Guides
Landlord guides: Renters' Rights Act 2025, Section 8 and tenancy law
Plain-English explainers for the regulations that matter. Written by the same people who draft our templates, so if a guide recommends a document, we sell one that does exactly what the guide describes.
Best Source for Landlord Tenancy Templates in 2026 (Compared)
Free gov.uk forms, NRLA membership, free template sites, solicitors or LetSafe? An honest 2026 comparison of where UK landlords get Renters' Rights Act-compliant tenancy paperwork.
Pillar guides
5 guidesDeposit protection rules for UK landlords (2026)
When to protect, how to protect, what 'prescribed information' you must serve, and the penalties for getting it wrong, including the…
How to write a compliant UK tenancy agreement (2026)
What goes into a modern tenancy agreement across the four UK nations, which clauses are unenforceable, and why the Renters' Rights Act 2025…
First-Time Landlord Checklist UK: Every Document You Need Before Letting
A first-time landlord's complete document checklist for the UK 2026: pre-tenancy checks, prescribed information, safety certificates,…
Accidental Landlord Guide 2026: What You Must Do If You've Become a Landlord Unexpectedly
Inherited a property, moved in with a partner, or couldn't sell? You're an accidental landlord.
What Documents Does a New Landlord Need in England in 2026?
Everything a new landlord needs before a tenancy starts in England in 2026. Tenancy agreement, Section 8 pack, EICR, EPC, deposit,…
AST to APT transition
4 guidesAST to APT: how your tenancy converted on 1 May 2026
Every Assured Shorthold Tenancy in force on 1 May 2026 automatically became an Assured Periodic Tenancy on that date.
Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026: What Landlords Must Know
The RRA Information Sheet must be served at the start of every new assured tenancy in England from 1 May 2026.
Assured shorthold tenancies: England's new compliance rules
What happens to your AST on 1 May 2026, the compliance steps every English landlord must take, and the 31 May 2026 Information Sheet…
How to End a Periodic Assured Tenancy in 2026, Tenant Notice, Surrender and Landlord Possession
A complete guide to ending a Periodic Assured Tenancy (PAT) in England in 2026. Covers how tenants serve notice on a PAT, voluntary…
Compliance & safety
35 guidesHMO licensing in England: mandatory, additional, selective
Mandatory HMO licensing hasn't changed under the Renters' Rights Act, but enforcement has tightened.
Landlord gas safety certificates (CP12): what, when, how
Annual Landlord Gas Safety Record (CP12) requirements, who can issue one, what happens if you miss the deadline, and how to prove…
EICR rules for landlords: the 5-yearly electrical check
Every 5 years, or sooner if the report says. What an EICR actually tests, what C1/C2/C3 mean, and how to respond to a 'Further…
Awaab's Law: what private landlords must do about damp and mould
Awaab's Law is in force for social landlords (27 October 2025) and is due to extend to the private rented sector as a later phase of the…
Buy-to-Let Compliance 2026: Every Obligation English Landlords Must Meet
A complete landlord compliance checklist for 2026: EPC, EICR, gas safety, Right-to-Rent, deposit protection, Renters' Rights Act…
Private Landlord Database 2026: registration, penalties & what to expect
The Private Landlord Database is a new mandatory register of English private landlords and let properties.
Renters' Rights Act landlord action plan: 10 things to do now
The Renters' Rights Act Phase 1 has been in force since 1 May 2026. This is your 10-point action plan: what to do, in what order, to stay…
Written Statement of Terms, Landlord Obligations from 1 May 2026
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords must provide tenants with a written statement of tenancy terms. Here's what you need to know.
