Landlord glossaryEngland
Every landlord term, in plain English.
From assured periodic tenancies and Section 8 grounds to gas safety, deposits and Section 24. Each entry gives the definition, the key facts, a worked example, the mistakes landlords make and what to do, with links to the legislation and GOV.UK guidance behind it.
- Terms
- 139
- Defined in plain English
- Topics
- 10
- Tenancy to tax
- In every entry
- Example
- Plus mistakes and a checklist
- Last reviewed
- 16 September
- 2026
Start here
Six terms every landlord in England needs now
- Renters Rights Act 2025The Act that reformed private renting in England. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its main tenancy reforms took effect on 1 May 2026: Section 21 was abolished, assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, tenants can ask to keep a pet, rent bidding was banned, and landlords cannot refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits. It also creates the Private Rented Sector Database, opening on 15 December 2026 and required region by region by 14 November 2027 (£65 a year per property), and powers for a Landlord Ombudsman, expected in 2028, and a Decent Homes Standard for private homes, with 2035 set in the policy statement.Read the entry
- Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT)The single tenancy type that replaced the assured shorthold tenancy (AST) in England under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. From 1 May 2026 every existing AST automatically converted to a periodic assured tenancy, no fixed term, rolling from period to period, and no new fixed-term ASTs can be granted. The tenant can leave on two months’ notice; the landlord can only regain possession using a Section 8 ground.Read the entry
- Section 8 NoticeA possession notice served under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 citing a specific ground. From 1 May 2026 this is the only route to possession in England. Common grounds: Ground 1 (landlord moving in), Ground 1A (sale), Ground 8 (3 months' arrears).Read the entry
- Deposit Protection SchemeA government-authorised scheme that holds or insures tenancy deposits. Three schemes are approved in England: DPS (Deposit Protection Service), TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) and mydeposits. Deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt.Read the entry
- EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)A formal inspection of the fixed electrical installation, wiring, consumer unit, sockets and light fittings, by a qualified electrician. Required every 5 years for all private rented properties in England under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Maximum civil penalty: £40,000 per property.Read the entry
- MTD ITSA (Making Tax Digital for Income Tax)HMRC’s digital tax regime for landlords and the self-employed. From 6 April 2026 anyone whose qualifying gross property plus self-employment income was over £50,000 in 2024 to 2025 must keep digital records, send four quarterly updates and submit their tax return (the Final Declaration) through compatible software. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, pulling in most UK landlords.Read the entry
All terms
139 terms, A to Z
A
- Accelerated PossessionA fast-track, usually paper-only court procedure for possession after a valid Section 21 notice in England. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, and a notice served before then could only be used for a claim started by 31 July 2026, so the route is now closed. Possession is pursued under Section 8 using a specified ground, normally with a hearing.Possession
- Accidental LandlordSomeone who ends up letting a property without having planned to be a landlord, for example after inheriting a home, moving in with a partner, struggling to sell, or being relocated for work. Accidental landlords have exactly the same legal duties as professional ones, which is where problems usually start.Tenancy
- Additional LicensingA council scheme under section 56 of the Housing Act 2004 that requires a licence for HMOs not covered by mandatory licensing, typically shared houses with three or four occupiers. Mandatory licensing covers HMOs with five or more people from two or more households, however many storeys the building has. Additional licensing is separate from selective licensing, which covers all private lets in an area. Letting an HMO without a licence where a scheme applies is an offence, with a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a Rent Repayment Order of up to two years’ rent for offences from 1 May 2026.Licensing
- Allowable ExpensesThe day-to-day running costs a landlord can deduct from rental income before tax. They must be wholly and exclusively for the letting, such as letting agent fees, repairs and maintenance (not improvements), landlord insurance, ground rent and service charges, accountancy fees, and bills you pay for the property. Mortgage interest is dealt with separately, as a basic-rate tax credit under Section 24.Tax
