The first autumn under the new rental rules: has being a landlord changed more than you realised?

We’re not quite ready to say summer is over just yet, and we certainly don’t want to tempt fate by claiming we’ve made it all the way through the season. But with the weather beginning to turn, the evenings getting shorter and autumn starting to creep in, it does feel like a good moment to reflect.

This summer has been a particularly significant one for landlords. It has been the first full season under the new Renters’ Rights legislation, and for the first time we’ve been able to move beyond predictions and headlines and start seeing how the changes actually work in practice.

Before May, there was a huge amount of discussion around what the reforms might mean for landlords. Now, a few months in, we’re beginning to see the real-world effects — and in many cases, the biggest changes are not necessarily the dramatic ones that made the headlines.

They are the day-to-day differences in how tenancies are managed, how rent is reviewed, how landlords plan ahead and how important good administration has become.

Your rental property now needs more active management

Under the new rules, assured tenancies are no longer built around a fixed end date in the same way. That means landlords increasingly need to think about their property as something that is being managed continuously, rather than in twelve-month blocks.

Rent reviews are a good example of this change as since May, rent increases generally need to follow the formal process, can only normally happen once a year and must reflect the market rent. Tenants also have greater ability to challenge an increase they believe is excessive.

That makes knowing the real market value of your property more important than simply looking at what rents have done nationally and keeping tuned into the market and tenant behaviours year round.

Zoopla’s latest rental report highlights just how different rental growth has become from one area to another. While average UK rents have continued rising, growth varies significantly depending on location and affordability.

For a Brighton landlord, that means the question shouldn’t necessarily be:

“How much can I increase the rent by?”

It should be:

“What are people for this type of property today?”

The paperwork matters more too

Another noticeable change is how important the administrative side of being a landlord has become.

Correct tenancy information, deposit protection, Right to Rent checks, licensing, safety documentation and the correct process when circumstances change are no longer things that should be dealt with retrospectively.

And with Section 21 now gone, landlords wishing to regain possession need to rely on the appropriate statutory grounds and follow the corresponding process correctly.

In other words, good record-keeping has become part of protecting the investment itself.

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So what should landlords be doing this autumn?

September is actually a great opportunity for a mini property reset.

Once the summer rush has settled, look at your property with fresh eyes.

Is the rent still right for the market? Are there maintenance jobs that would be cheaper to tackle now than in December? Is your compliance documentation completely up to date? And, perhaps most importantly, do you know what your plans are for the property over the next 12–24 months?

That final question matters more than ever.

Whether you intend to hold the property long-term, refurbish it, sell it, refinance it or expand your portfolio, the earlier your agent understands your plans, the easier it is to manage the tenancy around them.

Landlords haven’t lost control – but planning ahead matters

There has understandably been a lot of noise around the rental reforms.

But the fundamentals of owning a good rental property haven’t changed.

A well-located, well-maintained home with sensible rent and good management remains an incredibly attractive proposition – particularly while the number of rental homes available nationally remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

What has changed is the value of planning.

The landlords who are likely to navigate the new market most successfully won’t necessarily be those charging the highest rent. They’ll be the ones who know what their property is worth, keep it performing well and make decisions before they become urgent.

If you haven’t reviewed your property or portfolio since the new rules came into force, speak to the Coapt team. We can look at current rental values, property performance and your longer-term plans and help make sure you’re in the best position for the year ahead.