Renters' Rights Act & Property Inspections: What's Changed
Renters' Rights Act & Property Inspections: What's Changed
The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026. For letting agents and landlords, the changes are significant; and how you plan, complete, and share property inspections needs to adapt. Here's what's different, and what to do about it.
What changed on 1 May 2026
The headline changes most agents already know:
- Section 21 'no-fault' evictions are abolished
- Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are gone; every tenancy is now an indefinite periodic tenancy from day one
- Possession requires grounds; courts want evidence
- Rent can only increase once a year, with two months' written notice
- Tenants can request pets ; landlords can't unreasonably refuse
- Discrimination against tenants with children or on benefits is now illegal
Most existing tenancies converted automatically on 1 May. Landlords were required to issue the government's official Information Sheet to tenants by 31 May 2026.
Why it changes the way you inspect properties
Under the old system, a 12-month AST gave you natural inspection milestones. Move-in inventory. Mid-terms. Check-out. The end of a fixed term prompted a reset; a fresh comparison of what the property looked like at the start versus the end.
That structure is gone.
With indefinite periodic tenancies, there's no automatic end date. No reset. The tenancy runs until either party ends it (which could be months or years from now). Your regular inspections are no longer a nice-to-have. They're the only way to track condition throughout the tenancy.
Four things that now matter more than before
1. Your evidence trail is everything
With Section 21 gone, every contested possession goes through Section 8 grounds. Courts want to see a clear record of when an issue first appeared, how quickly you acted, and what the condition of the property looks like over time.
That means timestamped reports, not photos in a WhatsApp thread. Notes that connect one visit to the next, not standalone snapshots.
2. Inspections are your early warning system for Awaab's Law
Awaab's Law — which introduced strict timeframes for dealing with damp, mould, and hazardous conditions; is expected to extend to the private rented sector. Finding and documenting hazards before a tenant formally reports them gives you a far stronger position than reacting after the fact.
An inspection using HHSRS-aligned checklists, completed regularly and shared promptly, is how you demonstrate that.
3. Pet damage needs tracking from the first visit
Where a tenant has exercised their right to keep a pet and you've consented, your inspection process needs to check for pet-related condition changes at every visit. Document it. Photo it. Log it. If there's a claim at the end of the tenancy, your linked inspection history is what supports it.
4. Reports need to connect (not just exist)
Adjudicators and courts increasingly want a continuous record, not a set of isolated documents. Each inspection should reference the previous one. Your check-out report should link back to the check-in inventory. Your mid-terms should show what's changed and when.
A paper report completed in the office after the visit, based on memory, doesn't do this. A digital report completed on-site, with timestamped photos and a linked inspection trail, does.
What a good inspection schedule looks like now
No inspection frequency is legally required — but the evidential need under the new regime points toward:
- Move-in inventor— detailed, room-by-room, with timestamped photos, meter readings, alarm checks, and tenant signature
- Three-month check — catch early issues before they become disputes
- Six-monthly mid-terms— ongoing condition monitoring for the life of the tenancy
- Pre-notice inspection — when a tenant gives notice, inspect early and flag anything before the formal check-out
- Check-out report — compare against the move-in inventory, document every change with photos
This is more frequent than many agents currently inspect. But the stakes are higher now; and an inspection trail that doesn't hold up in front of an adjudicator is no trail at all.
What good evidence looks like in 2026
For every inspection, you need:
- Timestamped photos of every room and item of concern; stored on servers that neither landlord nor agent can edit
- Written condition notes per room; not just a checkmark, a description
- A maintenance log; when was the issue flagged, and what happened next
- Tenant sign-off; digital or written confirmation the report was shared and acknowledged
- A link to the previous report; so anyone reading it can see what's changed
Research published around the RRA's introduction found 46% of landlords planned to inspect their properties just once a year after the shift to periodic tenancies. Industry professionals have warned that's nowhere near enough!
How TouchRight helps you meet the new standard
TouchRight is built around exactly this kind of connected, evidential inspection trail.
Every photo is timestamped and stored on third-party servers; neither you nor your landlord can edit them after the fact. Reports are linked across the tenancy, so your check-out references the check-in and every mid-term in between. Tenants get a secure link to view, comment, and sign digitally. Maintenance issues are flagged in-app and can be pushed straight to Fixflo.
Report Assist AI speeds up the condition text (suggesting descriptions from your photos as you work) so inspections are faster without being thinner.
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Key dates
Awaab's Law and the Decent Homes Standard have no confirmed dates for the PRS yet; but both are coming, and both will raise the bar for property condition evidence further.
Three things to do right now
1. Move to six-monthly inspections as a minimum.Three-monthly for any new tenancy. Annual is no longer enough.
2. Make sure your reports connect. Every inspection should reference the previous one. Your check-out is only as useful as the inventory it compares to.
3. Share reports to tenants digitally. A signed acknowledgement creates an audit trail. A report that sits in a folder on your desktop doesn't.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Renters' Rights Act affect property inspections?
The Act abolished fixed-term tenancies, which means the natural inspection milestones that came with a 12-month AST ( move-in, mid-terms, check-out)no longer happen automatically. Regular inspections throughout the tenancy are now the primary way to monitor property condition, and the evidence they generate is more important than ever for possession claims and deposit disputes.
Do I still need a check-out report?
Yes. Without a check-out report compared against your move-in inventory, deposit deductions are almost impossible to justify. With Section 21 gone, the same evidence supports possession claims under Section 8.
Can a tenant refuse an inspection?
Tenants can't unreasonably refuse a legitimate inspection where proper notice has been given (typically 24–48 hours in writing). The Renters' Rights Act doesn't change this. Persistent refusal may be a breach of the tenancy agreement.
How often should I inspect?
Best practice is every 3–6 months, with a check at three months for new tenancies. There's no legal minimum, but the evidential standard for possession and deposit claims means that once-a-year visits leave you exposed.
Plan, complete, and share inspection reports that hold up; faster than paper. TouchRight gives you timestamped photos, linked reports across the tenancy, and digital tenant sign-off.
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