Ministers have told councils they should take a proactive approach to enforcing the Renters’ Rights Act, sharpening the government’s line on how local authorities are expected to use their new powers against non-compliant landlords.
The message came in a written parliamentary answer from Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, who said councils now have a duty to act where they suspect non-compliance and confirmed the government wants a long-term enforcement model funded through future Private Rented Sector Database fees.
For landlords, that is the key development. The question is no longer whether councils can enforce more aggressively under the new regime, but whether they now feel under pressure to do so. With funding already allocated and a clearer ministerial steer in place, the compliance risk has shifted again.
What ministers said about enforcement funding
Baroness Taylor said the government had allocated £41.12 million in new burdens funding for 2026-27 to support enforcement of the Act, following £18.2 million for 2025-26. The latest answer also said some funding would go to local weights and measures authorities, usually trading standards teams, to cover extra work linked to rent-in-advance rules.
That is an important update because it suggests ministers are trying to remove one of councils’ longstanding excuses for light-touch enforcement: lack of money. The longer-term plan is to move towards a sustainable funding model based on database fee income.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s earlier report on the £41m enforcement allocation, which focused on the funding itself. The new parliamentary answer goes further by stating plainly that councils are expected to take a proactive approach where they suspect breaches.
Why the wording matters for landlords now
The difference here is not a new offence or a new fine level. It is the political signal. A council that was previously slow to act can now point to both funding and ministerial expectations if it wants to justify more inspections, faster penalty action or wider use of civil sanctions.
That is likely to matter most in areas already active on licensing, HMO standards and paperwork checks. Landlords who have treated compliance as something to tidy up later may find local authorities less patient than they were before.
The written parliamentary answer also says local authorities are best placed to decide the most effective way to enforce the Act. In practice, that could mean a much more uneven picture across England, with some councils moving much faster than others.
What this means for landlords
- If you operate in licensing hotspots: expect councils to feel more confident about inspections and paperwork enforcement.
- Check now: tenancy records, information-sheet compliance, rent-in-advance practices and any unresolved hazards.
- Watch for: councils linking database registration and local enforcement more closely over the next year.
- Bottom line: the enforcement climate is becoming less reactive and more interventionist.
Editor’s view
Ministers have now given councils both money and a nudge. That may not sound dramatic, but in landlord regulation it often matters more than a headline law change. The risk is not just tougher rules – it is tougher use of the rules already in force.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 27 May 2026
Sources: UK Parliament, MHCLG
Related reading: Councils get £41m ahead of tougher landlord enforcement
