Since the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent in October 2025, with its core reforms going live in May 2026, renters have found that the balance of power has shifted somewhat. Where in the past, landlords held significant power, tenants now have more control than ever over their living arrangements.
Assured shorthold tenancies have gone, Section 21, or “no-fault” evictions have also gone, meaning renters can now leave by giving two months’ notice, allowing them to move out if unhappy. Something that wasn’t possible before, as they were tied down to much more stringent terms.
This means that landlords must now do more to keep tenants happy, reduce void periods and ensure their reputation remains positive. With clearer rights for renters, it is much easier for them to voice their discontent when unhappy. Something that in the past would have been tolerated in silence is now vocalised as a genuine reason for finding somewhere else to live.
In this blog, we pick 7 things that landlords aren’t tolerating and provide advice on ways you can remedy them to keep tenants happy and rental income consistent.
- Damp, mould and slow repairs
Damp and mould are consistently among the top complaints for tenants. The law is ensuring that landlords know this, and with the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, a rented home must be fit to live in for the whole tenancy, and the repairing obligations in section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 put the structure, exterior and key installations squarely on the landlord.
Local authorities can act on serious hazards through the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. And where damp is bad enough to harm health, a tenant can bring a statutory nuisance complaint under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Awaab’s Law, which sets fixed timescales for investigating and fixing damp and mould, has applied to social landlords since October 2025. The Renters’ Rights Act has the power to extend this to private landlords, but as of yet, the regulations have not been made or a start date confirmed.
What has changed, though, is the cost of getting it wrong. Civil penalties for breaches now reach £7,000 with a potential rise to £40,000 for serious or repeated cases. The window for a rent repayment order has now doubled to 24 months, too.
Where in the past a landlord could blame tenant lifestyle for mould without an investigation, this is no longer a defensible position, so landlords must have proof.
- Being trapped, and the threat of no-fault eviction
For years, the fixed-term tenancy and the Section 21 notice defined the relationship between tenant and landlord. A tenant could find themselves locked in a 12-month contract they had outgrown, then given just two months’ notice the moment they raise an issue with the landlord. That fear of harsh retaliation ensured that some complaints were never raised.
With both of those gone, tenants can breathe a little easier. Fixed terms have converted to open-ended assured periodic tenancies, and Section 21 has been abolished, so a landlord who wants possession now must rely on a specific statutory ground and provide evidence for it. This gives tenants the confidence to request repairs or raise concerns without the fear of having notice served on them. A landlord deciding to use older methods of managing tenants will soon find that tenants have power and may just hand in their notice and leave.
- Unfair rent rises and bidding wars
We all know that rent costs in England are often considered high, and for tenants, it is where they feel the most pressure. They need somewhere to live, and landlords know this. In the past, this could see landlords raise rent, and then maybe increase it again if they believe they could either get more money from the tenant or force them to leave so a new tenant could move in.
Things have changed; rent can now only be increased once a year, and only through a Section 13 notice. If the rent increase is above market rate, it can be challenged.
Landlords are also no longer allowed to invite bids on the property or pocket offers above the advertised rent. This is banned outright, and properties can only be let for the price on the listing. A landlord cannot accept more, even if a tenant offers it.
- Deposit issues at the end of tenancy
Many end-of-tenancy disputes are related to the deposit. Landlords might try to hold on to more of it than they should, and tenants might believe they are entitled to it all, when in reality, they aren’t.
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent, or six weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more. It must be protected in a government scheme within 30 days, with all the relevant information passed on to the tenant.
What tenants will not accept is a vague deduction for what truly amounts to fair wear and tear. The deposit is to cover damage that goes beyond normal use, not ordinary ageing. Landlords should keep a detailed inventory with photographs and dates so claims for deductions can be substantiated. Landlords who do this often avoid disputes altogether; those who don’t often lose out.
- Homes that aren’t safe, or can’t prove they are
Tenants want to feel safe in the home they rent. Having the correct paperwork helps a landlord look compliant, not careless. A valid gas safety certificate is required every year for any property with gas appliances, and an EICR must be in place and renewed every five years.
Smoke alarms need to be in place on every level, too, with carbon monoxide detectors installed in any room with a fixed combustion appliance. The EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) is also a legal requirement for rental properties.
None of these is optional; they are all essential. Missing or expired certificates or documents will be an instant red flag for tenants and can lead to financial penalties or prosecution.
- A straight “no pets” policy
Many old tenancy agreements had a strict “no pets” rule. Since May 1, 2026, tenants have a statutory right to request to keep a pet, and the landlord must respond in writing within 28 days. They can still refuse, but only on reasonable grounds tied to the property or animal. A large dog in a small flat with no outdoor space, for example.
Simply refusing with no reason doesn’t stand any longer.
A landlord also cannot charge a pet deposit or increase the deposit to cover a pet. Assistance animals sit outside this and are not classed as pets under the Equality Act 2010. They must, instead, be accommodated as a reasonable adjustment.
- Noise, and homes that don’t feel comfortable to live in
Once all the legal boxes are ticked, what actually keeps the tenant in place is a welcoming, safe and comfortable home. Noise can be one of the biggest factors that disrupts this. Sound that travels between floors can be an issue, especially in student accommodation or blocks of flats. There isn’t a legal duty to soundproof an existing let, and everyday noise rarely meets the threshold for a statutory nuisance, so this is a problem that tenants have to live with, rather than one they can kick back against. They could decide to leave, though.
This is where landlords have to think about design and not compliance. Could it be possible to make changes to the property that reduce distracting and disruptive noises? In blocks where sound transfer between floors is a recurring issue, acoustic flooring could reduce transmission to the rooms below without altering the look or feel of the property. Adding soft furnishings and making adjustments to the layout help too.
We are in a time where budget and convenience are not the only priorities. Instead, comfort, feel and style all become part of tenant considerations.
None of these seven is exotic or expensive. Taken together, they describe a rental market where the legal floor has moved. Tenants now have a level of power they never had before, but it can also enhance a landlord’s position. Compliance and comfort lead to reduced void periods, more consistent rental income and a chance to avoid the large penalties that could be issued.
