The cross-party HCLG Committee published its private rented sector conditions report on 3 July 2026, calling for Awaab's Law to extend to private landlords by end of 2028/29, tougher local authority enforcement, and the Local Housing Allowance unfrozen to at least the 30th percentile of market rents.
For BTL investors, the compliance direction of travel is clear: legal hazard deadlines, stricter energy standards, and heavier council scrutiny all push costs upward. LHA rates already sit 14% below the 30th percentile, according to Citizens Advice, meaning tenants on housing benefit face a real shortfall.
You may wish to check your LHA-reliant properties against current rates before your next rent review, and consider speaking to your broker about how compliance costs feed into your stress test.
