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Landlord compliance checklist: the twelve duties
Twelve things a landlord in England must have in place in 2026. Each one is tied to the statute that creates it, so you can check any of them yourself. Getting one wrong exposes you to a civil penalty of £7,000, or £40,000 where the breach is serious or repeated.
Four of these are new or newly extended under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 — the redress scheme, the database, the Decent Homes Standard, and Awaab's Law. The other eight predate it but are enforced harder now that councils have the two-tier penalty regime behind them.
| # | Obligation | Source | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) Annual certificate by a Gas Safe engineer; copy to the tenant on issue. | Gas Safety (I&U) Regs 1998, reg. 36 | Annual |
| 2 | Electrical Installation Condition Report Five-yearly inspection, satisfactory rating, copy to tenant within 28 days. | Electrical Safety Standards Regs 2020 | 5-yearly |
| 3 | Energy Performance Certificate Minimum rating C from April 2028 for new tenancies, 2030 for all. | Energy Act 2011 / MEES Regs | 10-yearly |
| 4 | Deposit protection Held in DPS, MyDeposits or TDS; prescribed information served within 30 days. | Housing Act 2004, s.213 | 30 days |
| 5 | Right to Rent checks Original document or share code verified before the tenancy starts; record kept. | Immigration Act 2014, s.22 | Pre-tenancy |
| 6 | Smoke and CO alarms Smoke alarm on every storey; CO alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance. | Smoke & CO Alarm (Amend.) Regs 2022 | Day 1, then annually |
| 7 | How to Rent guide The current edition, served at the start and at each renewal. | Deregulation Act 2015, s.39 | Tenancy start |
| 8 | Landlord redress scheme Compulsory. Scheme name and reference must appear on your documents. | Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 4 | Continuous |
| 9 | Landlord database registration A national database entry for each property let on an assured periodic tenancy. | Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 3 | Before letting |
| 10 | Decent Homes Standard Now extended to the private rented sector; the property must meet all four criteria. | Renters' Rights Act 2025, sch. 6 | Continuous |
| 11 | Awaab's Law repair timescales 24 hours for emergencies, 7 days to respond on damp and mould, 14 days to complete. | Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, s.10A | Per incident |
| 12 | Written statement of terms (s.16D) Eighteen prescribed items, given before the tenant enters any new tenancy. | Renters' Rights Act 2025 / SI 2026/324 | Before each new let |
Item 12 is the one most often missed, because the eighteen required contents were only set by regulations made in 2026 — see the full list. If you are ending a tenancy rather than starting one, the form and notice period both changed on 1 May 2026 — Section 8, Form 3A and the notice periods.
What it costs to get one wrong
- £7,000 — civil penalty for a single breach of a Renters' Rights Act duty, such as failing to serve the Information Sheet or failing to register.
- £40,000 — civil penalty for a continuing offence, meaning repeat or sustained non-compliance. Criminal prosecution is available as an alternative in the worst cases.
- Up to 3× the deposit — award against a landlord who fails to protect a deposit or to serve the prescribed information.
- A failed possession claim — several of these duties must be satisfied before you can rely on a possession ground at all. A gap here can cost months and costs, quite apart from any penalty.
Get the printable version
A one-page checklist you can print per property, tick off and file with your certificates — plus an email from us whenever one of these duties actually changes. No charge.
Common questions
Which of these are actually new in 2026?
Four. The landlord redress scheme (item 8) and the database (item 9) are created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The Decent Homes Standard (item 10) and Awaab's Law (item 11) existed for social housing and have been extended to the private rented sector. Item 12, the written statement of terms, is new for every tenancy granted on or after 1 May 2026.
I use a letting agent. Is this still my problem?
Largely yes. Enforcement action for most of these duties is taken against the landlord, not the agent, whatever your agreement says. Agree in writing which items the agent handles and ask for evidence each is done — you are the one a council will pursue.
Does this apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 applies to England only. Wales operates under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, and Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes. Some items here, such as gas safety, apply across Great Britain, but the duties and penalties differ.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a plain-English summary with each duty cited so you can verify it. For a contested matter or anything high-stakes, instruct a housing solicitor or call the NRLA helpline.
The documents behind the checklist
This checklist tells you what you need. The UK Renters' Rights Pack is the paperwork itself — nine editable documents including the tenancy agreement carrying all eighteen section 16D items, serve-guides for the Section 8 and Section 13 notices, the pet-request response and the guarantor deed.
£24 once, no subscription, 30-day refund, twelve months of updates. Or read the full Renters' Rights Act guide first — it's free.