Landlord Compliance Checklist: the Renters' Rights Act transition and what still applies
The Renters' Rights Act transition deadlines of April to July 2026 have passed. This guide records what each deadline required, and sets…
Notices & service
10 guidesThe Section 8 grounds at a glance
Every mandatory and discretionary ground on the current Section 8 list, with notice periods, arrears thresholds and the evidence you'll…
Landlord Notice Periods UK 2026, Section 8 and Tenant Notice Guide
Complete guide to notice periods for landlords in England 2026: Section 8 ground-specific notice periods, how much notice tenants must give…
Periodic Tenancy Notice to Quit, Landlord Guide UK 2026
How notice to quit works for Periodic Assured Tenancies in England 2026: tenant notice to quit (2 months), landlord possession via Section…
Landlord Proof of Service: How to Evidence Tenant Documents Were Delivered
Service of tenancy documents, notices and the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet; how to evidence email, post and personal service so a…
Landlord Minimum Notice Periods UK 2026, Complete Guide
Landlord notice periods UK 2026: updated minimum notice requirements for every Section 8 ground, rent increases, property access, tenancy…
HHSRS Improvement Notices, Landlord Guide UK 2026
Local authority HHSRS improvement notices for UK landlords: High (H) and Medium or Low hazards, prohibition orders, emergency remedial…
Leasehold Management Pack UK 2026: LPE1 Form and Fees
Leasehold management pack UK 2026: required when selling a leasehold flat; completed by the freeholder or managing agent on the LPE1…
Principal Private Residence Election, Main Residence Nomination, 2-Year Window, Varying the Election, Final Period Exemption and BTL CGT Planning Strategy
Principal private residence (PPR) election guide 2026: how to make and vary the main residence nomination under TCGA 1992 s.222(5); the…
HMO Licensing Wales, Mandatory HMO Licence, Rent Smart Wales Registration and Licence, Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 Occupation Contracts and Welsh HMO Standards
HMO licensing Wales 2026 guide: mandatory HMO licence (Housing Act 2004, 5+ persons from 2+ households; no storey requirement in Wales);…
Possession & eviction
40 guidesSelling a tenanted property: Ground 1A and the sale process
How to sell a rental property in England after Section 21's abolition. Ground 1A, timing, what the buyer's solicitor will want to see, and…
Rent arrears: what to do in the first 60 days
A practical timeline for the first three months of a rent-arrears situation, from the first missed payment through pre-action…
Section 21 Abolished: What Landlords Must Do Now
Section 21 'no-fault' evictions are permanently abolished from 1 May 2026. This guide explains what has changed, what Section 8 grounds…
Section 21 Abolished: What Landlords Must Do Now
Section 21 no-fault eviction is permanently abolished from 1 May 2026. This guide explains what replaces it, the new mandatory possession…
After You Serve a Section 8 Notice, What Happens Next (2026)
You have served a Section 8 notice. What now? This guide explains what happens after service: the notice period, what tenants can do, how…
How to serve an eviction notice in England (Section 8)
Section 21 is abolished. This guide covers the Section 8 process post-Renters' Rights Act 2025: choosing the right ground, completing Form…
How to Serve a Section 8 Notice in 2026, Step-by-Step Guide
A complete step-by-step guide to serving a Section 8 notice in England from 1 May 2026, choosing the right ground, completing Form 3A,…
Tenant Abandoned Property UK, What Landlords Must Do
If a tenant disappears and stops paying rent, you cannot simply re-let the property. This guide explains how to lawfully establish…
Section 8 Possession Grounds 2026, Complete Landlord Guide to All 18 Grounds
Complete guide to all Section 8 possession grounds in force from 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, including new Ground 1A and…
Rent & arrears
66 guidesSection 13 rent increases, what's changed
Section 13 is now the only way to raise rent on an assured periodic tenancy. Here's how to get the timing, the comparables and the tribunal…
Pets in rented property after the Renters' Rights Act 2025
English tenants now have the right to request a pet and you must respond in writing. What counts as 'reasonable' grounds to refuse, and how…
Section 13 Form 4A, The New Rent Increase Notice for 2026
Complete guide to Form 4A, the prescribed Section 13 rent increase notice replacing Form 4 from 1 May 2026.
