Practical guidance for UK private landlords who manage their own properties. Every guide is written for the law as it actually stands — the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 in England, and the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 in Scotland — with the statutory grounds, deadlines and form numbers named rather than paraphrased.
These are not legal advice. They are the explanations we wished existed when working out what a landlord actually has to do, and by when. Guides are grouped below by the stage of the tenancy they relate to.
What changed on 1 May 2026, which clauses in your existing paperwork stopped working, and what to reissue.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect on 1 May 2026, and every existing tenancy agreement in England has clauses that are now void, outdated, or unenforceable. Here's what changed and what you still need to do about it.
Read moreOn 1 May 2026, every existing assured shorthold tenancy in England automatically converted to an assured periodic tenancy. Different name, different rules, same tenants. Here's what's actually different and what landlords need to do about it.
Read moreBlanket no-pets clauses are gone. Your tenant can request a pet at any time, and you have 28 days to respond. Pet damage insurance was removed from the Act. Here's exactly how the new framework works and how to handle a request properly.
Read moreThe documents that must be in place before a tenant moves in, and the ones that protect you if things go wrong later.
Starting a new tenancy means getting a stack of documents right — miss one and you could face fines, lose the ability to evict, or lose a deposit dispute. Here's the complete checklist for 2026, updated for the Renters' Rights Act.
Read moreA guarantor agreement that isn't executed as a deed may be unenforceable. Most free templates get this wrong. Here's what a landlord's guarantor agreement must include, why the deed requirement matters, and how to get it signed correctly.
Read moreProtection deadlines, prescribed information, schedules of condition, and how deposit disputes are actually decided.
Most landlords who lose deposit disputes don't lose because the tenant was right — they lose because their evidence wasn't good enough. Here's how to handle deductions properly from day one so you're protected at checkout.
Read moreEvery tenant deposit in England needs prescribed information served within 30 days. Get it wrong and you're facing up to three times the deposit in penalties. Here's exactly what's required and how to get it right.
Read moreWithout a detailed move-in inventory, you will lose almost every deposit dispute. The adjudicator has no baseline to compare against, and the decision goes in the tenant's favour. Here's exactly what to include and how to do it properly.
Read moreThe only lawful route to raising rent in England, the notice periods, and what a tenant can challenge.
Since 1 May 2026, contractual rent review clauses are void. The only way to increase rent in England is through Section 13 using the new Form 4A. Here's how the process works, what the rules are, and what happens if your tenant challenges it.
Read moreSince 1 May 2026, contractual rent review clauses are void in England. The only legal way to increase rent is through a Section 13 notice using Form 4A. Here's how to serve one correctly — the rules, the notice period, and what happens if the tenant challenges it.
Read moreLife after Section 21 — the grounds available to you, the notice each one needs, and how to serve without invalidating it.
Since 1 May 2026, Section 21 no-fault eviction has been abolished in England. Section 8 is your only route to recovering your property, served on the new Form 3A. Here's every commonly used ground, when you can use it, and how much notice you need to give.
Read moreSection 21 is gone. Section 8 is your only route to possession in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 expanded Schedule 2 to 37 grounds and rewrote the notice periods. Here's every ground, when you can use it, and the trap that catches most landlords.
Read morePRT-specific guidance for Scottish landlords, from the documents served at the start to the eviction grounds in Schedule 3.
Scottish private landlords can only recover their property using one of 18 eviction grounds under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. Here's every ground, how much notice you need, and whether the tribunal must grant the order.
Read moreScotland has its own tenancy legislation, its own document requirements, and its own penalties for getting it wrong. Here's everything you need in place before, during, and after signing a new Private Residential Tenancy.
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