You would think the only date that matters in the Renters Rights Act is 1 May 2026. It is the one filling the events calendar, training sessions and industry chatter. But the date that will hit agents first is buried quietly in the legislation with no fanfare at all.
It is 27 December.
And it deserves far more attention than it is getting.
From that day, councils gain their new investigatory powers. Not in May. Not as a gradual rollout. They begin immediately, right in the middle of the festive lull when most agents are running on reduced staff and leftover Quality Street.
These powers allow councils to walk into an office without booking a visit, take documents or devices, inspect tenancy files on the spot and ask questions about any tenancy handled in the previous year. Most agents I speak to have no idea this starts in December and not next spring, which tells you just how quietly the date has been introduced.
The timing is the real sting. December is never tidy in lettings. Renewals flood in, tenants change plans, landlords push for last minute completions and staff take annual leave. It is the month where small mistakes slip through because everyone is stretched. Once 27 December arrives, those small mistakes can turn into uncomfortable conversations with enforcement teams.
So, if there was ever a moment to get your filing in order, this is it. Every tenancy should be complete and easy to follow. Deposit protection needs to be watertight with the right evidence in place. Compliance documents should not be sitting half-forgotten in someone’s drafts folder. Your team should know exactly where things are saved, not relying on memory or chance.
This is not scaremongering. It is simply the reality of an industry entering its toughest compliance phase in years. The agents who recognise the importance of this date will walk into 2026 with confidence. The ones who wait for May may find councils knocking far sooner than expected.
Sophie Lang is co founder of Lang Llewellyn and Co.
There are a few issues here. First, agents should already have their ducks in a row. Second, do the councils actually have the resources and expertise to visit agents? And why are agents being singled out anyway? The RRB applies to private landlords as well, many of whom may also not have their ducks in a row.
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You’re right to question council capacity. Some areas are nowhere near ready, especially down here in Cornwall where they’re still grappling with the basics. But other councils see enforcement as an income stream and have already positioned themselves to act, so it won’t be the same picture everywhere.
On agents, I agree they should have their ducks in a row. The reality is mixed. Most decent agents have solid CRMs and processes and will be fine. But from the acquisitions I’ve done over the last couple of years, I’ve also seen agents who absolutely don’t. And it’s not just the systems. It’s staff understanding why proper reporting, documentation and compliance actually matter day to day.
PIE’s audience is agents, so that’s the lens I wrote from, but you’re right that this applies just as much to self managing landlords. They’re actually the group most in the dark about what’s coming. We’re already doing a lot of education locally because many of them genuinely don’t realise how much the landscape is about to shift.
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