Renters' Rights Act 2025: Landlord FAQ
Answers to the most common landlord questions about the Renters' Rights Act 2025, Section 21 abolition, Information Sheet, Periodic Assured…
Rent Guarantee Insurance for Landlords UK 2026
Rent guarantee insurance pays out when a tenant stops paying rent. This guide explains how it works, when it pays, how it interacts with…
How to Serve a Section 13 Rent Increase Notice in England 2026
How to serve a Section 13 rent increase notice in England. Section 13 is the only lawful way to increase rent on a periodic tenancy from 1…
First Time Landlord UK 2026, Complete Compliance Checklist
Everything first-time landlords need to know in 2026: tenancy types, gas safety, EICR, deposit protection, right to rent checks, and the…
Landlord Responsibilities UK 2026, Every Legal Obligation
Complete guide to UK landlord legal obligations in 2026: safety certificates, repairs, deposit protection, Renters' Rights Act compliance,…
Tenancy Renewal UK 2026, The End of Fixed-Term Renewals
How tenancy renewal works in 2026: fixed-term renewals abolished, existing ASTs converted to periodic, rent increase rules via Section 13,…
HMO licensing
15 guidesWhat is an HMO?, HMO Definition UK 2026
When is a rented property an HMO? The legal definition of a House in Multiple Occupation, how it affects licensing, planning, and…
HMO Management Regulations 2006, Landlord Compliance Guide
Complete guide to the HMO Management Regulations 2006 for landlords in England: what the regulations require, the manager's duties,…
Landlord Council Tax Liability UK 2026, Who Pays?
Who is liable for council tax in a rented property in England 2026: tenant liability during occupation, landlord liability during voids,…
HMO Minimum Room Sizes UK 2026, Licence Conditions and Overcrowding Law
The 2018 HMO licensing regulations set minimum sleeping room sizes: 6.51 m² for one adult, 10.22 m² for two adults, 4.64 m² for children…
Landlord PAT Testing Guide UK 2026
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT testing) guide for UK landlords: legal obligations, what appliances must be tested, how often, who can…
Landlord Permitted Development Rights Guide UK 2026
Permitted development rights allow landlords to extend a property, convert a family home to an HMO, or change commercial premises to…
HMO Fire Safety Obligations for Landlords, Complete 2026 Guide
Houses in multiple occupation carry the highest fire risk in the private rented sector.
HMO Article 4 Directions: A Landlord's Guide to Planning Restrictions 2026
How Article 4 directions restrict HMO permitted development rights in England: which councils use them, how to check your property, the…
Landlord Fire Risk Assessment Guide UK 2026, HMOs and Blocks of Flats
A complete guide for UK landlords to the fire risk assessment (FRA) obligation under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: when…
Tenancy types
2 guidesWhat Is a Periodic Tenancy in the UK? (2026 Guide)
From 1 May 2026, all new English tenancies must be periodic, no fixed terms. This guide explains what a periodic tenancy is, how it differs…
AST Template 2026: How the Renters' Rights Act Changes Your Tenancy Agreement
The Assured Shorthold Tenancy ceases to exist for new tenancies in England from 1 May 2026.
Pets in rentals
1 guidePrivate Landlord Database
1 guideTax & finance
19 guidesLandlord Tax UK 2026: Income Tax, Capital Gains and Relief Explained
A plain-English guide to landlord tax in 2026: rental income tax, the Section 24 mortgage interest restriction, capital gains tax on…
Landlord Tax Guide UK 2026, Section 24, CGT and Allowable Expenses
How UK landlords are taxed in 2026: Section 24 mortgage interest restriction, allowable expenses, capital gains tax on property disposal,…
Landlord Self Assessment: How to File Your Tax Return
Step-by-step guide to filing a Self Assessment tax return as a landlord in England: when to register, how to complete SA105 property income…
Buy-to-Let Limited Company (SPV) Guide 2026
A complete guide to setting up and running a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) limited company for buy-to-let.
