Renting out your property: rules for landlords in 2026

There are hundreds of pieces of legislation on renting out a property, and a landlord’s list of responsibilities is ever-changing. With the Renters’ Rights Act now law and implementation starting from May 2026, there are major changes you need to know about.

The expected impact of the Renters’ Rights Act is landlords’ greatest challenge, according to the Simply Business Landlord Report. And a quarter (24 per cent) of landlords would like to see the government reduce regulation and red tape. 

Read our summary to make sure you’re up to speed with the key pieces of legislation all landlords need to comply with. 

How to become a landlord

The first step to making sure you’re following your legal obligations as a landlord starts with your property. Not every home is suitable for renting and there are minimum standards that need to be met before you can consider it. 

Understand the legislation for your property here.

From here, it’s all about making sure you’re following the regulations surrounding your tenants. You can find tenants by yourself or with the help of letting agents, but there are some legislations to be aware of both before and after signing a tenancy agreement.

Becoming a landlord can be a rewarding investment, but it requires a strong understanding of your legal obligations, as well as ongoing property management. A letting agent can help you stay on top of your obligations, but this guide can introduce you to what you need to know.

Explore your tenants’ rights and regulations here.

Legislation for your property 

Most regulations for landlords will fall into two categories – your property or your tenant. Before you’re in a position to rent to a tenant, there are minimum requirements that your property must meet.

In the following section we’ll cover:

• minimum requirements for rental properties
• fire safety standards
• energy efficiency standards
• gas safety checks
• electrical safety standards
• what kind of property are you renting out?
• houses in multiple occupation
• furnished holiday lets

Minimum requirements for rental properties 

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 is a piece of legislation that’s designed to make sure all rented homes are safe for tenants. It states that all rental properties must: 

• be in a reasonable state of repair   
• be structurally sound
• be free from excessive dampness  
• be safe and conducive to healthy living
• have an adequate amount of natural light  
• be sufficiently ventilated  
• have access to a clean and adequate water supply  
• have proper drainage and sanitation facilities
• have a working kitchen with facilities for food preparation
• have effective means of wastewater disposal 

And while the act covers the overall standards of a liveable property, there’s more detail landlords need to understand. Specifically around the safety and energy efficiency of your property. 

As part of the Renters’ Rights Act, the government is also introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time by 2035. This will set a clear minimum standard for housing quality. 

Meanwhile, landlords will also need to keep their properties free from serious hazards such as damp and mould under Awaab’s Law, which is being extended to private rentals. This is expected to come into force between 2026 and 2027.

Fire safety standards

Nine in 10 house fires are preventable, according to the government. That’s why it’s important to do what you can to protect your tenant and your property. And it’s a landlord’s responsibility to make sure their property meets a minimum standard. 

These are the three key pieces of legislation about fire safety in rental properties:

1. The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 
2. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 
3. Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 

Between these regulations, it’s stated that there must be: 

• a fire safety risk assessment of the property 
• a smoke alarm for each floor of the property
• a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance (like a coal fire) 

Energy efficiency standards 

To legally rent out your property, it needs to have at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E. An EPC rating reflects how energy efficient your property is on a scale from A (best) to G (worst) . You can find accredited professionals in your area to assess your property on the government website. 

Once you have your certificate, you need to give a copy of it to your tenant before their tenancy starts. 

The government has confirmed that rental properties will need to have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of C by October 2030. Over half (55 per cent) of landlords think they’ll need to make property improvements to meet this new standard (up from 50 per cent in 2024), according to our research.

Gas safety checks

It’s a legal requirement for you to have an annual gas safety check completed by a registered engineer.

The engineer will need to assess all of the gas appliances in your property like boilers, cookers, and fireplaces. Our guide to getting a gas safety certificate takes you through each step of the process. 

And like with the Energy Performance Certificate, you need to give a copy of this certificate to renters before a tenancy begins.

Minimum electrical safety standards 

Since 2021, it’s been a requirement for landlords to have a specialist complete electrical safety checks on their property every five years. 

They’ll give you an electrical certificate in the form of a written report – this is usually an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

You don’t need to do a fresh set of checks every time a tenant moves out. But you should give the new tenants a copy of the current EICR at the beginning of their tenancy.

What kind of property are you renting out? 

Another thing to consider is the type of property you want to let. If you’re planning to rent out your property to three or more people or do a short-term holiday let, there’s more regulation to consider.

House in multiple occupation 

If you’re planning to rent out your property to three or more individuals, your property will be considered a house in multiple occupation (HMO). This doesn’t mean a family of three or more, but single tenants separately renting their rooms within your property. 

If your rental property is an HMO, there are more regulations to follow than a typical tenancy. Most of the additional laws are about making sure the property isn’t overcrowded. 

And if you rent to five or more tenants in your property, then you’ll need to apply for an HMO licence. 

Furnished holiday lets

If you want to rent out your property as a holiday home, on AirBnb for example, it could be considered a furnished holiday let. Here are some of the requirements:

• located in the UK or European Economic Area (EEA)
• furnished to allow for normal occupation
• available for commercial letting to the public for at least 210 days in the tax year
• actually let commercially for at least 105 days in the tax year
• no single let can exceed 31 continuous days

The special tax regime for furnished holiday lettings (FHLs) was abolished on 6 April 2025.

If you rent out a holiday home, your income and gains are now treated as a standard UK property business. This means:

• you report profits and losses as part of your general property business, not separately
• you can no longer claim capital allowances for new expenditure on furniture and fixtures (instead, you may be able to claim replacement of domestic items relief)
• mortgage interest relief is restricted to the basic rate of income tax, aligning with other residential landlords

Fire safety rules unique to holiday lets still apply.

