Free guide · for landlords
The Landlord Safety and Compliance Guide 2026–27
Every certificate, rule and date a private landlord needs to know, in plain English
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Being a landlord has never had more rules. Most of them exist for a good reason: to keep your tenants safe and your investment protected. The problem is keeping track of them all, especially with so much changing in 2026 and 2027.
This guide puts everything in one place. It is written for private landlords in Harrow, Ruislip, Uxbridge, Watford and nearby, but most of it applies across England.
Important: This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check GOV.UK. Propfix is a property maintenance company. We are not an estate agent or letting agent, and we do not find tenants, collect rent or manage tenancies.
The certificates you must have
These are the four safety checks every rented home needs. Miss one and you can face a large fine, and you put your tenants at risk.
| What | How often | What you must do | If you don’t |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas safety record | Every 12 months | A Gas Safe registered engineer checks every gas appliance, pipe and flue. Give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days, and to new tenants before they move in. | A criminal offence. You can be prosecuted |
| Electrical check (EICR) | At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so | A qualified electrician tests the wiring. Fix any C1 or C2 faults within 28 days, or sooner if the report says. Give the tenant a copy within 28 days, and the council a copy within 7 days if they ask. | Up to £30,000 |
| Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) | Lasts 10 years | You must have a valid EPC rated E or above to let the home. A home rated F or G needs a registered exemption. | You can be fined, and you can’t legally let the home |
| Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms | Checked on the first day of every tenancy | A smoke alarm on every storey used as living space. A CO alarm in any room with a fixed appliance that burns fuel, such as a boiler, fire or wood burner (gas cookers don’t count). Repair or replace alarms when you’re told they’re faulty. | Up to £5,000 |
Legionella is the other one to know. Legionella is a bacteria that can grow in water systems. You must assess the risk. For a normal home this is usually simple, and you don’t need a certificate.
Propfix tip: Put every expiry date in one calendar, with a reminder two months before. Most landlords who get fined didn’t ignore the rules. They just lost track of a date.
The Renters’ Rights Act: what changed on 1 May 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to renting in decades. Here is what it means in plain words.
- No more section 21. “No-fault” evictions have ended. To end a tenancy you now need a legal reason.
- Rolling tenancies. Most tenancies are now periodic. That means they roll on month by month, with no fixed end date.
- Rent rises once a year. You can raise the rent once a year, using the section 13 process, with two months’ notice.
- No rent bidding. You can’t ask for or accept offers above the rent you advertised.
- One month up front. You can ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance.
- Fair to all tenants. You can’t turn someone down just because they have children or claim benefits.
- Pets. If a tenant asks in writing to keep a pet, you must answer within 28 days and not refuse without a good reason.
If you had a written tenancy that started before 1 May 2026, you had to give your tenants the government’s Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. If you haven’t done this, speak to your letting agent or check GOV.UK straight away.
The landlord database: register every property
A new national register of landlords and rented homes is coming. It is called the Private Rented Sector Database.
- Registration opens on 15 December 2026.
- It costs £65 per property, per year.
- It rolls out region by region, so your deadline depends on where the property is.
- Not registering can mean a fine of up to £7,000.
| Where the property is | Register by |
|---|---|
| Watford (East of England) | 14 April 2027 |
| Harrow, Ruislip and Uxbridge (London) | 14 October 2027 |
You’ll need your gas safety record, electrical report (EICR) and EPC ready to add. If any of these are missing or out of date, sort them before your deadline, not on the day.
Local licensing in our area
Some councils make landlords buy a licence before they can let a home. Letting without one when you need it is a serious offence.
- Large HMOs need a licence everywhere. An HMO (house in multiple occupation) is a home shared by people from different households. If five or more people from two or more households share a kitchen or bathroom, you need a mandatory licence.
- Hillingdon (including Ruislip and Uxbridge): a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for smaller HMOs started on 24 August 2026. The fee is £1,401 per property.
- Harrow: selective licensing covers every privately rented home in the Edgware, Roxeth, Greenhill, Marlborough, Wealdstone North and Wealdstone South wards. These started between May and September 2026. The fee is £786 per property.
