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In England in 2027 you need a yearly gas check, electrical checks every 5 years, an EPC of E or better, protected deposits, working alarms, right to rent checks and, from 15 December 2026, registration on the landlord database.
Renting in England changed on 1 May 2026, when the first phase of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect. Most older duties carried on, a few new ones started, and the landlord database arrives region by region through 2027. This checklist was checked against GOV.UK, HSE and legislation.gov.uk on 16 October 2026.
Your landlord deadlines, handled
A compliance calendar for each property, with reminders before every certificate and your register deadline. Landlord Tax adds your Making Tax Digital figures and tax return, prepared for you to send.
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The checklist
| Duty | What the rule says | When | Penalty if you don't |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas safety | Each gas appliance and flue checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer | Every 12 months; copy to tenants within 28 days, or before a new tenant moves in; keep each record until two more checks are done | HSE says it can mean a substantial fine or prison |
| Electrical safety | Installation inspected and tested by a qualified person | At least every 5 years; report to tenants within 28 days; remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says | Up to £40,000 |
| EPC | Rating of E or above, unless an exemption is registered | Before you let | Up to £5,000 per property |
| Deposit | Protected in a government-approved scheme, and the required information given to the tenant | Within 30 days of receiving it | Court must order 1 to 3 times the deposit |
| Smoke and CO alarms | A smoke alarm on each storey with living space; a CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, not gas cookers | Checked on the day each tenancy starts; repaired when reported | Up to £5,000 per remedial notice |
| Right to rent | Check every adult occupier can rent in England | Before the tenancy; within 28 days before it if their permission is time-limited | £10,000 per occupier for a first breach, £20,000 for a repeat |
| Written information | Key terms in writing for each new tenancy | Before the tenancy is agreed | Up to £7,000 |
| Rent increases | Form 4A, once a year, never in the first year | At least 2 months before the new rent starts; GOV.UK says use it every time, even if the tenant agrees | Not stated on GOV.UK |
| Adverts | Show the asking rent; no accepting offers above it | Every time you advertise | Up to £7,000 for a first offence |
| Landlord database | Register yourself and each let property | By your region's deadline | Fines once the rules are in force |
The penalty column gives maximums stated by the source for each duty. More generally, MHCLG's checklist says councils can impose penalties of up to £7,000 or £40,000, depending on the breach.
What changed on 1 May 2026
- How to Rent is gone. GOV.UK withdrew the guide on 1 May 2026. It is kept only for tenancies where a section 21 notice was served before that date. Many older checklists still list it.
- Existing tenants needed the Information Sheet. For tenancies with a written agreement that started before 1 May 2026, the deadline to give "The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026" was 31 May 2026. If you missed it, give it now.
- No bans on children or benefits. MHCLG's checklist says clauses that restrict tenants with children or on benefits are now void. Check your mortgage, insurance and tenancy documents.
The landlord database: what is settled
The "Register your rental property" service opens on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands, and each region gets 3 months.
| Region | Register by |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 14 March 2027 |
| East of England | 14 April 2027 |
| East Midlands | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 14 June 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 14 July 2027 |
| North West | 14 August 2027 |
| North East | 14 September 2027 |
| London | 14 October 2027 |
| South West | 14 November 2027 |
Three caveats. The opening dates are in draft regulations that, on 16 October 2026, Parliament had not yet approved. The deadlines and the £65 yearly fee per property appear only in government guidance, so they could change. And the fines need a further commencement order, which had not been made on 16 October 2026. Your deadline follows the property's location, not your address. The register deadline checker finds it from a postcode.
Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD) is a tax duty, not a housing one, but it starts in 2027 too. If your rent plus any self-employed income, before expenses, was over £30,000 in 2025-26, you start on 6 April 2027. Your first quarterly update is due by 7 August 2027. Over £20,000 in 2026-27 means 6 April 2028.
What this means for you
For most landlords, 2027 adds two jobs to the usual cycle of certificates: registering each let on the database, and, if your rent is high enough, quarterly MTD updates. Have your gas record, EICR expiry and EPC to hand when you register, because the service asks for them.
Coming later, not yet duties: a landlord ombudsman expected in 2028, and an EPC C standard intended for 1 October 2030, which needs new legislation.
Steps to get compliant for 2027
- Put every certificate date in one diary: gas, EICR and EPC expiry for each property.
- Check each deposit was protected within 30 days, and keep proof of the information you gave.
- Make sure every tenant has the written information or the Information Sheet.
- Test alarms at the start of each tenancy and keep a note.
- Look up your region's database deadline with the register deadline checker.
- Use the free MTD check to see if quarterly updates start for you on 6 April 2027.
There are more guides in the landlord section.
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Questions people ask
Do I still need to give tenants the How to Rent guide?
Not for new tenancies. GOV.UK withdrew it on 1 May 2026 and keeps it only for tenancies where a section 21 notice was served before that date. New tenancies need the written information the Renters' Rights Act requires instead.
When do I have to register on the landlord database?
It depends where the property is. The service opens in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026, and each region then has 3 months. The last deadline is 14 November 2027, in the South West. These dates come from draft regulations and could still change.
How often do I need an EICR?
At least every 5 years, or sooner if the report says so. Give a copy to existing tenants within 28 days, and to new tenants before they move in.
Does my rental need an EPC rating of C?
Not yet. The legal minimum is E. The government has said it intends all private lets to reach C or equivalent by 1 October 2030, but that needs new legislation first.
Is Making Tax Digital part of landlord compliance?
It is a tax duty rather than a housing one, but it lands in 2027 too. If your rent before expenses was over £30,000 in 2025-26, quarterly updates start on 6 April 2027.
Sources
- Renters' Rights Act: Landlord Checklist (MHCLG, April 2026)
- Gas safety record: landlords (HSE)
- The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36: duties of landlords (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 2004, section 214: proceedings about tenancy deposits (legislation.gov.uk)
- Gas safety: landlords and letting agents FAQ (HSE)
- Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance (GOV.UK, 1 November 2025)
- Domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard, landlord guidance (GOV.UK, updated 5 May 2026)
- Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: government response (GOV.UK, updated 21 January 2026)
- Deposit protection schemes and landlords (GOV.UK)
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: Q&A booklet for the private rented sector (GOV.UK)
- Right to rent: code of practice for landlords, in force 1 October 2026 (GOV.UK)
- Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords (GOV.UK)
- How to rent: the checklist for renting in England (GOV.UK, withdrawn 1 May 2026)
- Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters (GOV.UK news, 9 September 2026)
- Get ready: Register your rental property service (Housing Hub, MHCLG)
- The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (draft), regulation 1 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026: parliamentary progress (UK Parliament)
- Find out if and when you need to use Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (GOV.UK)
This is general information to help you understand the rules. It isn't tailored to your circumstances, so check your own position before acting on it.
Righto Landlord is a trading name of NJG Consultancy Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16095900. Registered office: Jubilee House, East Beach, Lytham St Annes, FY8 5FT.
What happens next
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