THE PROPERTY FILTER TAKE
Only 23% of landlords in England knew they must sign up to the new landlord register under the Renters' Rights Act, according to research by property management platform August reported by PropertyWire.
What your tenants are thinking: the gaps sit on the rules they can act on, with only 42% of landlords aware of the one-month cap on rent in advance, and tenants will in future be able to check the register.
Consider running the self-check below against each tenancy, and noting your region's registration deadline, which arrives first for the West Midlands on 14 March 2027.
Only 23% of landlords in England knew they must sign up to the new landlord register. That is the finding of research by property management platform August, reported by PropertyWire in October 2026. That leaves more than three-quarters unaware of a register every landlord with an assured tenancy (the standard private tenancy) must join under the Renters' Rights Act. Awareness of the new landlord ombudsman was "similarly low", the same research found.
What did the survey find about the Renters' Rights Act?
The research ranks what landlords know, and the order is telling. The best-known change was tenants' right to request a pet, with 59% aware, according to PropertyWire. Next came the rule that rent can only rise once a year, at 55%.
Around half of landlords knew three things. They cannot refuse tenants with children or on benefits. All new tenancies are periodic (rolling, with no fixed end date). And Section 21 (the "no-fault" eviction route) has been abolished. Only 42% knew that no more than one month's rent can be taken in advance. The register came last, at 23%.
PropertyWire's report does not give the sample size or the fieldwork dates, so I treat the ranking as a direction rather than a precise measure. Richard Samuel, Chief Executive at August, says landlords have done the hard work on the parts of the Act that change how they let and evict. What has not landed, he says, is that "every landlord in England will have to register and sign up".
What does each gap mean for landlords and their tenants?
Pets. The government's Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, last updated on 6 November 2025, says a landlord must consider a pet request and cannot unreasonably refuse it. In practice, a blanket "no pets" line in your advert or your replies is now a weak position. Your tenants will expect a reasoned answer.
Rent rises. The same guide says landlords can raise rent once per year, to the market rate, by serving a section 13 notice (the formal rent increase notice) with at least 2 months' notice. If you review rents more often than that, your cash-flow plan needs to change. For tenants, it means one predictable increase a year.
Periodic tenancies and Section 21. Under the Act, tenants can stay until they choose to leave, giving two months' notice, the government guide says. Landlords must instead use a section 8 ground (a specific legal reason, such as selling or moving in) to regain possession. Selling or moving in carries 4 months' notice and cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. That changes void risk planning: a tenant can leave at short notice, while your own exit route takes longer.
Children and benefits. The guide says landlords and agents cannot refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits. They can still reference on affordability. If benefit-claiming tenants are part of your market, our free LHA rates map shows the Local Housing Allowance (the housing support rate for private renters) by area.
Rent in advance. This is where 58% of landlords, by my arithmetic, did not know the rule. The guide says a landlord can only require up to one month's rent once the tenancy agreement is signed and before it starts. Councils can order repayment and impose civil penalties of up to £5,000, the guide adds. For tenants with thin credit files, larger advance payments were often the way in, so referencing now carries more weight.
Why do the register and ombudsman gaps matter most?
They are the two duties that apply to every landlord, whatever the tenancy. The government's Register your rental property guidance says landlords of assured or regulated tenancies must register themselves and each property. The fee is £65 a year per property, and landlords who do not register "risk being fined".
The rollout runs region by region across England from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, the guidance says. Deadlines follow the property's location, not yours. The first is 14 March 2027 for the West Midlands and the last is 14 November 2027 for the South West. Our earlier piece covers every regional deadline for England's landlord register.
Your tenants have a stake here too. In future, they will be able to use the service to see whether a landlord meets key legal requirements, according to the same guidance. Registration also asks for gas, electrical and energy performance certificates, so a missing document becomes visible.
The ombudsman is the second gap. The government guide says all private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies will have to join, including those who use a managing agent. Tenants will be able to complain for free, and decisions are binding. Councils can impose civil penalties of up to £7,000 for initial breaches of the duty to join, the guide says. It also says landlords will be given notice of their sign-up date.
Vicki Hextall, Area Manager at East Midlands Property Owners, told PropertyWire that many landlords have "tightened their referencing". But, she said, "the low awareness of the landlord database and ombudsman is a warning".
How can landlords check what they know?
These seven questions follow the survey's own list. A "no" or a "not sure" is the place to start reading.
1. Do I have a reasoned process for answering a pet request? 2. Is my next rent review at least a year after the last one, with a section 13 notice? 3. Do my tenancy documents reflect periodic tenancies with no fixed end date? 4. Do I know which section 8 ground I would rely on if I needed to sell? 5. Do my adverts and referencing treat families and benefit claimants on affordability alone? 6. Am I asking for no more than one month's rent in advance? 7. Do I know my region's register deadline, and do I have my certificates ready to upload?
The ombudsman sits outside this list until a sign-up date is set. Our free property resources hub gathers practical material for landlords.
Our property investment strategies hub looks at how the Act changes the numbers on a let. For anything specific to your tenancies, you may wish to speak to a qualified lettings or legal professional.
Key takeaways
Only 23% of landlords in England knew about the landlord register under the Renters' Rights Act, according to August's research reported by PropertyWire.
The best-known change was the right to request a pet (59%), followed by once-a-year rent rises (55%).
Only 42% knew that no more than one month's rent can be taken in advance.
Landlord register deadlines run from 14 March 2027 in the West Midlands to 14 November 2027 in the South West, at £65 per property per year.
Tenants will in future be able to check through the register service whether a landlord meets key legal requirements.
Frequently asked questions
How many landlords know about the landlord register?
Who has to join the landlord register?
When is the deadline to register?
How much rent can a landlord take in advance under the Renters' Rights Act?
Do landlords have to join the new ombudsman?