Stamp Duty Land Tax Surcharge for Landlords UK 2026
Complete guide to the SDLT additional-rate surcharge on buy-to-let and second homes in England 2026: current 5% rate, who pays, how to…
HMRC Let Property Campaign 2026: Landlord Disclosure Guide
How to use the HMRC Let Property Campaign to disclose undeclared rental income in 2026: the three-stage disclosure process, how penalties…
Replacement Domestic Items Relief (RDIR) UK 2026, Landlord Tax Guide
RDIR replaced the 10% wear and tear allowance from April 2016. This guide explains what qualifies, the like-for-like rule, how to claim on…
Probate & Rental Property UK 2026, Executor Guide
Administering a rental property through probate 2026: executor obligations to tenants, tenancy continuation, Section 48 notice, income tax…
Property Trading vs Investment UK 2026, Badges of Trade, HMRC Classification, Income Tax vs CGT and IHT Business Property Relief
Whether property is held as a trading asset or a capital investment determines tax treatment entirely.
Cross-jurisdiction
11 guidesWelsh occupation contracts vs English tenancies: which rules apply
Letting on the Welsh side of the border plays by different rules, different statute, different terminology, different notice periods.
How to Find a Tenant UK 2026, Private Landlord's Complete Guide
How to find a good tenant in the UK: advertising on Rightmove and Zoopla, referencing, Right to Rent checks, and setting up a compliant…
Property Inventory Guide UK 2026, Check-In, Check-Out and Deposits
How to create a rental property inventory that stands up in a deposit dispute. Room-by-room condition records, photographic evidence, fair…
Guarantor Agreement UK 2026, Landlord Guide to Tenant Guarantors
When and how to use a guarantor for a tenancy in the UK. What a deed of guarantee covers, how to enforce it, and the risks of an informal…
Landlord Repair Obligations Guide UK 2026, Section 11 and Awaab's Law
What repairs must a landlord carry out? Section 11, FFHH Act 2018, the pending Awaab's Law PRS extension, and tenant remedies for…
Lodger Agreement Guide UK 2026, Resident Landlord Rights and Obligations
A lodger has different rights from a tenant, the resident landlord exemption removes most tenancy legislation.
HMO Licensing UK 2026, Mandatory, Additional and Selective Schemes
Complete guide to HMO licensing in England and Wales: mandatory licensing threshold (5+ occupants), additional and selective licensing…
Tenancy Deposit Protection Guide UK 2026, 30-Day Rule and Prescribed Information
Complete guide to tenancy deposit protection in England and Wales: the 30-day deadline, the three approved TDP schemes, prescribed…
EPC Minimum C for Rented Properties, Landlord Guide to the 2030 Standard
England and Wales landlords must reach EPC band C by 2030 for all rented properties. This guide covers the proposed timeline, exemptions,…
General
131 guides1 May 2026: What Changed for UK Landlords
Since 1 May 2026, Section 21 is abolished, every AST has auto-converted, and new paperwork duties apply.
PRS Landlord Database 2026: What Every English Landlord Must Know
The Private Landlord Database requires every English private landlord to register themselves and their properties, rolling out regionally…
Free Tenancy Agreement Templates vs LetSafe, What's Missing?
We reviewed the most popular free tenancy agreement templates, including the BPF version, so you don't have to.
Tenant Pet Requests 2026: How Landlords Must Respond Under the Renters' Rights Act
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives tenants the right to request a pet from 1 May 2026. Landlords cannot blanket-refuse.
How to Increase Rent in England 2026, Section 13 Step-by-Step Guide
From 1 May 2026, Section 13 using Form 4A is the only way to increase rent on a Periodic Assured Tenancy in England.
New Tenancy Checklist England 2026, Everything a Landlord Must Do Before Day One
Starting a new tenancy in England from 1 May 2026? This checklist covers every document, safety certificate, and statutory disclosure you…
Legal requirements for landlords in 2026
The 13 statutory duties every English private landlord must meet in 2026, from gas safety to the new Information Sheet obligation.
rentalformsuk.com alternatives: UK landlord template comparison
Comparing rentalformsuk.com with four other UK landlord template providers on price, coverage, format, and whether templates have been…
Deposit Deductions UK 2026: What Landlords Can and Cannot Charge
What a landlord can legally deduct from a tenancy deposit in England in 2026, fair wear and tear, damage, cleaning, rent arrears, and how…
Looking for regulations, not guides?
Our regulation library lists every statute we draft against, with review dates. For interactive decisions, try the Section 8 Ground Picker or the AST → APT wizard.