The Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, and one provision most landlords have underestimated sits in Section 107: every local housing authority in England now has a statutory duty to enforce the Act in its area. This is not a discretionary power - it is a legal obligation.
What Section 107 Actually Requires
Section 107 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 makes enforcement compulsory, not optional. Every local housing authority in England must take action against landlords who breach the legislation. That is a material shift from previous arrangements, where councils could choose the level of resource they committed to private-sector housing enforcement.
Many local authorities are already responding. According to the Landlord Law Blog (May 2026), councils across England are hiring new staff and completing specialist training ahead of their expanded duties. The same source notes that authorities which fail to enforce adequately are likely to face Judicial Review challenges from tenants' groups - a further incentive to act.
The Tools Councils Can Now Use
The primary enforcement method will be the Civil Penalty Notice (CPN - a fixed monetary penalty issued by a council without going to court). Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, fines reach up to £7,000 for standard breaches and up to £40,000 for the most serious offences, including harassment and illegal eviction (Landlord Law Blog, May 2026).
Councils have also been given wider investigative powers. They can access third-party data - such as utility records - demand documents from landlords, and inspect properties with fewer procedural barriers than before. This matters in practice: it means a council does not have to rely solely on a tenant complaint to initiate action.
A second enforcement route is the Rent Repayment Order (RRO - a tribunal award requiring a landlord to repay rent to a tenant or local authority). Under the Act, the maximum RRO award has doubled to 24 months' rent (Landlord Law Blog, May 2026). Where rent was paid via housing benefit, the local authority can apply for the order directly. At current market rates in many cities, a 24-month RRO represents a very significant liability.
What This Means for Compliant Landlords
Most landlords who keep their documentation in order, serve correct notices, and meet their repair obligations have little to fear from the new enforcement regime. The stated target is rogue and criminal landlords. However, procedural errors - an incorrect notice, a missing written statement of tenancy terms - are also covered by the civil penalty framework.
The safest approach is prevention. Reviewing your tenancy setup now costs far less than defending a CPN. You may wish to use the free resources hub at Property Filter to cross-check your current letting practices, and explore property investment strategies that factor compliance into your portfolio planning from the outset.
If you let properties with Local Housing Allowance (LHA - a benefit paid directly to eligible tenants to cover rent costs) tenants, the RRO risk is particularly worth understanding. Check current LHA rates in your area to understand the scale of any potential liability on a 24-month award.
Key takeaways
• Section 107 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates a statutory enforcement duty for every local housing authority in England, effective 1 May 2026.
• Civil Penalty Notices can reach £7,000 for standard breaches and £40,000 for serious offences such as harassment or illegal eviction.
• The maximum Rent Repayment Order has doubled to 24 months' rent - local authorities can apply directly where housing benefit was paid.
• Councils now have broader investigative powers, including access to third-party data and lower procedural barriers for property inspections.
• Procedural errors on paperwork - not just deliberate wrongdoing - can trigger enforcement action under the Act.
