Your rights as a landlord

This article was updated in April 2026 to include information about the Renters’ Rights Act.

While being a landlord comes with a fair amount of responsibilities, you’re also entitled to certain rights, enshrined in conventions, contracts and laws.

Balancing the rights and responsibilities of property owners with the rights and responsibilities of tenants is a delicate balance. But this balance ensures that your property rights as a landlord aren’t infringed, while your tenants can continue to enjoy quiet enjoyment of their home.

Most details of the various rights enjoyed by each party are laid out in the Landlord and Tenant Act (1985), and in this guide, we boil down the most important rights that you can enjoy as a landlord, as well as some guidance on dealing with difficult situations.

Rent

Seeking payment of rent

As part of a tenancy agreement, landlords have the right to expect that rent be paid in full and on time as set out in the agreement.

If your tenant falls behind with rent payments, there are several options available to you as a landlord:

• Contact the tenant and politely and courteously remind them that their rent is overdue
• If a tenant is unable to pay the arrears in full immediately, have a conversation with them to try to arrange a way to pay down the arrears over time
• As a last resort, begin eviction proceedings as detailed in Section 8 of the Housing Act, which we’ve laid out in more detail below. It’s worth noting that you can only use the mandatory rent arrears grounds for eviction if a tenant has built up three months of unpaid rent after a four-week notice period

Increasing rent

From May 2026, you’ll only be able to raise your rent once a year. To do this, you’ll have to use a section 13 notice to give your tenants a two-month warning of the increase.

A section 13 is a formal written notice that tells your tenant:

• The new rent amount
• When it’ll come into effect
• That they have at least two months’ warning before the new rate starts
• That they can challenge the increase if they think it’s above market value

The rent increase will have to be within market rates. If not, your tenants can challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which will independently assess what a fair market rent should be.

After one set of tenants has moved out and the property is listed as “to let”, you have the right to choose the rental price. But it’s recommended that the asking rental price sits roughly in line with other, comparable local rental prices.

Access and right to repair or provide services

Inspecting the property

As a landlord, it is not unusual for you to want to know what state your property is in during a tenancy. After all, while it is the tenant’s home, it is your investment. As such, you have the right to periodically inspect the condition of your property, allowing you to know when proactive repairs and general maintenance are needed.

You also have the right to request that your tenants take good care of the property, but you can’t make excessive demands about the way they live in your property. Serious neglect on their behalf may be a cause for concern, but you don’t have the right to demand that the tenants simply be tidier, for example.

Most landlords will inspect their properties at least once a year. This time can be used to assess the conditions of soft furnishings and decor, as well as make decisions about what may need to be replaced or repaired.

While you have a tenant, you need to give at least 24 hours’ notice, in writing, of your intention to enter and inspect the property.

The consumer rights magazine Which? has a useful template for writing a letter to your tenants, notifying them about a routine visit.

If the fixtures and fittings of the property have been damaged by the tenant, or there’s been damage to your contents, then you should take photographic evidence of this to make a claim under your landlord insurance.

Repairs or services

As a landlord, you’ve got the right to enter your property to do any maintenance, repairs or provide services like cleaning or gardening. But you can only do this if you’ve given the tenants notice that you or a contractor will need access in advance.

The amount of time you give your tenants is usually set out in your tenancy agreement, but 24–48 hours is standard.

For larger repair jobs, and for courtesy, especially if they’re working from home or have children to care for, then it is considered good practice to give as much notice as you can.

If there’s an emergency, like a flood, when the tenants aren’t in, you can enter the property without notice to protect the property from further damage.

Mediating with difficult tenants

Sometimes, a tenant and a landlord can fall out. Whether it’s a disagreement over the upkeep of the property, changes to the decor, pets or noise complaints. These issues may not be serious enough to consider eviction, but can cause friction between you and the tenants, as well as neighbours.

When relationships break down, you could go through a solicitor. But bringing in a third-party can sometimes be costly and time-consuming. An alternative is bringing in independent mediation services.

As a landlord, you have the right to know that your property isn’t being damaged and that your tenants are not causing an undue nuisance to local neighbours through their behaviour.

Should tensions arise, you can seek the help of accredited and recognised mediators in England and Wales, or in Scotland. An independent mediator can act as a referee of sorts, helping both sides resolve their differences without resorting to court proceedings.

Repossession rights

You may want to reposess your property for any number of reasons. To sell it, to move back in, rent arrears or if your tenants are breaking the law.

From May 2026, Section 21 of the Housing Act (1988) is no longer an available route to evict tenants. This leaves section 8, which we've detailed below.

Landlords’ rights under Sections 8

Section 8 of the Housing Act (1988) provides the only mechanism by which you, as a landlord, can reclaim possession of your property from tenants.

As of May 2026, under Section 8, a landlord can issue an eviction notice at any point in a tenancy period if, for example:

• There are three months of rent arrears
• Your tenant has some unpaid rent or is persistently late paying rent
• You want to use or sell the property
• You plan to redevelop your property
• Antisocial behaviour or breach of other legal requirements
• Your tenants have breached the terms of the tenancy agreement
• Your tenant has allowed the condition of the property or furniture to deteriorate
• Your tenant doesn’t have the right to rent in the UK

The process is not as simple as notifying the tenant that you’re evicting them. While you, as the landlord, have the right to evict a tenant for the reasons stated above, you should make every effort to let the tenant know what’s happening before serving them notice.

It’s advisable to send reminder letters to the tenants once a week for at least a month before serving your Section 8 notice.

You must serve the notice legally, following all due processes, in order for the notice to be valid. This includes:

• Providing the full and proper address of the property and the full names of the tenants on the notice
• Providing details of the claims made against the tenant, such as a schedule of payments in the case of rent arrears
• Stating the grounds for eviction exactly as they appear in the Housing Act

You may also like:

• A guide to your responsibilities as a landlord
• Landlords guide to inspecting your property