Letting residential property in England has never come with more compliance responsibility, with many landlords relying on their estate agent software to keep on track. The landlord compliance requirements you must meet continue to grow, and each one carries its own deadlines and penalties. Miss one, and the consequences can range from a significant fine to being blocked from recovering your property altogether.
In this guide, we will cover every compliance obligation landlords need to have in place in 2026, including what is required, when, and what happens if it’s not done.
The Renters' Rights Act: What Changed on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, with the following headline changes:
Section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished. All possession claims now require a specific ground under Section 8.
Landlords with existing tenancies were required to serve the updated government Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. Missing this carries a maximum civil penalty of £7,000.
All tenancies are now periodic. Existing ASTs converted automatically on 1 May 2026, and fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies can no longer be created.
These changes mean landlords now have more compliance obligations to manage than ever before, and more to lose when things are missed.
The Full Landlord Compliance Checklist for 2026
Landlord compliance in 2026 means having all of the following in place:
1. Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
Gas safety is the one landlords tend to be most aware of, but it’s also the one where we see renewal dates slip more than any other. Every gas appliance, flue, and pipework must be inspected annually by a Gas Safe-registered engineer. The certificate must be given to new tenants before move-in and to existing tenants within 28 days of each inspection. You must keep records for at least two years.
A lapsed certificate bars you from serving a valid Section 8 notice and can result in criminal prosecution and unlimited fines.
2. Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
Unlike gas safety, the EICR only needs renewing every five years. The fixed electrical installation must be inspected by a qualified electrician, with a copy of the report provided to the tenant before the tenancy begins. Findings are categorised as follows:
C1 (danger present) - immediate action required
C2 (potentially dangerous) - remedial work required within 28 days
C3 - recommendations only, not legally required
Local housing authorities can issue a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per property for non-compliance.
3. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
EPC compliance is an area where we see landlords leave things too late, and with the rules changing, that is becoming an increasingly costly mistake. All rental properties in England must hold a minimum rating of E, unless a valid MEES exemption applies, with the certificate in place before marketing and provided to the tenant before the tenancy begins. EPCs are valid for ten years.
The current penalty for non-compliance is up to £5,000, though the government's January 2026 policy response proposes raising this to £30,000, subject to legislation. The government has confirmed a target of EPC C for all rental properties by October 2030, with a proposed cost cap of £10,000.
4. Tenancy Deposit Protection
You have 30 days from receiving a deposit to protect it in one of the three government-approved schemes: the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), or mydeposits. Prescribed Information must also be served within the same window. Deposit caps remain in place: up to five weeks' rent below £50,000 annual rent and six weeks' rent at £50,000 or more.
Getting this wrong can result in a court awarding the tenant one to three times the deposit amount in compensation, and from 1 May 2026, it blocks possession under any Section 8 ground. Remember, this applies with every new tenancy.
5. Right to Rent Checks
Right to Rent is a requirement that landlords sometimes assume their letting agent has covered, but it actually remains the landlord's responsibility unless a formal written agreement explicitly delegates it. Before any tenancy begins, all adult occupiers must be verified as having legal permission to reside in the UK, with records retained for the duration of the tenancy plus one year.
The penalty for a first breach is up to £10,000 per occupier, rising to £20,000 for repeat breaches. Knowingly renting to someone without the right to rent is a criminal offence, carrying an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison.
6. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
As a landlord, getting your alarms right is non-negotiable. Every floor needs a working smoke alarm, and any room with a fixed combustion appliance needs a carbon monoxide alarm. Both need testing on day one of every tenancy, and if a tenant flags one as faulty, it is the landlord's responsibility to sort it. Fines for non-compliance can reach £5,000, or £30,000 for licensed HMOs.
7. The Government Information Sheet
The How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026 and replaced by the government's new Information Sheet, which must be provided at the start of every tenancy. Landlords with existing tenancies had until 31 May 2026 to serve it on their tenants. Missing this carries a maximum civil penalty of £7,000.
8. Tenancy Agreements
Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies no longer exist for new tenancies. All new tenancies are now periodic from the outset, and this is catching landlords off guard. If your tenancy agreement was drafted under the old framework, it needs to be updated before you use it for any new tenancy.
9. Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety
Furnished lets come with a set of rules that can often get overlooked. Every item of furniture and soft furnishings must meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988, must be fire-resistant and carry the correct fire safety label.
We see this go wrong most with second-hand or inherited furniture, so it's worth a proper check before a tenancy begins. Non-compliance can mean an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.
Stay Compliant in 2026 with Veco and Veco Plus
Veco is built to handle the day-to-day realities of property management and is designed to keep your agency on top of every compliance obligation as legislation evolves.
With Veco, you can:
Record and track compliance dates across your portfolio, including Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, and deposit deadlines
Store certificates and tenancy documents in one place, with full audit trails
Manage Section 13 notices, timelines, and documentation without switching between systems
Stay across Right to Rent records and tenancy history at property and portfolio level
Veco Plus users benefit from automatic updates, keeping your system aligned with legislation without additional effort.
Book a demo with our knowledgeable team today.
