Telford & Wrekin Council serves one of the faster-growing unitary authorities in the English Midlands. The borough includes Telford new town, Wellington, Newport, Oakengates, Dawley, Madeley, and Ironbridge. Lower property prices relative to the West Midlands conurbation have attracted buy-to-let investment, and the borough's employment base drives consistent rental demand from workers in the logistics, automotive, and engineering sectors.
Telford & Wrekin Council does not currently operate a borough-wide selective licensing scheme. However, mandatory HMO licensing obligations apply fully, and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 national compliance framework applies to all landlords in the borough from 1 May 2026 without exception.
Renters' Rights Act 2025 — England-wide obligations from 1 May 2026
All private landlords in England — including Telford & Wrekin — must comply with the following from 1 May 2026:
- Section 21 abolished: No-fault eviction notices served on or after 1 May 2026 are unlawful. Possession is only available via Section 8 using the revised Schedule 2 grounds
- Periodic Assured Tenancy (PAT) required: All new tenancies from 1 May 2026 must be periodic from day one. Fixed-term ASTs are no longer permitted for new assured tenancies
- Awaab's Law in force: Mandatory statutory timeframes for responding to and repairing damp, mould, and HHSRS Category 1 hazards. Telford's large stock of 1960s–1980s new town housing is particularly susceptible to condensation-related damp
- Information Sheet obligation: All landlords with existing tenancies as at 1 May 2026 must serve the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet on every named tenant by 31 May 2026. Penalty: up to £7,000 per tenancy
- Pet request right: Tenants on a PAT have a statutory right to request a pet. Landlords must respond in writing within 42 days; silence is deemed consent
- Section 13 rent increases only: Contractual rent-review clauses in PATs are unenforceable. Rent increases must be served via Form 4A with the correct notice period
- Civil penalties up to £40,000: The RRA 2025 raises the maximum civil penalty for PRS non-compliance to £40,000 per offence
HMO licensing in Telford & Wrekin — what landlords must know
Telford & Wrekin Council does not currently operate a borough-wide selective licensing scheme. However, mandatory and additional HMO licensing obligations apply:
- Mandatory HMO licensing (nationwide): Any property housing 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households requires a mandatory HMO licence under the Housing Act 2004 — regardless of location
- Telford & Wrekin additional HMO licensing: Check Telford & Wrekin Council's current housing portal for any additional HMO licensing designations covering smaller HMOs in specific areas of the borough
- Selective licensing consultations: Telford & Wrekin Council has consulted on selective licensing in higher-density PRS areas in the past. Monitor the council's housing announcements — a scheme could be introduced with relatively short lead-in time
- Licence conditions: HMO licences carry conditions on fire safety, room size standards, facilities, and management. Non-compliance with conditions is a separate offence from unlicensed operation
- Fit and proper person test: Telford & Wrekin Housing Standards will assess both the proposed licence holder and any managing agent before granting a licence
Awaab's Law — Telford enforcement context
Telford's new town housing stock — much of it built in the 1960s–1980s — can suffer from condensation damp due to construction-era insulation standards and cavity wall designs that have since degraded. Awaab's Law creates mandatory repair timeframes that all Telford landlords must now comply with:
- Acknowledge reports promptly: Acknowledge every tenant report of damp, mould, or an HHSRS hazard in writing — same day is best practice
- Investigate within 14 days: Inspect the property and document findings within the statutory investigation period
- Emergency repairs within 24 hours: Heating failures and serious water ingress must have works started within 24 hours — not just a contractor booked
- Root-cause repair: Cosmetic fixes (painting over mould) without addressing the underlying cause fail the Awaab's Law standard and create liability on recurrence
- Maintain a hazard log: Log every tenant report, inspection date, findings, works instructed, completion date, and contractor name
- Telford & Wrekin Environmental Health: The council's Housing Standards and Environmental Health team is the enforcement body for Awaab's Law breaches
Section 8 possession in Telford — 2026 key points
Telford County Court (sitting at Telford Combined Court Centre) handles Section 8 possession claims for the borough. Ensure all pre-action steps are correct before issuing:
- Ground 8 (rent arrears): Mandatory ground — at least two months' rent owed at both notice date and hearing date. Most commonly used possession ground
- Ground 1A (sale): Landlord intends to sell. Two months' notice. Six-month moratorium from tenancy start. Requires prior service of the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet
- Ground 1 (own occupation): Landlord or close family intends to occupy. Two months' notice. Requires prior service of the Information Sheet
- Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour): Discretionary ground; effective at notice date without minimum notice period. Evidence must be thorough and contemporaneous
- Form 3A: The prescribed Section 8 notice form — errors invalidate the notice and require re-serving from scratch
- Information Sheet pre-condition: For Grounds 1 and 1A, the court will strike out the claim if you cannot show the Information Sheet was served before the Section 8 notice
MEES and EPC compliance for Telford landlords
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards require an EPC rating of E or above for all privately rented properties in England. Telford's 1960s–1980s new town housing presents specific MEES challenges:
- EPC E minimum — now: Letting a property rated F or G without a registered exemption is a civil offence with penalties up to £5,000
- EPC C target by 2030: Government policy proposes a minimum EPC C rating for new tenancies from 2028 and all tenancies from 2030. Much of Telford's new town housing stock will require capital investment to meet this
- Cost cap exemption: If the cost of improvements to reach EPC E exceeds £3,500, you may register an exemption on the PRS Exemptions Register
- Telford new town stock: Properties built in the 1970s–1980s often have partial-fill or degraded cavity wall insulation. Cavity wall inspection before any insulation treatment is strongly recommended
2026 Telford landlord compliance checklist
Every item below is a legal obligation — not a recommendation:
- HMO licensing: check Telford & Wrekin Council's current designation maps and hold a valid licence where required before letting
- New tenancy agreements: use a Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement from 1 May 2026 onwards — no fixed-term ASTs for new assured tenancies
- Information Sheet: serve the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet on all existing tenants by 31 May 2026
- Awaab's Law log: establish a written hazard reporting and repair log before any new tenancy commences
- Gas Safety Certificate: annually renewed; copy to tenant before or on day of move-in
- EICR: current (within 5 years); copy to tenant within 28 days of request
- EPC: minimum E rating; valid (issued within 10 years); copy to tenant at start of tenancy
- Deposit protection: scheme protection and Prescribed Information within 30 days of receipt
- Right to Rent: check all adult occupants' immigration status before tenancy start
- Smoke and CO alarms: smoke detector on every floor used as living accommodation; CO alarm in every room with a combustion appliance
Frequently asked questions
Does Telford have selective licensing for private landlords in 2026?+
Telford & Wrekin Council does not currently operate a borough-wide selective licensing scheme. You must still comply with mandatory HMO licensing if your property houses 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households. Check Telford & Wrekin Council's housing portal for any additional HMO licensing designations and for any current or forthcoming selective licensing consultations.
What happens to my existing AST in Telford after 1 May 2026?+
An existing Assured Shorthold Tenancy converts to a Periodic Assured Tenancy by operation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 from 1 May 2026. You must serve the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet on every named tenant by 31 May 2026. You can no longer use Section 21 — possession from 1 May 2026 requires a valid Section 8 notice using a prescribed ground.
My Telford property is let to a group of workers from a local manufacturing company. Do I need an HMO licence?+
It depends on the number of occupants and households. A property with 5 or more unrelated occupants forming 2 or more households requires a mandatory HMO licence regardless of location. A group of workers from the same employer, living in a shared house and paying rent individually, will typically constitute separate households. If you have 5 or more such occupants, you need a mandatory HMO licence — apply to Telford & Wrekin Council before the tenancy commences.
What is the penalty for failing to serve the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026?+
Up to £7,000 per tenancy. Additionally, you cannot serve a valid Section 8 Ground 1 (landlord occupation) or Ground 1A (sale) notice unless you can show the Information Sheet was served first. If you issue a Section 8 notice for these grounds without prior service of the Information Sheet, the court will strike out your possession claim.
How does Awaab's Law apply to 1970s new town housing in Telford?+
Awaab's Law applies from 1 May 2026 to all private assured tenancies in England — including Telford new town properties. The condensation and damp challenges specific to 1970s–1980s construction (partial-fill cavity walls, poor thermal bridging, single-glazed windows) are not a defence against the obligation. You must respond to damp and mould reports within the statutory investigation period, address the root cause (not just the symptom), and maintain a hazard log. An inspection of each property before or at tenancy start to identify existing damp risks is strongly recommended.