Lendlord has launched a compliance tool to help landlords in England prepare information for an upcoming mandatory property database. The tool compiles existing portfolio data into a registration pack, highlights missing details, and tracks deadlines, renewals and update requirements once properties or tenancies change.
North East Derbyshire council is promoting the East Midlands Housing Conference 2026, where landlords, letting agents and housing professionals will receive practical guidance on the Renters Rights Act. The event will feature keynote presentations from housing law specialist David Smith and Suzanne Smith, alongside workshops and an exhibition for sector support organisations.
A landlord has been fined after pleading guilty to breaching gas safety regulations by failing to arrange annual gas safety checks at a rented home in Wirral for eight years. The case followed an HSE investigation prompted by a concern from Wirral council and involved a tenant living with five children.
Landlord Trends research cited in the article shows a rise in the use of letting agents, with 66% of rental properties now using an agent for some or all of the letting process and 25% using full management services. The increase is attributed to growing regulatory complexity in the private rented sector, including the implementation of the Renters Rights Act and wider compliance pressures.
The article reports criticism of Labour’s proposed changes to Empty Dwelling Management Orders, which would allow councils to intervene in empty homes after six months rather than two years. A property investor argues the policy is unlikely to work without funding for substantial repairs, particularly where homes are uninhabitable, and suggests grants may be a more practical approach.
The Mayor of London has announced an additional £400,000 over three years to support implementation of the Renters Rights Act in London. The funding will support tenant advice services and training for council officers to improve enforcement against rogue landlords and poor housing conditions.
The government has launched a 64-question consultation on extending a version of Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, with several key policy details still undecided. The consultation also asks whether the proposed requirements should apply to some licence-based accommodation, including supported housing, temporary accommodation for homeless households and care leaver accommodation.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has approved a city-wide Article 4 Direction that will remove permitted development rights for converting family homes into small HMOs without planning permission. The measure is intended to give the council greater control over HMO growth and to assess impacts on neighbourhoods, housing quality, parking, community cohesion and public amenity.
Cardiff council is proposing to renew its Additional HMO Licensing Scheme in Plasnewydd for a further five years, with a consultation expected shortly. The council says the scheme has improved housing standards and safety, with inspections indicating many licensed HMOs still require remedial works.
The government’s impact assessment for extending Awaab’s Law to private rented tenancies forecasts continued growth in England’s private rental sector, rising from 4.827 million households in 2026 to an estimated 5.378 million by 2035. It also notes uncertainty around landlord numbers due to limited recent data, while suggesting sector consolidation may support remediation work at scale.
The government has announced a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law from social housing into the private rented sector, with the aim of imposing strict repair timeframes for serious health and safety hazards such as damp and mould. The article also notes that the Renters Rights Act has already introduced fines for category 1 hazards, and that the consultation will help determine how the new protections will be implemented and when they will take effect.
The article reports support from several advocacy and charity groups for the government’s consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector. The focus is on faster action to address hazards such as damp and mould, with calls for the measures to be implemented urgently and applied effectively across different types of rented accommodation.
