Landlords in England face new legal requirements following the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (“the RR Act”) and Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 (“Awaab’s Law”), which came into force on 27 October 2025. The new laws and Decent Homes Standard, significantly reform tenant rights. Private rentals must now meet stricter property standards. 

Comparison of key Changes under the Act

Aspect	Before the RR Act	Under the RR Act
Repairs & Property Standards	Landlords have a duty to repair the structure and installations (s11 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) and ensure the property is fit for human habitation (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018).	Higher standards and deadlines. Private rentals must now meet the Decent Homes Standard for the first time. Under Awaab’s Law, landlords are legally required to remedy serious health hazards within fixed timeframes.
Health & Safety Compliance	Annual gas safety checks and five-yearly electrical checks. At least one smoke alarm on each floor and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel (and now gas) appliance. Any provided furniture must meet fire safety standards.	Unchanged. The RR Act did not remove or lessen these duties.

Landlord Repair Responsibilities, Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985

Under Section 11, landlords are legally required to keep the property in good repair. This section is an implied term in every residential tenancy, which cannot be contracted out of. 
Landlords are obliged to keep in repair the following:

1. The structure and exterior of the property; for example, walls, roof, windows and doors;
2. The installations in the property that supply:

• gas and electricity (for example pipes and wiring)
• heating and hot water (for example the boiler)
• water and sanitation (for example sinks and toilets)

These obligations mean, for example, if a roof is leaking or a boiler is broken, it is the landlord’s duty to fix it. Importantly, the landlord’s repair duty arises once the landlord is made aware of the problem. Tenants also must allow reasonable access for repairs. 

Decent Homes Standard

Even though Section 11 remains unchanged by the RRA Act, landlords now have to meet a higher benchmark. The RR Act extends the Decent Homes Standard to private rentals. In practise, this means beyond the basic repair obligations of Section 11; a rented home should meet a set of conditions to be considered “decent”, for example, it should be free from serious hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, have modern facilities and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort (criteria historically applied in social housing). Landlords might need to proactively invest in improvements if their properties fall below these standards, to avoid enforcement action. 

Landlord Health and Safety Obligations

In addition to keeping the property in repair, landlords must uphold various health and safety regulations to ensure the property is safe to live in:

• Gas Safety. For any property with gas appliances, landlords must ensure an annual gas safety check is conducted by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The landlord must provide the tenant with a copy of the Gas Safety Certificate each year and keep records. 
• Electrical Safety. Landlords must have the property’s electrical installations inspected and tested at least once every 5 years by a qualified electrician and supply an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). 
• Fire Safety. Smoke Alarms and Carbon Dioxide Detectors; landlords are required to install at least one smoke alarm on each floor of the property where there is living accommodation, and to install a carbon monoxide detector in any room that contains a fixed combustion appliance (such as a fireplace or gas boiler). 
• Furniture and Furnishings. Any furniture or furnishings provided by the landlord must comply with fire safety standards. Non-compliant furniture should be removed or replaced.
• Heating and Energy Efficiency. Separate regulations require minimum energy efficiency (EPC rating E or above in most cases) and adequate heating. Landlords should be mindful that a very cold property or inadequate heating could render a property unfit for habitation.

Awaab’s Law

One major health and safety development is the introduction of Awaab’s Law. Awaab’s Law requires landlords to investigate and fix hazardous damp and mould in a timely manner. For example, if a tenant reports significant mould growth or another condition that poses a health risk, landlords now have a fixed timeframe to inspect and remedy the issue. In social housing, the law specifies requirements like inspecting within 10 days and fixing within a further 14 days for serious mould. Private landlords should anticipate similar strict deadlines. In short, addressing moisture, ventilation, and any sign of mould promptly is now a critical part of landlord safety obligations.

Fitness for Human Habitation 

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires landlords to ensure their property is fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout its duration. This means the property must be free from serious hazards and conditions that make it fundamentally unsuitable to live in. Examples of issues that could render a home unfit include severe damp or mould, infestation, extreme cold, or other risks to health and safety.  

In summary, landlords should treat the repair and habitability duties as a high priority. Under the new regime, failing to maintain a property not only risks the traditional routes of tenant claims and local authority notices but now also potential penalties under strengthened laws and even intervention by the new Ombudsman. A property in disrepair or with safety issues is not just a civil matter but could quickly lead to legal troubles and reputational damage under the harsher spotlight of 2025’s renter protections.

Risks of Non-Compliance

Landlords who do not meet their repair and safety obligations face several significant risks. Here are the primary risks and what’s changed about them in 2025:

1. Local Authority Enforcement Action – powers strengthened to enforce standards;

2. Housing Disrepair Claims – tenants can seek repairs are undertaken and/or damages. The RR Act explicitly aims to enable tenants to challenge disrepair/poor conditions. 

3. Delays or Difficulties in Obtaining Possession – possession grounds can be challenged and/or delayed. If a landlord does try to evict using a Section 8 ground (say, for rent arrears), a tenant may raise disrepair as part of any defence or counterclaim. Rental arrears could be offset and potentially reduced below the threshold needed for mandatory eviction. 

Best Practises for Landlords

In light of the reinforced legal framework, prudent landlords should adopt a proactive approach to property maintenance and tenant communications. 

1. Conduct regular property inspections to catch maintenance issues early. Early detection of leaks, damp patches, or wear-and-tear can prevent minor issues from growing into serious hazards (and legal liabilities). Document each inspection; keep notes or photos and if the tenant is present, discuss any concerns on both sides.
2. Prompt repairs; act immediately on repair requests. Aim to at least investigate any reported problem within 24-48 hours. For urgent matters (no heat, major leak, electrical fault), get a qualified contractor out as an emergency. For less urgent issues, still respond and schedule works as soon as possible, generally within a few days or a couple of weeks at most. Always communicate the timeline to the tenant. Remember, what counts as a “reasonable time” can be judged harshly if the tenant was left in discomfort or danger.
3. Keep thorough Records. Maintain records of all communications with your tenant about repairs or conditions. Save emails, texts, and letters; if a conversation was in person or by phone, note down the date and a summary. Also, keep receipts, invoices and reports for any works carried out. 

Ultimately, the best defence for a landlord is to be a responsible, responsive landlord. By keeping the property in good repair and complying with all health and safety duties, you not only avoid legal problems but also retain good tenants (which is financially beneficial in the long run). With the balance of power shifting slightly more towards tenants in 2025, those landlords who already operate to high standards will find little has changed. 

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact Rhoda Honey, an Associate Solicitor in our Dispute Resolution Team on either 01803 225128 and rhoda.honey@wollens.co.uk 

You can also complete an online enquiry form. One of the Wollens team will contact you as soon as they are available.