Witan Solicitors reveals London councils logged 291 Renters Rights Act complaints from 1 May to 31 August 2026 but issued six fines worth £60,120, including a £40,000 Barking and Dagenham penalty for unlawful eviction.
SpareRoom finds 14 percent of landlords letting to sharers in England have switched to room-only tenancies since the Renters’ Rights Act took effect, with platform data showing flatmate-listed rooms down to 26 percent of supply in Q3 2026.
Hello Neighbour reports London advertised rents rose 7.6 percent year on year in October to £2,401, a sixth straight rise since the Renters Rights Act took effect.
Property platform August says almost 40 percent of 276 landlords have tightened references and affordability checks since the Renters’ Rights Act took effect, with a third now asking for a guarantor.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has confirmed the Housing Ombudsman Service will set up and operate the new PRS landlord redress scheme, with regulations in force since 17 September 2026 and membership duties to follow.
Connells and LRG warn the Renters Rights Act one-month cap on rent in advance is locking nurses, poor-credit renters and international students out of lets.
Gateshead Council has fined a landlord £3,600 for serving a Section 21 notice after the 1 May 2026 ban, cutting the penalty to £3,060 for early payment and warning further cases are under review.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook confirms councils must make landlord licensing registers available for public inspection with certified copies on request, but they are not required to publish them online.
Winkworth says landlords now seek a sale valuation at every void as the Renters Rights Act bars sale evictions in year one; three tenants register per buyer in prime London.
August finds only 23% of landlords know about the mandatory PRS database and ombudsman, with rollout from December and a £65 per-property fee putting unaware owners at risk.
Savills reports prime central London rents posted their strongest quarterly growth in two years, with homes below the £100,000 Renters’ Rights Act threshold leading gains as landlord caution squeezes supply and lifts yields to their best since 2009.
Chestertons says one in four London landlords who listed homes for sale after the Renters Rights Act have re-let them, five months after the reforms took effect, as stronger rental growth changes exit maths.
MHCLG’s consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to private landlords closes on 18 December 2026 and will shape new repair deadlines.
The NRLA says the £65 annual PRS database charge will cost landlords at least £326.95 million a year when regional registration begins in December.
Knight Frank says prime outer London rents rose 3 percent in the year to September as new listings fell 6.4 percent and tenant competition intensified.
