Free, ungated guides for landlords in England · Written by James Nicholson · Last updated 20 August 2026
England only — Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes

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Everything below is free and open — no email address, no membership, no gate. If you only read one thing, make it the Renters’ Rights Act guide: it covers what changed on 1 May 2026, and the deposit rule inside it now blocks possession in a way most landlords haven’t noticed.

The Renters’ Rights Act

What changed on 1 May 2026, what hasn’t happened yet, and what it costs

The complete landlord guideThe full picture — tenancy conversion, possession, rent, pets, and the four provisions still not in force. Everything that changed on 1 MayEleven changes, ordered by how likely each one is to catch you out. When did it come into effect?Commencement dates, what was staged, and what is still to come. The information sheetWhat it is, who had to receive it, and the £7,000 penalty per tenancy. How to serve it, and prove you didAttach the PDF, serve every named tenant, keep a record that survives. Missed the 31 May deadline?The deadline has passed. What the penalty is and how to limit it. Section 13 rent increasesForm 4A, the 52-week rule, and why the tribunal can no longer raise your rent. Can you refuse a pet?The 28-day clock, reasonable refusal, and why you can’t charge for it.

Possession and eviction

Section 21 is gone. Everything runs through section 8 grounds now.

Section 8 grounds for possessionAll 32 grounds, notice periods, the evidence each one needs, and the court process. What replaced section 21Why no-fault possession ended and what you have to prove instead.

Tenancy agreements

One tenancy type now: the assured periodic tenancy

Tenancy agreements in 2026What a compliant agreement must contain, and which old clauses are now a liability. Free 2026 agreement templateThe full clause list — 14 clauses you need, 6 to delete, 5 documents to serve alongside. Periodic tenancies explainedHow they work, the two-month tenant notice, and the asymmetry to plan around. What happened to ASTsAssured shortholds were abolished. What replaced them and what it means for your paperwork.

How these guides are written

Every page here is sourced to primary legislation — the Act itself, the commencement regulations by SI number, and the prescribed forms — not to other landlord blogs. Where a provision is not yet in force, we say so plainly, because a great deal of what is published about the Renters’ Rights Act describes the PRS database and the landlord ombudsman as though they already applied. They don’t.

They’re written by a working landlord rather than an agency or a law firm, which means the numbers in them are real numbers. Every page carries the date it was last updated, and gets corrected when the law moves. If you find something wrong, tell me and I’ll fix it.

More guides are being added weekly — deposits, landlord tax, EPC and compliance, referencing and rent arrears are all in progress.

The guides are free. The tracking isn’t.

Knowing the rules is one thing; keeping every certificate, deposit and notice deadline straight across a portfolio is another. That’s what the app does. £10 a month, first month free.

See what’s included

England only. These guides describe the law in England. General information from a landlord, not legal advice.