HMO PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
HMO compliance: What every landlord needs to know
UPDATE: The Renters’ Rights Act has been in force since 1 May 2026. It is one of the most significant changes to the private rented sector in nearly four decades. R House manages every compliance obligation on your behalf.
The Renters’ Rights Act changes the rules on every tenancy, for every landlord, regardless of how long you have been letting. It is not possible to opt out, delay compliance, or rely on existing agreements carrying across unchanged. The three areas that affect most landlords immediately are set out below.
Tenancy structure
Fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies are abolished. All tenancies are now Assured Periodic Tenancies. Section 21 no-fault evictions have been removed entirely. Eviction must now proceed through updated Section 8 grounds, with correct notices, timescales and documentation at every stage.
Rent and fees
Rent can only be increased once per year, and only by serving a valid Section 13 notice. Rental bidding is banned: landlords must advertise a fixed asking price and cannot accept or encourage offers above it. Advance rent before a tenancy agreement is signed is no longer permitted. The maximum rent in advance once a tenancy begins is one month.
Tenant rights
Blanket refusals of tenants who receive housing benefit or have children are now unlawful. Tenants have a strengthened right to request a pet, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse. Non-compliance carries fines starting at £7,000 for a single offence and rising to £40,000 for repeated or unresolved breaches. Fifteen new offences have been introduced under the Act.
“We assess every property before we agree to manage it.”
We’re selective about the landlords and properties we take on, and we hold every one to a high standard. It’s an approach that earns loyalty. Once a landlord joins R House, they stay. To date, not one has ever left us.
| Compliance obligation | How R House handles it |
| Tenancy agreements | All agreements updated to the Assured Periodic Tenancy format. No old templates used. |
| Mandatory tenant information | Written statement of required tenancy information provided to every tenant before any agreement is signed. |
| Section 8 process | Correct grounds identified, notices served accurately, documentation maintained throughout. |
| Annual rent reviews | Section 13 notice process managed in full. Correct timescales observed. |
| Advertising and letting practices | Fixed asking price applied. No bidding. All listings compliant with the new standards. |
| Advance rent and deposits | One month maximum enforced. Deposits registered and protected correctly. |
| Pet requests | Assessed and responded to within the legal timeframe. |
| Gas safety, electrical and fire | Gas safety certificates, Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), smoke alarm inspections and portable appliance testing (PAT) all scheduled and renewed on time. |
| HMO licensing | Licence applications, renewals and all associated compliance maintained on your behalf. |
You will not be left to interpret the legislation yourself. You will not face a fine because a notice was served incorrectly, a template was out of date, or a process was missed. R House manages the compliance so you can focus on your investment.