Tenants’ rights and regulations   

The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent in October 2025, and the first major phase of changes come into force on 1 May 2026. This legislation brings the biggest changes to renting in a generation.

In the following section we’ll cover:

• right to rent checks
• tenancy agreements 
• How to Rent guide
• taking a deposit and deposit protection schemes
• setting your tenant’s rent
• access rights and property maintenance
• how to evict a tenant

Right to rent checks

It’s a legal requirement for you to do right to rent checks on a tenant before they move into your property. A right to rent check confirms the immigration status of your tenant and whether they’re legally allowed to rent a property in the UK.

Tenancy agreements

The Renters’ Rights Act changes how tenancies work. From 1 May 2026, the fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy is being abolished for both new and existing tenancies.

Instead, all tenancies will be periodic (rolling), with tenants able to stay in their home until they decide to end the tenancy by giving two months’ notice.

You’ll need to provide tenants with a written statement of terms. For existing tenancies, you won’t need to issue a new agreement immediately, but you will need to provide an information sheet explaining the changes by 31 May 2026.

Pet requests

Under the new rules, you must also consider any request from a tenant to keep a pet. You cannot unreasonably refuse a request, with tenants given the right to challenge a refusal.

How to Rent guide

The How to Rent guide is a document that you’re legally required to share with your tenant before or on the first day of their tenancy. It’s a checklist that summaries a landlord’s and tenant’s responsibilities. 

It’s fine to email a digital version to them, just make sure you let them know. It’s also important to occasionally look for changes to the How to Rent guide, as it’s updated to reflect the latest legislation. And it’s your responsibility to make sure your tenant has the most recent version. 

The How to Rent guide is expected to be heavily rewritten to reflect the new laws under the Renters’ Rights Act. A new version is expected to be published before May 2026.

Taking a deposit and deposit protection schemes

Once the tenancy agreement has been signed, you can request a security deposit from your tenant. There are limits on the amount you can take as a deposit, with the maximum being: 

• up to five weeks’ rent if the annual rent is less than £50,000
• up to six weeks’ rent if the annual rent is £50,000 or more

Within 30 days of receiving the deposit, you need to transfer the deposit to a government-approved deposit protection scheme (DPS). With a DPS, a third-party holds the deposit until the tenancy is over. It’s your responsibility to give your tenant all the information of the DPS so they can access their deposit.  

A DPS ensures that at the end of the tenancy, any disputes around the deposit are resolved fairly. 

Setting your tenant’s rent 

There’s no limit to what you can charge for rent in the UK. To determine how much your rent should be, do some research in your local area to see what the going rate is for properties like yours. There are calculators available that can give you a rough idea. 

The amount you charge for rent needs to be in your tenancy agreement. 

However, there are regulations around how much and how regularly you can increase a tenant’s rent.

There are new rules regarding rent setting and increases under the Renters’ Rights Act.

Rental bidding will be banned from 1 May 2026. Landlords will be required to publish an asking rent for their property. They won’t be able to ask for, encourage, or accept any bids above this price.

How to raise your tenant’s rent

From 1 May 2026, landlords can only increase rent once a year to the market rate.

To do this, they must use a Section 13 notice and give tenants at least two months’ notice. 

On top of this, rent review clauses in tenancy agreements will no longer be permitted.

If a tenant feels the proposed increase is above the market rate, they can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal.

Access rights and property maintenance

When your tenant has moved in, they have a right to privacy and there’s a process you need to follow when you need to visit the property. 

Access rights for landlords

If you need to visit your property, to do maintenance for example, you’d need to give your tenant a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. But your tenant also needs to agree to the time you’re suggesting, otherwise you won’t be able to enter the property. 

It also has to be at a reasonable time and has to be communicated in writing (an email or text is fine). You can find more detail in our piece on landlord’s access rights.

A landlord’s responsibilities for property maintenance

What is and isn’t a landlord’s responsibility when it comes to repairs and maintenance is sometimes viewed as a grey area. Our comprehensive guide to property maintenance covers this topic in-depth, but here’s an overview of a landlord’s responsibilities: 

• the structure and exterior of the property
• interior features like internal walls, ceilings, and floors as well as sinks, baths, and toilets
• utilities like water supply, gas, electric, and heating
• fire and gas safety checks
• larger gardening tasks like cutting trees

How to evict a tenant

The Renters’ Rights Act abolishes Section 21 evictions on 1 May 2026. This applies to both new and existing tenancies immediately.

This means landlords can no longer ask a tenant to leave their property without a reason. Instead, they must use a Section 8 notice and prove a valid ground for possession.

Section 8 grounds for possession have been reformed. Landlords will be able to use Section 8 to regain possession of their property if:

• they want to sell
• they want to move in
• the tenant is in significant rent arrears
• there’s anti-social behaviour

For grounds like selling or moving in, you generally can’t use them in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and you must give four months’ notice.

What insurance do landlords need?

Some people renting out a property for the first time mistakenly think that a standard home insurance policy will cover them when it won’t.

While landlord insurance isn’t required by law, it can protect your financial interests and give you peace of mind, just in case something goes wrong during a tenancy.

You can choose from a wide range of covers depending on the level of risk you’re prepared to live with. 

Besides a standard landlord insurance policy, some also choose to cover themselves for:

• loss of rent
• accidental damage
• landlord home emergency
• rent guarantee insurance
• multi-property landlord
• unoccupied property
• alternative accommodation
• fixtures and fittings
• boilers