Landlord and Tenant | Your Legal Assistant

Landlord and Tenant Law

Navigating the complexities of property law in England and Wales requires clear, up-to-date guidance, especially following the major legal shifts introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Whether you are a private landlord managing a portfolio in Stratford, a business handling a commercial lease in Green Street, or a residential tenant seeking to understand your rights, having local legal support is essential.

As of 1 May 2026, the private renting landscape has fundamentally changed. Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) have been abolished and replaced with open-ended, rolling periodic assured tenancies. Failing to follow the strict new statutory procedures can result in severe financial penalties, invalid notices, or unprotected rental investments. At Your Legal Assistant, we provide practical, plain-English support tailored to help you navigate these new compliance standards seamlessly.

Landlord and Tenant Law in England and Wales

Comprehensive Legal Support Under the New Regulations

We assist both landlords and tenants across Newham and Greater London in adapting to the latest legal requirements, including:

The Ban on 'No-Fault' Evictions: Section 21 evictions have been completely abolished. Landlords must now use the reformed Section 8 process under the Housing Act 1988, which requires specific, legally valid grounds (such as selling the property or moving in) and a minimum of 4 months' notice for most standard grounds.

New Rent Review Procedures: Contractual rent review clauses are no longer enforceable. Landlords are legally required to use the statutory Section 13 procedure (Form 4A), limiting rent increases to once per year with a mandatory 2 months' notice.

Anti-Discrimination & Bidding Wars: It is now strictly illegal to ban tenants who receive benefits or have children from inquiring about properties. Furthermore, "rental bidding wars" are prohibited; landlords and agents cannot invite or accept offers above the advertised rent.

Compliance Deliverables: Ensuring private landlords have met the mandatory requirement to issue the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet to all existing tenants, helping avoid local authority fines of up to £7,000.

Right to Request Pets: Navigating the new implied terms that grant tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.

Property disputes and compliance requirements under the new Act move quickly. Having a knowledgeable legal professional in your corner ensures your tenancy agreements are robust, your notices are legally sound, and your rights are fully protected.

1. Has Section 21 been completely abolished?

Yes, as of 1 May 2026, Section 21 "no-fault" evictions are completely illegal in England. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, landlords can no longer evict a tenant without giving a specific legal reason. All evictions must now go through the reformed Section 8 process under the Housing Act 1988. If a landlord wishes to reclaim a property—such as wanting to sell it or move into it themselves—they must prove these grounds to a court and provide a mandatory 4-month notice period to the tenant.

2. Can a landlord still offer a 12-month fixed-term tenancy?

No, fixed-term tenancies have been abolished for all new and existing private rentals. Every tenancy in England has now been converted into a uniform, open-ended rolling periodic tenancy. Tenants are free to stay indefinitely unless they choose to leave or the landlord has a valid, legal ground to evict under Section 8. Tenants can end the tenancy at any time by giving a standard 2-month notice to the landlord.

3. How often can my landlord increase the rent under the new rules?

Rent can only be increased once a year, and contractual rent review clauses are now strictly banned.

To raise the rent, a landlord must legally use the statutory Section 13 procedure (Form 4A). This requires giving the tenant a minimum of 2 months' notice. Furthermore, the proposed rent cannot exceed market value. If a tenant believes the increase is unfair, they have the right to challenge it via the First-tier Tribunal before the notice period ends.

4. Can a landlord refuse a tenant who has pets?

No, landlords can no longer issue a blanket ban on pets.

Under the updated legal framework, tenants have a statutory right to request a pet, and a landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. However, to safeguard property owners, landlords are legally permitted to require the tenant to maintain pet insurance, or they can charge the tenant for the cost of an insurance policy to cover potential property damage.

5. What is the fine for not providing the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet?

Landlords who fail to issue the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet to their tenants face severe local authority fines of up to £7,000.

As part of the compliance roll-out, landlords are legally obligated to provide this statutory guide to all existing and new tenants to ensure they understand their updated rights. Missing this delivery deadline is considered a serious compliance breach.

6. Are rental bidding wars illegal now?

Yes, inviting or accepting bids above the advertised market price is now strictly illegal.

To crack down on unfair market practices, landlords and letting agents must state a clear asking rent on all property advertisements. It is an offense to encourage, invite, or accept any offers or bids that top that advertised price from desperate prospective tenants.

7. Can landlords refuse tenants who receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit?

No, blanket bans on tenants receiving welfare benefits are now explicitly illegal.

Under the anti-discrimination provisions of the new Act, practices often advertised as "No DSS" or refusing to let to families with children are strictly prohibited. While landlords can still run standard affordability and reference checks, they cannot automatically exclude a applicant based on their source of income or family status.

8. Can a landlord enter the property without the tenant's permission?

No, a landlord cannot legally enter a property without the tenant's prior consent, except in a genuine emergency.

Even if a tenancy agreement states a landlord can enter for inspections, Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and common law grant tenants the right to "quiet enjoyment." A landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice for repairs or viewings, and the tenant has the right to refuse or reschedule. Entering without permission can be legally classified as harassment.

