The Renters' Rights Act 2025 makes substantial changes to the enforcement regime for private landlords in England. Civil penalties — financial penalties imposed by local authorities without a court conviction — have been available for certain housing offences since 2017. The RRA 2025 extends the list of civil penalty offences, increases maximum penalty amounts, and strengthens local authority investigation powers.
The RRA 2025 raises the maximum civil penalty for serious PRS non-compliance to £40,000 per offence. This applies per tenancy, per breach. A landlord with ten properties who fails to serve the Information Sheet on ten tenants faces potential exposure of up to £70,000 (ten offences at up to £7,000 each).
Which offences attract civil penalties under the RRA 2025?
The following landlord offences can now attract civil penalties of up to the stated maximums. These are in addition to any criminal prosecution the local authority may bring (though not both for the same offence).
| Offence | Maximum civil penalty | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Serving an unlawful notice (purporting to be Section 21) | £40,000 | Serving a notice purporting to end a tenancy by Section 21 after 1 May 2026 |
| Failing to provide the RRA 2025 Information Sheet | £7,000 | Not serving the Information Sheet on existing tenants by 31 May 2026, or on new tenants |
| Unlawful eviction or harassment | £40,000 | Attempting to remove a tenant other than through a court order |
| Breaching rent increase rules | £7,000 | Raising rent otherwise than by Form 4A Section 13 notice, or more than once per year |
| Failing to enter the PRS Landlord Database | £7,000 (first offence) | Operating as a landlord without registering on the national database |
| Operating an unlicensed HMO or unlicensed property in a licensing scheme | Up to £30,000 | Letting without a required mandatory, additional, or selective licence |
| Deposit protection failures | Up to 3× deposit | Failing to protect a deposit within 30 days or provide Prescribed Information |
| Retaliatory eviction | £40,000 | Serving a possession notice in response to a legitimate repair or maintenance complaint |
Local authority investigation powers
The RRA 2025 increases local authority powers to investigate and enforce against non-compliant landlords. Councils can now:
- Issue a notice of intent: Before imposing a civil penalty, a local authority must give the landlord a notice of intent specifying the proposed penalty and the reasons for it. The landlord has 28 days to make written representations
- Require production of documents: Local authorities can require landlords to produce tenancy agreements, deposit protection certificates, gas safety records, EICRs, and proof of Information Sheet service. Failure to produce documents can itself trigger a civil penalty
- Enter and inspect properties: With 24 hours' notice (or immediately in an emergency), council officers can inspect rental properties to assess compliance
- Share data nationally: The national PRS Landlord Database will enable enforcement authorities across England to share data on non-compliant landlords, making it harder for landlords with previous breaches to avoid enforcement in a new area
- Impose financial penalties without a prosecution: Civil penalties do not require a criminal conviction. The local authority can issue the penalty notice directly, subject only to the notice of intent procedure and the landlord's right of appeal
The Information Sheet penalty — detail
The £7,000 Information Sheet penalty is one of the most widely applicable new civil penalties. The obligation arose on 1 May 2026 and the deadline for existing tenants was 31 May 2026.
- Who is affected: Every private landlord in England with an existing tenancy as at 1 May 2026 had to serve the official RRA 2025 Information Sheet on every named tenant by 31 May 2026
- New tenants: Every new tenant on a PAT from 1 May 2026 must also receive the Information Sheet at or before the start of the tenancy
- Penalty per tenancy: The £7,000 penalty is per tenancy — not per landlord. A landlord with 5 properties who failed to serve on 5 sets of tenants faces potential exposure of up to £35,000
- Evidence of service: The local authority can require proof of service. Keep a delivery receipt (Royal Mail tracked, email with read receipt, or a signature from the tenant) for every Information Sheet served
- Post-deadline position: If the 31 May 2026 deadline has passed and you have not yet served, serve immediately and document service. Serving late does not eliminate liability but it may mitigate the penalty in any appeal
The unlawful notice (Section 21 after abolition) penalty
- A notice purporting to be a Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026 is unlawful. Serving such a notice can attract a civil penalty of up to £40,000
- The notice is invalid in addition to being penalisable — it gives the tenant no obligation to leave and cannot be used in court possession proceedings
- If you need possession from 1 May 2026 onwards, the only lawful route is a Section 8 notice (Form 3A) citing one of the Schedule 2 grounds
- Even letters or informal notices that purport to end the tenancy may be treated as an unlawful eviction attempt if the tenant is pressured to leave without a court order
Appealing a civil penalty notice
If you receive a civil penalty notice, you have 28 days from the date of the notice to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The appeal is a complete rehearing — the Tribunal can uphold, reduce, or cancel the penalty.
- Grounds for appeal: Legal grounds (the offence was not committed, the notice procedure was not followed, the penalty exceeds the statutory maximum); factual grounds (evidence that you complied); or mitigation (steps taken to remedy the breach, financial hardship, good prior record)
- Evidence to prepare: Gather all compliance documents — tenancy agreements, Information Sheet delivery receipts, deposit protection certificates, gas and electrical safety records, and any correspondence with the council
- Reduction on appeal: Civil penalties are often reduced on appeal where mitigating evidence is presented. The Tribunal considers both the severity of the breach and the landlord's culpability
- Do not ignore the notice: An unopposed civil penalty notice becomes a debt enforceable by the council. If unpaid, the council can apply to the county court for a warrant of execution or attachment of earnings
How to protect yourself
- Use a PAT-compliant tenancy agreement for all new lettings from 1 May 2026 — the old fixed-term AST is unlawful from that date
- Serve the RRA 2025 Information Sheet on all existing tenants and retain proof of delivery
- Never serve anything resembling a Section 21 notice after 1 May 2026
- Raise rent only by Form 4A Section 13 notice with 2 months' advance notice, once per year
- Register on the PRS Landlord Database when it is open to landlords
- Ensure all HMOs are licensed and all selective/additional licensing obligations are met
- Protect deposits within 30 days and serve the Prescribed Information within 30 days of receipt
- Keep a compliance file for each tenancy — this is your primary defence in any enforcement action or penalty appeal
Sources
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004 — HMO licensing and civil penalties (legislation.gov.uk)
This guide is accurate as at 31 May 2026. It is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.