from 29 to 21 hazards from 23 June 2026. The Renters’ Rights Act has introduced fines of up to £7,000 where serious hazards are found (MHCLG, 8 October 2026).
Awaab’s Law already applies to social housing. For private tenancies, the government is consulting until 18 December 2026 on proposals that would require landlords to investigate a significant hazard within 10 working days and deal with emergency hazards within 24 hours. No start date has been set for private landlords (consultation).
From 1 May 2026, section 21 evictions ended and assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies. Possession needs a section 8 notice on a valid ground, rent can rise only once a year with two months’ notice, rental bidding is banned, and you cannot refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits. Rent repayment orders can now reach two years’ rent (GOV.UK overview), and maximum civil penalties for certain housing offences rose from £30,000 to £40,000 (roadmap). Registration on the landlord database opens region by region from 15 December 2026, with an annual £65 fee per property (Register your rental property). An ombudsman and a Decent Homes Standard follow later.
Insurance does not replace compliance, and most of the fines and penalties above are not something a landlord policy is designed to pay. But compliance and cover are closely linked:
Our landlord insurance guide explains the main covers. Freeholders and resident management companies should also read our guide to insuring blocks of flats.
Renters' Rights Act: dated timeline for landlords · What landlord insurance does not cover
At least every five years, or sooner if the previous report says so. Give it to existing tenants within 28 days and new tenants before they move in, and complete any remedial work within 28 days.
In most cases, no. Since 1 May 2026 the government says landlords generally no longer need to provide it. Instead, new tenancies need written information about the terms, and older tenancies needed the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
No. HSE says the law requires landlords to assess and control the risk, not to obtain a test certificate. For most homes a simple assessment, keeping hot water hot and cold water cold, and flushing outlets in empty properties is enough.
Not in England. Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026 for private tenancies. You now need a section 8 notice relying on a valid ground for possession, usually with four months’ notice, and you cannot evict to sell or move in during the first 12 months of a tenancy.
Generally not. Landlord policies are designed to cover damage, liability claims and, if bought, lost rent and legal costs, not penalties for breaking housing law. Non-compliance can also affect claims, so keep certificates and records up to date.
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