The Best Way to Stay on the Right Side of the Renters’ Rights Act? Manage Well
The Renters’ Rights Act has brought significant changes to private renting in England.
Since 1 May 2026, Section 21 “no-fault” evictions have been abolished, most private tenancies have become assured periodic tenancies, rent increases are generally limited to once a year through the prescribed process, rental bidding has been banned, landlords cannot normally require more than one month’s rent in advance, and there are new protections around discrimination and requests to keep pets.
Further changes are also being introduced, including the Private Rented Sector Database and, later, the new landlord ombudsman arrangements.
For landlords, this understandably creates a greater focus on compliance.
But at B-Square Projects, we think there is another way to look at it.
The best way to stay on the right side of the new rental environment is not simply to chase compliance. It is to chase two outcomes: renter satisfaction and landlord peace of mind.
Compliance should be the baseline
Every landlord needs to understand and meet their legal responsibilities.
The Renters’ Rights Act strengthens that expectation. It also gives local authorities stronger enforcement powers, while penalties for some breaches have increased.
But good property management cannot simply be a checklist of certificates, notices and deadlines.
A property can technically have the correct paperwork and still be poorly managed.
Repairs can take too long. Communication can be inconsistent. A renter can repeatedly report an issue without knowing what is happening. Records can be incomplete. A landlord can be unaware that a relatively small problem is becoming a much larger one.
That is where good management matters.
What does renter satisfaction actually mean?
Renter satisfaction does not mean agreeing to every request or removing a landlord’s ability to make legitimate decisions about their property.
It means creating a professional, fair and responsive relationship.
A renter should know who to contact when something goes wrong. They should receive acknowledgement when they report a repair. They should understand what happens next. And an issue should not be considered resolved simply because a contractor has been booked. It should be followed through until the work has actually been completed.
That kind of approach does more than create a better renter experience.
It also creates records, identifies problems earlier and reduces the likelihood of unresolved issues escalating into complaints, disputes or enforcement matters.
Landlord peace of mind matters just as much
Good management should work for landlords too.
A landlord should be able to trust that important dates are being monitored, repairs are being followed through, renters are being communicated with and emerging problems are being identified before they become expensive ones.
The objective is not simply to shield landlords from their responsibilities. It is to help them meet those responsibilities properly while protecting their property and reducing the amount of day-to-day management they need to carry themselves.
That becomes increasingly important in a regulatory environment where record keeping, communication and the management of the tenancy itself matter as much as ever.
The Renters’ Rights Act changes the relationship
The abolition of Section 21 is perhaps the clearest example.
Landlords can no longer end an assured tenancy simply by using the old Section 21 process. Where possession is required, landlords must rely on the appropriate legal grounds and follow the correct procedure.
At the same time, tenants generally have greater flexibility under periodic tenancies, while new rules govern matters including rent increases, rental bidding, rent in advance, discrimination and pet requests.
The direction of travel is clear: the private rented sector is moving towards greater accountability and more formalised standards of management.
For good landlords, that does not need to be something to fear.
It does, however, make reactive property management increasingly risky.
Good management is preventative
The strongest approach is usually to deal with issues before they become disputes.
That means:
keeping compliance requirements and renewal dates under active review;
responding promptly when repairs are reported;
recording decisions and communications properly;
keeping the landlord informed;
treating renters fairly and consistently;
checking that instructed work has actually been completed;
identifying recurring or emerging maintenance problems;
and understanding the correct legal process before taking action.
None of those things is particularly complicated in isolation. The difficulty is doing them consistently.
That is why we believe property management should be viewed as an ongoing discipline rather than an administrative service that simply collects rent and arranges the occasional contractor.
Good landlords and satisfied renters are not opposing ideas
There is sometimes an assumption that what benefits a renter must somehow disadvantage the landlord, or vice versa.
We do not think that is a particularly useful way to manage a property.
A renter who feels listened to is more likely to raise problems early.
A repair dealt with early can cost a landlord substantially less than one allowed to deteriorate.
Clear communication reduces misunderstandings.
Proper records protect everyone.
A well-maintained home is better for the renter and protects the landlord’s asset. And a professionally managed tenancy is less likely to produce unnecessary conflict.
That is why our approach at B-Square Projects is built around a simple principle: Good landlords. Well-managed homes. Satisfied renters.
The Renters’ Rights Act raises the bar for the private rented sector. Meeting that bar starts with compliance, but it should not end there.
For us, the real objective is good management: the kind that gives landlords peace of mind and renters confidence that their home is being looked after properly.
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