Landlords never signed up to become compliance officers, legal experts, or legislative gurus. They signed up to invest in property. And yet, the weight of the regulatory obligation that’s landed on their shoulders has never been heavier. And that’s even before the Renters’ Rights Act came in and reshaped the entire private rented sector. This is where your Letting Agent comes in, a genuine, compliance superhero standing between a landlord and a very expensive mistake. Landlords can do their best to comply with the law, however some things can be missed. That’s exactly where great letting agents come to the rescue.
Under the Renters Rights Act, the abolition of Section 21, new mandatory Decent Homes Standard for the private sector, strengthened tenant protections and revamped court powers to help protect tenants, however this can cause compliance issue for unaware landlords.
Compliance hasn’t just expanded; it’s always been wide. Long before the Renters Rights Act, landlords were legally required to manage a daunting checklist, but many of them simply didn’t know.
Great letting agents don’t just collect rent. They’re quietly performing a crucial compliance role for every single tenancy; checking, documenting, notifying, and protecting. Here are just some of the most common compliance documents:
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) – every five years, valid before occupancy
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – minimum E rating which is rising under future regulations
- Deposit Protection – registered within 30 days, prescribed information served well
- How to Rent guide – correct version served, evidenced at tenancy start
- Right to Rent checks – documented for every adult occupant
- Smoke & CO alarms – tested and in position, landlord-owned risk review
- Tenancy Agreements – legally compliant, RRA-ready clauses
Miss any one of these, and a landlord wouldn’t have been able to serve a valid Section 21 notice and under the Renters Rights Act, risk their possession claim entirely. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Many agents do all of this compliance work and don’t charge for it properly. They bundle everything into a flat management fee and quietly absorb the effort, the risk, and the expertise as if it costs nothing.
It doesn’t cost nothing. It costs time, training, professional indemnity insurance, and constant tracking of legislative change. Agents who don’t itemise and charge for their compliance work are essentially underselling their most valuable asset; knowledge.
With Section 21 gone, every possession route runs through compliance. If the paperwork is wrong at any point in a tenancy, a Section 8 claim could collapse. The property portal will make enforcement easier, tenants more informed, and landlords more exposed.
Agents who position themselves as compliance guardians now will cement relationships with landlords who suddenly realise just how much they need someone in their corner. Those who don’t will likely find themselves compared on fee alone, and eventually replaced.
The best letting agents are already doing all of this. They’re auditing tenancies proactively, flagging renewal compliance before problems arise, and keeping their landlords one step ahead of legislation that most landlords don’t even know is coming.
If you are a landlord or tenant and unsure what steps to take for compliance in your tenancy feel free to reach out to us directly for any advice. Without us you could be looking at fines and potentially losing your property.
We offer a range of services from bespoke sales packages to customisable lettings options, all built for compliance and protection in the long term.