9. Who is responsible for treating damp and mould in a rental property?

In almost all circumstances, the landlord is legally responsible for addressing structural damp and mould.

Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, landlords must ensure that a property is safe and fit to live in from the start to the end of the tenancy. If damp and mould are caused by structural defects, rising damp, poor insulation, or faulty ventilation systems, the landlord must pay for the repairs. Tenants are only responsible if the mould is explicitly proven to be caused by a failure to reasonably ventilate or heat the property.

10. Can a letting agent charge a tenant fee for credit or reference checks?

No, charging tenants for administrative fees, credit checks, or referencing remains strictly banned.

Originally outlawed by the Tenant Fees Act 2019, this ban is strictly preserved under current laws. The only permitted payments a tenant can be asked to make are the rent, a capped holding deposit (maximum of 1 week's rent), a security deposit (capped at 5 weeks' rent for properties with an annual rent under £50,000), and minor default fees (like lost keys).

Stay Compliant and Secure with Your Legal Assistant.

The rental sector in Newham and across London is experiencing its most significant regulatory shift in a generation. Missing a new compliance hurdle can cost landlords thousands in fines or stall a legitimate eviction for months.

Whether you need assistance issuing the correct Section 13 notice, managing a compliance audit, or resolving a tenancy dispute, Your Legal Assistant is here to protect your rights. Contact us today for practical legal support.

Niche Landlord & Tenant Matters: Rent Repayment Orders & Property Licensing Appeals

Property law goes far beyond standard tenancy agreements and evictions. In London's heavily regulated rental market, landlords and tenants frequently find themselves navigating highly specialized legal territory.

At Your Legal Assistant, we handle complex, niche areas of residential property law, representing clients before local authorities and the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). Following the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the stakes for compliance have never been higher. Whether you need to defend against a local council fine or recover unlawfully paid rent, expert legal representation is vital.

1. Rent Repayment Orders (RROs)

A Rent Repayment Order (RRO) is a powerful legal remedy that allows tenants or local authorities to demand that a landlord repay a substantial portion of rent. Under the strict rules introduced on 1 May 2026, the maximum penalty has doubled—the First-tier Tribunal can now order non-compliant landlords to repay up to 24 months of rent (up from 12 months), and the application window has been extended to two years.

An RRO can be applied for if a landlord commits specific housing offenses, most notably:

Operating an Unlicensed Property: Renting out an HMO or a single-let property without the required local council license.

Breach of Enforcement Notices: Failing to comply with an Improvement Notice or a Prohibition Order issued by local housing standards.

Illegal Eviction or Harassment: Attempting to force a tenant out without following proper judicial channels or misusing the new Section 8 possession grounds.

Furthermore, under the new legislation, superior landlords and company directors can be held directly liable, meaning property owners can no longer shield themselves behind "rent-to-rent" middleman companies or corporate structures (Justice for Tenants, 2026). We help tenants build robust, evidence-backed tribunal applications, and we assist landlords in mounting comprehensive technical defenses to mitigate financial exposure.

2. Selective, Additional, and Mandatory Licensing Applications

London boroughs operate some of the strictest and most intricate property licensing schemes in England. Operating a rental property without the correct license is a criminal offense that can result in civil penalties of up to £30,000 per property, in addition to an RRO claim.

Mandatory HMO Licensing: Applies nationally to properties with 5 or more occupants from 2 or more households sharing facilities.

Additional HMO Licensing: Applies to smaller HMOs (typically 3 or 4 sharing occupants). Many London councils have implemented borough-wide schemes making even small house shares strictly licensable.

Selective Licensing: Applies to standard, single-family let properties in designated wards or entire boroughs to combat poor property conditions and antisocial behavior.

Navigating the application process requires submitting exact floor plans, valid Five-Year Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR), and annual Gas Safety Certificates. We manage the entire application layout, ensuring your documentation satisfies stringent local authority requirements the first time.

3. Selective Licence Appeals & Civil Penalty Notices (CPNs)

If a local authority proposes to refuse a property license, revoke an existing license, or impose restrictive conditions (such as cutting the maximum allowed occupants), landlords have a statutory right to object.

Similarly, if a council issues a Civil Penalty Notice (CPN) as an alternative to prosecution, you will initially receive a Notice of Intent. This triggers a strict 28-day window to submit written representations to lower or cancel the fine. If the council proceeds, we represent landlords in formal appeals to the First-tier Tribunal to challenge the financial penalty or the license conditions dynamically.

Serving All 32 London Boroughs & The City of London

Property licensing and enforcement priorities are hyper-local. A property setup that is perfectly compliant on one side of a street could face an aggressive enforcement regime on the other. Because we understand the distinct, localized policy changes across the capital, Your Legal Assistant provides specialist representation across all London boroughs, including:

East London: Newham (operating active, borough-wide selective and additional licensing frameworks), Barking and Dagenham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Redbridge, Havering, and Waltham Forest.
North London: Haringey, Enfield, Barnet, Camden, and Islington.
South London: Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Merton, Sutton, Wandsworth, and Kingston upon Thames.
West London: Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Central London: The City of Westminster and the City of London.

07960 232 248