The Renters' Rights Act took effect on 1 May 2026 in England, requiring landlords and letting agents to advertise properties at a fixed asking rent and prohibiting any invitation or acceptance of higher offers. Major portals have moved to comply. The question is whether every platform landlords use has done the same.
What the Law Requires From 1 May
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, any advert to let a property must state the proposed rent. Once published, landlords and agents cannot encourage, invite, or accept any offer above that figure - a practice known as rental bidding. The obligation applies to the landlord or agent placing the ad, not just the platform hosting it.
Local councils in England enforce these rules. Where a council is satisfied on the balance of probabilities that a breach has occurred, it can issue a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a first offence, according to the Government's published guidance on the Act. A repeat breach within five years can attract a further penalty of up to £7,000 on top of the initial fine.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has also confirmed that ads must include a specific asking rent and must not use language that could imply bids above that figure are welcome.
Gumtree Commits, Facebook Stays Silent
Established portals - Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket - had been preparing compliance measures for several months ahead of the 1 May deadline, according to reporting by The Negotiator. Gumtree confirmed it will comply, with its Head of Digital Trust and Safety stating the platform "prioritises the safety of our community" and is committed to implementing the required landlord identifiers within property adverts once implementation details are finalised.
Facebook did not respond to requests for information about its compliance preparations, according to reporting by Property Wire and The Negotiator. That leaves a gap. If classified platforms do not enforce the fixed rent requirement at the point of listing, landlords using them may still post adverts that do not meet the Act's requirements - and it is the landlord, not the platform, who faces the penalty.
The Two-Tier Risk for Landlords
The concern raised by industry commentators is a split market. Adverts on the main portals and Gumtree would be compliant. Adverts on Facebook Marketplace and similar classified sites may not carry the same checks. A landlord posting across multiple channels could unknowingly be in breach on one of them.
The responsibility sits with the person placing the ad. Under the Renters' Rights Act, the obligation to state the proposed rent - and to avoid any language that invites higher offers - falls on the landlord or agent, regardless of which platform they use. Local councils can investigate complaints and impose penalties without needing the platform itself to have flagged a problem.
For landlords in England, the safest position is to treat every platform as if it applies the strictest standards - because the enforcement risk is the same either way.
