Landlords are responding to the Renters’ Rights Act at the start of a tenancy rather than by leaving the market, a year after it became law.
Almost four in ten (39%) have tightened referencing or affordability checks since the main measures took effect on 1 May, rising to 41% in England. A further 32% now ask for a guarantor where they did not before, according to the August Landlord Survey 2026 of 276 UK landlords.
“Landlords aren’t walking away from the sector; they’re becoming more careful about who they let to,” said Vicki Hextall, area manager at East Midlands Property Owners (EMPO).
“With almost four in ten tightening their referencing, it’s clear landlords are managing risk now that regaining a property takes longer and is less certain. The concern is that tenants with thinner credit histories or irregular incomes find it harder to get a foot in the door. Good referencing and good tenancy management go hand in hand, and that’s where we’re focusing our support and advice for members.”
Selling up is no more likely than before the Act
Some 29% of landlords plan to reduce their portfolio or sell all of it within two years. That compares with 31% in the government’s English Private Landlord Survey 2024, carried out before the Renters’ Rights Act took effect. A third (34%) plan to grow and 29% to stay the same.
Seven in ten (69%) will relet the next property that falls vacant. Among those surveyed, 15% have decided not to relet a property and 13% have sold or listed one.
Mid-sized landlords are changing most
How landlords have responded depends on how many properties they own. More than half (56%) of single-property landlords have changed nothing, against 10% of landlords overall. Those with five to nine properties have changed the most at the front door, with 54% now asking for a guarantor and 46% raising asking rents. Landlords with 20 or more properties are the most likely to have gone to court, with 37% having served or begun a possession claim, against 20% overall.
Across the sample, a third (33%) have raised the asking rent on a new let and a quarter (26%) have increased rent on an existing tenancy.
Tenants are using their new rights
A third of landlords (32%) have had a complaint referred to a deposit scheme, council or ombudsman. Landlords also reported the following tenant activity:
- 28% have had a tenant request to keep a pet
- 26% have had a tenant challenge or refuse a rent increase
- 23% have had a tenant give notice under the new rules
How the changes affect applicants
Renters looking for a home can expect fuller affordability checks and, particularly from mid-sized landlords, a request for a guarantor. The Renters’ Rights Act caps rent in advance at one month.
That rules out the old fallback for applicants with a thin credit history, which was offering several months upfront, so a guarantor is now often the main route in. Landlords still cannot refuse an applicant because they receive benefits or have children.
“A year in, the clearest change the Act has made is at the start of a tenancy, not the end of one,” noted Richard Samuel, chief executive of August.
“That is a sensible response, as long as it rests on a consistent process rather than blanket rules. A landlord who applies the same checks to every applicant and records why each decision was made is better protected than one who asks everyone for a guarantor.
"That protection will matter more once the landlord database and ombudsman arrive. Blanket rules also turn away good tenants and leave homes empty for longer.”