- Watford: check with Watford Borough Council.
Schemes change, so always check your council’s website before you let.
What’s coming next
- EPC band C by 1 October 2030. The government has confirmed private rented homes must reach band C, or an equivalent standard. The most you’ll have to spend is capped at £10,000 per property. If your home is rated D or below, start planning now. Work spread over a few years is far easier than a rush in 2030.
- A Landlord Ombudsman. Membership is expected to become compulsory around 2028. Tenants will be able to take complaints to it.
- Awaab’s Law. This sets deadlines to fix damp, mould and other serious hazards. It is expected to be extended to private renting. The dates are still to be confirmed.
- The Decent Homes Standard. This is coming to private renting later.
Propfix tip: Damp and mould are the problems most likely to grow into a dispute. Deal with them fast, find the cause, and keep photos of the work.
Before the tenancy: checklist
Before your tenant moves in
- Gas safety record in date, with a copy ready for the tenant
- EICR in date, with any C1 or C2 faults fixed
- EPC rated E or above, or a registered exemption
- A working smoke alarm on every floor, tested on the day the tenancy starts
- A working CO alarm in every room with a boiler, fire or wood burner
- Legionella risk assessed
- Right to Rent checks done for every adult who will live there
- Licence in place, if your council needs one
- Deposit protected in a government scheme (DPS, mydeposits or TDS) within 30 days, with the prescribed information given within 30 days
- The home clean, safe and in good repair, with dated photos of its condition
During the tenancy: checklist
While your tenant lives there
- Book the gas safety check before the old one runs out, every year
- Book the EICR before it is five years old, or sooner if the last report said so
- Deal with repairs quickly, and keep a record of when you were told and what you did
- Act fast on damp and mould: find the cause, fix it and keep photos
- Give your tenant proper notice before visiting. At least 24 hours’ written notice is the usual rule for inspections
- Raise the rent only once a year, using the section 13 process with two months’ notice
- Answer any written pet request within 28 days
- Register on the landlord database before your deadline
End of the tenancy: checklist
When your tenant moves out
- Compare the home with your move-in photos
- Agree any deposit deductions fairly with your tenant, using your photos and records
- Book a deep clean and any repairs before the next tenant
- Test every smoke and CO alarm again
- Check which certificates will run out during the next tenancy, and renew them now if it makes sense
Keep good records
If something goes wrong, the landlord with the paperwork is the landlord who is protected. Keep these for every property, in one place:
- Every gas safety record, EICR and EPC, with the dates you gave copies to tenants
- Proof the deposit was protected, and the prescribed information you gave
- Right to Rent check records
- Any licence and your database registration
- Every repair request, with dates, what you did and photos before and after
- Alarm tests on the first day of each tenancy
What Propfix can do for you, and what we can’t
Propfix is a property maintenance company, not a letting agent. Here is exactly where we can help.
| Propfix can sort it | For you or your letting agent |
|---|---|
| Gas safety certificates (from £105) | Protecting the deposit and giving the prescribed information |
| Electrical checks, EICR (from £195) | The government’s Information Sheet |
| Energy Performance Certificates, EPC (from £95) | Right to Rent checks |
| Smoke and CO alarms (from £59 fitted) | Licence applications |
| Repairs, damp and mould work, and maintenance | Registering on the landlord database |
| End-of-tenancy cleaning (from £249) | Rent, notices and tenancy agreements |
All prices include VAT. If you use a letting agent, we can work alongside them and send them a copy of every certificate.
Check where you stand in two minutes
Use our free online compliance checker. Answer a few quick questions and you’ll see straight away what’s in date, what’s due and what’s missing.
Or let us take it off your hands. The Propfix Landlord Club costs from £16.99 per property, per month. We track every certificate date, book the work, arrange access with your tenant and store your paperwork online, with member prices on repairs. If we miss a renewal date on your Landlord Club property, your next year is free. It is a service, not insurance, and you can cancel any time.
Questions? Call 01895 444 999 and a real person will answer. We cover Harrow, Ruislip, Uxbridge, Watford and nearby.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check GOV.UK.
