Property compliance changes in 2025: what’s new, what’s coming, and what to do now

As we head into the final weeks of 2025, it’s easy to mix up what’s actually in force with what’s been announced. This article is a practical roundup of what changed in 2025 and what the current compliance expectations are right now—so you can stay audit-ready and avoid last-minute scrambles. In the second half, we’ll look ahead to what’s due to arrive in 2026, including the big tenancy reforms and the operational changes you’ll want in place before they land.

Want the full checklist for the 2026 regime? Download our free Letting Agent Compliance Guide 2026.

2025 summary: what came into force (and what’s current right now)

Key takeaways (as of December 2025)

• The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now law (Royal Assent 27 Oct 2025), but most “headline” tenancy changes haven’t started yet.
• Awaab’s Law Phase 1 is live (social rented sector) from 27 Oct 2025 (with set response timeframes for emergency hazards and significant damp & mould hazards).
• The big operational change for the PRS this month is enforcement: new council investigatory powers start 27 Dec 2025.

What’s “current compliance” in the PRS today 

Even without brand-new rules switching on this month (December 2025), councils and tenants will expect you to demonstrate the basics cleanly and quickly:

• Gas safety: annual gas safety checks remain a legal duty (with some scheduling flexibility).
• Electrical safety (England): inspections at least every 5 years by a qualified person (EICR requirements sit behind this).
• Smoke & carbon monoxide alarms (England): at least one smoke alarm per storey and CO alarms in relevant rooms, plus repair/replace when reported faulty.
• Energy efficiency (MEES): domestic PRS generally needs EPC E or above (unless a valid exemption applies).

What changes before the year ends 

27 December 2025 (England): new investigatory powers for councils

Local authorities get new powers to investigate suspected breaches involving private landlords and letting agents—think: demanding documents, inspecting, and accessing relevant data. 

What this means in practice: your risk isn’t “we don’t comply” as much as “we complied, but can’t prove it fast.”

Do one thing this week: run a 10-property compliance retrieval drill. If you can’t pull a complete compliance pack quickly (certs + inspection evidence + repair history), fix that before 27 December.

What’s coming in 2026

Prefer a downloadable, step-by-step version? Get the 2026 Lettings Compliance Guide (free PDF).

1 May 2026: the new tenancy regime goes live (England)

Government’s roadmap confirms the new tenancy regime starts 1 May 2026 and applies to new and existing tenancies. 

What to expect from that date (high level):

• Section 21 ends (no new “no-fault” notices).
• The system moves to periodic tenancies as the default (open-ended), with landlords relying on valid Section 8 grounds where they need possession.
• Rent increases standardise: once per year via a Section 13 route, with strengthened ability to challenge unreasonable increases (and reforms to reduce tenant risk in tribunal).
• New rules on pets: landlords can’t unreasonably refuse consent (with guidance to follow).

Important operational detail: the government roadmap also flags landlord/agent comms and templates you’ll need—e.g., a published “information sheet” for existing tenants (planned for March 2026, to be given by end of May 2026). 

Late 2026: PRS Database + Landlord Ombudsman start rolling out

From late 2026, the roadmap sets out a second phase introducing:

• A Private Rented Sector Database (rolled out by area)
• A PRS Landlord Ombudsman to resolve complaints without going straight to court

This is where “single source of truth” record-keeping stops being nice-to-have and becomes a day-to-day requirement.

Beyond 2026 (but you should prepare now)

The government is clear that later phases will focus on raising standards, including extending Awaab’s Law and a modernised Decent Homes Standard into the PRS—timings to be set via consultation. 

If your compliance evidence is still scattered across emails and folders, now’s a good time to get it organised before the 2026 changes land. Book a quick demo to see how Kaptur keeps inspections, photos, signatures and compliance orders in one place.