The government has issued an updated landlord and agent guide to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) for England. The revision simplifies hazard categories, introduces baseline indicators and updated case studies, and restates enforcement and penalty provisions, including higher civil financial penalties for certain offences from 1 May 2026.
Telford & Wrekin Council says it will use a new landlord database to support stronger enforcement and target poor standards in the private rented sector. The council also plans an Article 4 Direction for new HMOs from February 2027, while additional licensing for smaller HMOs has been delayed following a legal challenge.
North Tyneside Council is consulting on proposals to require planning permission for future small HMO conversions in selected areas. The change is intended to give the council greater control over HMO concentrations and assess the local impact of new conversions on a case-by-case basis.
Generation Rent says the planned landlord database does not go far enough and has identified several gaps, including the absence of eviction notice records, enforcement history, deposit protection details and accessibility information. The database is due to roll out regionally from late this year to autumn 2027, and the group is pressing for broader tenant-facing information and stronger transparency.
Bolsover Council is hosting the East Midlands Housing Conference 2026 to help landlords, letting agents and housing professionals understand the practical implications of the Renters Rights Act. The event will feature legal and sector experts delivering keynote talks and workshops focused on preparing for the reforms.
The article reports on a Surrey landlord who says she was unable to regain possession of her home for an extended period after a tenant refused to leave, leaving her without rent for 10 months and forcing her to live with friends, family and then in a camper van. The property was eventually recovered with the help of bailiffs, and the case is presented alongside comments from MHCLG about possession grounds under the Renters Rights Act.
Bristol council has issued its first civil penalty notice under a strengthened enforcement policy, fining a portfolio landlord £13,090 for an alleged failure to licence an HMO under the city’s additional licensing scheme. The case illustrates how councils can now use higher civil penalties for housing-related offences, with the landlord also facing the possibility of a Rent Repayment Order and a tribunal appeal if the notice is finalised.
Southampton Council says it is investigating 30 private rental sector cases and expects to issue significant civil penalties over the next three to six months under new Renters Rights Act powers. The authority has also received additional government funding and is using multiple data sources, including licensing records and HM Land Registry data, to identify potential enforcement targets.
The article reports that Shelter and Generation Rent have welcomed the launch of a private rental database under the second phase of Renters Rights Act implementation. The database will require landlords of assured or regulated tenancies to register themselves and each property, with information including tenancy details, rents, safety certificates and EPC data.
The NRLA has responded cautiously to the government’s planned private rental database under the Renters Rights Act, welcoming the timetable but warning that the system may become a basic directory unless it is designed as a genuine compliance tool. The database will require landlords of assured or regulated tenancies to register themselves and each property, with details including tenancy, rental, gas, electrical and EPC information. The article also notes that HMRC’s Valuation Office will take responsibility for determining challenges to rent increases in England, while the First-tier Tribunal remains the route for current challenges during the transition.
The government has announced the outline of a new national landlord registration service for the private rented sector, with a regional rollout due to begin in December. It also plans to transfer initial rent-increase challenge decisions in England to HMRC’s Valuation Office, while the First-tier Tribunal remains the route for current disputes during the transition.
The article reports on a London protest led by Jeremy Corbyn calling for the introduction of rent controls in the private rented sector and for future council homes. Speakers argued that current protections under the Renters Rights Act are insufficient to prevent large rent increases and called for wider housing reform and more council house investment.