- Arrears (Rent Arrears)Rent that is unpaid after its due date. Ground 8 of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988, a mandatory ground, needs at least three months’ rent unpaid (13 weeks’ rent where rent is paid weekly or fortnightly), both when notice is served and at the hearing, up from two months before the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Grounds 10 and 11 cover smaller or persistent arrears and are discretionary.Possession
- Article 4 DirectionA planning tool councils use under article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 to remove permitted development rights in an area, most often the right to turn a family home (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4) without planning permission. Where a direction applies, that change needs a planning application, and going ahead without permission can lead to planning enforcement.Licensing
- Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT)The single tenancy type that replaced the assured shorthold tenancy (AST) in England under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. From 1 May 2026 every existing AST automatically converted to a periodic assured tenancy, no fixed term, rolling from period to period, and no new fixed-term ASTs can be granted. The tenant can leave on two months’ notice; the landlord can only regain possession using a Section 8 ground.Tenancy
- AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy)The standard private tenancy in England from 1997 until 30 April 2026. On 1 May 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 turned existing assured shorthold tenancies into assured periodic tenancies, and new private tenancies are now created as assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term.Tenancy
- Awaab's LawLegal time limits for social landlords to investigate and fix serious hazards such as damp and mould, named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 after exposure to mould in his family’s home in Rochdale. It has applied to social landlords since 27 October 2025. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gives the Government power to apply similar duties to private landlords, but no regulations have been made and no date has been set, so no Awaab’s Law deadline binds a private landlord today.Tenant rights
B
- Bailiff (County Court Bailiff / High Court Enforcement Officer)The court officer who enforces a possession order at the eviction stage. After a landlord wins a possession order under Section 8 (post-1 May 2026 the only route in England), if the tenant does not leave by the date in the order the landlord applies for a Warrant of Possession (CCB) or a Writ of Possession (HCEO). The bailiff or HCEO then attends to take physical possession; only they may lawfully evict, self-help eviction by the landlord is a criminal offence under section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.Possession
- Banning OrderAn order made by the First-tier Tribunal, on a council’s application, under Part 2 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016. It bans a person convicted of a banning order offence, such as unlawful eviction or serious housing and licensing offences, from letting housing, doing letting agency or property management work, or both, for at least 12 months. People subject to a banning order are entered on the database of rogue landlords and property agents, and breaching the order is itself an offence.Compliance admin
- BettermentThe principle that a landlord cannot end up better off at the tenant’s expense when claiming for damage. A deposit deduction must reflect the actual loss, accounting for the age, condition and expected lifespan of the item, so you cannot charge the full cost of a new item to replace an old, worn one.Deposits
- Break ClauseA clause in a fixed-term tenancy letting the landlord or tenant end it early. Since 1 May 2026 a term fixing the length of an assured tenancy has no effect, so in most residential lets in England a break clause does nothing: the tenant can end the tenancy with two months’ notice, and the landlord needs a Section 8 ground.Tenancy
- BTL (Buy-to-Let)Buying a property to rent out, usually with a buy-to-let mortgage. Individual landlords cannot deduct mortgage interest from rental profit: under section 24 they receive a tax credit at the basic rate, 20% (22% from the 2027 to 2028 tax year). Buying an additional home in England or Northern Ireland also adds 5 percentage points of Stamp Duty Land Tax.Tax
- Buildings InsuranceCover for the physical structure of a property, walls, roof, floors and permanent fixtures, against risks such as fire, flood, storm and subsidence. For a leasehold flat the freeholder usually arranges block buildings insurance and recovers the cost through the service charge; for a house, the landlord arranges it directly.Compliance admin
- Buy-to-Let MortgageA mortgage for a property bought to rent out. Lenders assess it mainly on the rent the property will produce, not just the borrower’s income, and many are interest-only. Deposits are usually larger than for a residential mortgage, often at least 20 to 25%, and for individual landlords the interest gets a basic-rate tax credit under Section 24 rather than a deduction.Tax
C
