Three Months into the Renters’ Rights Act: Are Letting Agents’ Processes Holding Up?

The first months of the new tenancy regime have turned preparation into practice. For letting agents, the question is no longer whether processes need to change, but whether those changes are working consistently across every property and every branch.

The Renters’ Rights Act has now been in force since 1 May 2026. Assured shorthold tenancies have moved to assured periodic tenancies, Section 21 has ended, and landlords must rely on the revised possession grounds when they need to recover a property.

That is a major change in law, but its operational impact is being felt in ordinary lettings work: how a tenancy is documented, how property condition is monitored and how quickly a team can retrieve reliable evidence when it is needed.

For agents, the first three months offer a useful point to review whether the processes introduced ahead of implementation are holding up under real workloads. A policy may look complete on paper; the real test is whether every negotiator, property manager and inventory clerk is following it consistently.

Section 8 has made evidence more important

The end of Section 21 means possession can no longer be pursued without a stated legal reason. Where a landlord relies on a Section 8 ground involving rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, property damage or another tenancy breach, the quality of the supporting record matters.

An inventory alone will not prove every type of breach. It does, however, establish an essential baseline for the property’s condition and contents. When that baseline is supported by check-in evidence, interim inspection reports, maintenance records, tenant comments and a thorough check-out, it becomes much easier to show what changed, when it changed and how the issue was handled.

This is especially important when memories differ or responsibility is disputed. A clear chronological record is more useful than a collection of photographs stored across phones, inboxes and shared drives with little explanation or context.

Four questions for every lettings team

A practical three-month review should begin with four questions.

First, are reports being completed to the same standard across the entire business? If one branch records every room methodically while another relies on short notes and a handful of photographs, the agency has a consistency problem even if both teams believe they are compliant.

Second, can the business retrieve a complete property history quickly? Evidence loses practical value when staff must search several systems or ask former employees where records were saved.

Third, are mid-tenancy inspections taking place at sensible intervals and producing actionable information? An inspection should not simply confirm that somebody attended. It should identify changes in condition, outstanding repairs, safety concerns and anything requiring follow-up.

Finally, is there a clear handover between inspections, maintenance and tenancy management? Recording a concern is only the first step. Teams should be able to see whether it was reported, assigned, resolved and subsequently checked.

Standardisation matters more than volume

The strongest process is not necessarily the one that creates the longest report. It is the one that captures the right information in a consistent, understandable and retrievable format.

Structured templates help prevent important areas from being overlooked. Time-stamped photographs provide context. Digital signatures confirm that reports were issued and acknowledged. Central storage keeps the full record connected to the property rather than to an individual member of staff.

For multi-branch and franchised agencies, quality control is particularly important. Landlords expect the same professional standard regardless of which office manages their property. A common reporting workflow protects that standard while giving senior teams greater oversight of incomplete reports, missed visits and inconsistent language.

Use the first three months as an operational audit

The Renters’ Rights Act should not be treated as a one-off compliance project that ended on 1 May. It has changed the environment in which lettings teams operate, and processes will need to be tested and refined as cases progress under the new regime.

Now is the time to sample recent reports, compare branches, review missed or delayed inspections and check how quickly a complete evidence pack can be assembled. Any gaps identified today are easier to correct than gaps discovered when a complaint, deposit dispute or possession claim is already under way.

Kaptur gives letting agents one platform for structured inventories, check-ins, interim inspections and check-outs, supported by high-resolution time-stamped photographs, signatures and secure record storage. It helps teams create a consistent property history without adding more manual administration.

If the first months of the new regime have exposed weaknesses in your reporting process, book a Kaptur demo and see how a more consistent, evidence-led workflow could support your team.

Reference: GOV.UK landlord guidance