Landlords could face fines of up to £7,000 per property if they do not provide tenants with a crucial document before the end of the current month. This document, a PDF outlining details of the recently implemented Renters’ Rights Act effective since May 1, must be sent to tenants by May 31. Failure to do so may result in fines imposed by the local council.
The information sheet, available on GOV.UK, explains the key modifications brought about by the Renters’ Rights Act and their implications on existing tenancies. Landlords or their appointed letting agents are responsible for ensuring the timely delivery of this document to renters. In cases where the letting agent manages the tenancy on behalf of the landlord, the agent typically handles this task; however, it is the landlord who would bear the fine for any delays in sending the document.
A significant alteration introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act is the prohibition of Section 21 “no fault” evictions. Landlords can still evict tenants with valid reasons, such as property sale or rental arrears, but they must now provide a four-month notice period. Furthermore, fixed-term tenancies have been replaced by rolling tenancies without explicit end dates.
Tenants under a fixed-term contract will automatically transition to a rolling tenancy. They now need to provide two months’ notice before vacating the property, compared to the previous one-month notice period for tenants on rolling contracts. Landlords are required to give tenants a two-month notice of any rent increases and can only raise the rent once a year through a Section 13 notice. Rent hikes must be reasonable and challengeable by tenants at a tribunal.
Moreover, landlords are restricted from demanding more than one month’s rent in advance and cannot request or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. Rent bidding wars are now prohibited, and landlords must consider allowing tenants to have pets unless there are valid reasons to refuse.
