Landlord Responsibilities Explained

Being a landlord in England has never carried more legal weight than it does right now. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, fundamentally reshaping how private tenancies work. At the same time, long-standing obligations around safety, deposits, and property standards continue to apply, and the penalties for getting them wrong are rising. Whether you own a single flat in South London or a larger portfolio, understanding exactly what the law requires of you is no longer optional.

This guide covers the core responsibilities every private landlord in England must meet, what has changed under the new legislation, and where the risks of non-compliance now sit.

Safety Obligations: The Non-Negotiables

These are the requirements that apply from the first day of every tenancy. None of them are discretionary.

Gas Safety

If your property has any gas appliances, you must arrange an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You must give your tenant a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate before they move in, or within 28 days of the annual check thereafter. Keeping records for at least two years is also a legal requirement (gov.uk, 2025).

Electrical Safety

Since 2020, landlords in the private rented sector have been required to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a qualified electrician at least every five years. The Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) must be provided to tenants before they move in, and to the local authority if requested. A property that fails its inspection must have the remedial work completed within 28 days (gov.uk, 2025).

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

You must install a working smoke alarm on every floor of the property and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room that contains a fixed combustion appliance, such as a gas boiler or log burner. Alarms must be tested and confirmed working at the start of each tenancy (gov.uk, 2025).

Energy Performance

Your property must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating of at least E before it can be let. Properties rated F or G cannot legally be rented out unless a valid exemption has been registered. The government has indicated an intention to raise the minimum standard to a C rating for new tenancies in the coming years, though a firm implementation date has not yet been confirmed (gov.uk, 2025).

Repairs and Property Condition

You are legally responsible for keeping the structure and exterior of the property in good repair. That means the roof, walls, windows, doors, drains, gutters, and foundations. It also means the installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity, and sanitation, including baths, sinks, and toilets.

Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, tenants can take their landlord to court if the property is not fit to live in. Damp, mould, pest infestations, inadequate heating, and structural defects can all give rise to a claim. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 goes further, requiring landlords to meet a new Decent Homes Standard and to address issues like damp and mould promptly, rather than at their own pace (gov.uk, 2025).

The key distinction worth understanding: you are responsible for repairs arising from fair wear and tear and structural or systemic failure. You are not responsible for damage caused by the tenant, their household, or their guests. That distinction matters when disputes arise at the end of a tenancy.

Deposit Protection

If you take a tenancy deposit, you must protect it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it, and you must provide the tenant with the prescribed information about the scheme used. There are three approved schemes in England: the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits, and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (gov.uk, 2025).

Failure to protect a deposit or provide the prescribed information on time can result in a court ordering you to repay between one and three times the deposit amount to the tenant. It also prevents you from serving a valid notice to seek possession under several grounds.

Right to Rent Checks

Before a tenancy begins, you must check that each adult tenant has the legal right to rent in the UK. This means verifying original documents, or using the Home Office online checking service for those with a biometric residence permit or pre-settled status. Failing to carry out these checks, or renting to someone without the right to rent, can result in a civil penalty of up to £20,000 per tenant (gov.uk, 2025).

What the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Changes

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the most significant piece of landlord legislation in a generation. It applies to all private rented tenancies in England and introduces changes that affect how tenancies are structured, how rent can be increased, and how possession can be recovered.

Fixed Terms Are Gone

All new tenancies are now periodic from the outset. Fixed-term contracts no longer exist in the private rented sector. Tenants can end a tenancy by giving two months’ written notice at any point. This gives tenants considerably more flexibility, and landlords correspondingly less certainty about tenure length.

No-Fault Evictions Are Abolished

Section 21 notices, which previously allowed landlords to recover possession without giving a reason, have been abolished. You can only seek possession now if you can demonstrate a valid ground under the revised Section 8 framework. Grounds include rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, and the landlord wishing to sell or move into the property, among others (gov.uk, 2025).

Rent Increases Are Restricted

You can only increase the rent once in any twelve-month period, and you must give at least two months’ written notice of any increase. Increases must reflect market rates. Tenants have the right to challenge an increase they consider excessive through the First-tier Tribunal, which can set the rent at the market level, but no higher (gov.uk, 2025).

Bidding Wars Are Banned

Landlords and agents are prohibited from inviting or accepting offers above the advertised rent. If multiple applicants come forward, you cannot use a higher offer as a basis for selection. This is a new criminal offence under the Act.

Anti-Discrimination Rules

From 1 May 2026, blanket policies refusing to rent to tenants in receipt of benefits or to those with children are unlawful. Each applicant must be assessed on their individual circumstances (gov.uk, 2025).

The Private Rented Sector Database

All private landlords in England will be required to register on a new national landlord database. Registration will be a precondition for letting a property legally. The database is designed to improve transparency and support local authority enforcement. Dates for mandatory registration are being phased in; landlords should monitor gov.uk for the live implementation timetable.

Enforcement and Penalties

Local authorities now have additional funding to pursue non-compliant landlords. Civil penalties of up to £7,000 can be imposed for breaches of the new rules, with higher penalties reserved for the most serious or repeat offences (gov.uk, 2025). The government provided £18.2 million for enforcement in November 2025, followed by a further £41.12 million in April 2026.

HMO Licensing

If you let a property to five or more people forming two or more separate households, it is likely to be classified as a House in Multiple Occupation and will require a mandatory HMO licence from the local authority. Some London boroughs, including several across South London, also operate additional or selective licensing schemes that extend these requirements to smaller properties or entire areas. You should check with your specific borough to confirm what applies to your property (gov.uk, 2025).

Operating an unlicensed HMO can result in an unlimited fine, a rent repayment order covering up to twelve months of rent, and a banning order preventing you from letting any property.

Keeping Records

Good record-keeping is not just good practice; it is essential protection. You should maintain copies of:

• All safety certificates (gas, electrical, EPC)
• Tenancy agreements and any addenda
• Deposit protection confirmation and prescribed information
• Right to Rent check records
• Correspondence about repairs, including dates reported and dates resolved
• Rent payment records

If a dispute reaches the tribunal or court, the burden of proof frequently falls on the landlord. Clear, dated records are your best defence.

Being a landlord in South London means operating in one of the UK’s most active rental markets, but also one where regulatory scrutiny is high and tenants are generally well-informed about their rights. Credential works with landlords across South London to help them stay compliant, manage their properties well, and make the most of their investment. If you’d like to speak to someone about your current letting arrangements or find out what your property could achieve on the market, the team at Credential is happy to help.

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