- Capital AllowancesTax relief for capital spending on qualifying "plant and machinery". For a standard residential letting they are generally NOT available, furniture and appliances are covered instead by Replacement of Domestic Items Relief. Capital allowances mainly apply to equipment in the communal areas of some HMOs and to commercial property; the furnished holiday let regime that allowed them was abolished from April 2025.Tax
- Capital Expenditure vs Revenue ExpenditureThe line that decides whether a cost reduces your rental profit now or your Capital Gains Tax later. Revenue expenditure (repairs, maintenance, replacing like-for-like) is deducted from rental income in the year you spend it. Capital expenditure (improvements, extensions, first-time installation of something new) is added to the property’s cost base and only counts against CGT when you sell.Tax
- Capital Gains Tax (CGT)Tax on the gain when you sell or give away a property that is not your main home. For residential property the rates are 18% on gains within the basic rate band and 24% above it, and the annual exempt amount is £3,000. If tax is due on the sale of UK residential property, you must report it and pay within 60 days of completion.Tax
- Capital GrowthThe increase in a property’s market value over time, as distinct from the rental income it produces. It is only realised (and taxed, via Capital Gains Tax) when the property is sold. Many landlords weigh capital growth against rental yield when choosing where and what to buy.Tax
- Check-in / Check-out ReportThe dated, photographed inventory record taken at the start (check-in) and end (check-out) of a tenancy, signed by tenant and landlord/agent. It is the primary evidence base for any deposit deduction claim through the DPS, TDS or mydeposits adjudication process, without it, the scheme will almost always award the deposit back to the tenant. Best practice: third-party inventory clerk, time-stamped photographs of every room and meter reading, and tenant sign-off within 7 days.Deposits
- Civil Penalty NoticeA financial penalty a local housing authority can impose instead of prosecuting for many housing offences, such as breaching HMO or selective licensing or failing to comply with an Improvement Notice. Under section 249A of the Housing Act 2004 the maximum is £40,000 for offences from 1 May 2026 (previously £30,000). The landlord can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal, and unpaid penalties are recoverable in the county court.Compliance admin
- Client Money Protection (CMP)Insurance-backed protection that reimburses landlords and tenants if a letting or property management agent in England fails to pay back money it holds for them, such as rent or deposits. Since 1 April 2019 every agent that holds client money must belong to a government-approved client money protection scheme and publish its membership. A council can fine an agent up to £30,000 for not belonging to a scheme, and up to £5,000 for not displaying or publishing the membership details.Compliance admin
- CO Alarm (Carbon Monoxide Alarm)A carbon monoxide alarm is required in every room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, other than a gas cooker, in private rented homes in England. The landlord must make sure each alarm works on the day a tenancy starts and repair or replace an alarm once told it is faulty. These duties date from 1 October 2022. A council can impose a penalty of up to £5,000 if a remedial notice is not complied with.Safety
- Company LetA tenancy where the tenant is a limited company rather than an individual, often so the company can house an employee. Because the tenant is not an individual occupying as their only or principal home, a company let is not an assured tenancy and falls outside the Renters’ Rights Act, it is governed by the contract and common law instead.Tenancy
- Compliance ScoreA score from 0 to 100 that LetCompliance gives each property, based on whether its key records are in date: gas safety, EICR, EPC, deposit protection, Right to Rent and fire risk assessment. Each record that applies counts equally, earns half marks within 30 days of expiry and nothing once expired or missing. The score updates when a record changes and every day, and it is a way to see gaps at a glance, not a legal rating.LetCompliance
- Consent to LetWritten permission from a residential mortgage lender for the owner to let out a home bought with an owner-occupier mortgage, without switching to a buy-to-let mortgage. It is often time-limited and can come with a higher interest rate or a fee. Letting without it usually breaches the mortgage terms.Compliance admin
- Council TaxThe tax charged on residential property by the local authority. Tenants are usually liable while the property is let as their main residence. Landlords become liable during void periods and for most HMOs (where each tenant has their own AST).Tax
- CP12 (Gas Safety Record)The document issued after an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, commonly called a Gas Safety Certificate. Landlords must renew it every 12 months, give the tenant a copy within 28 days of the check, and give new tenants a copy before they move in. Non-compliance is a criminal offence under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.Safety
D
- Decent Homes Standard (DHS)A government standard for minimum housing quality. The reformed standard has five criteria: free of the most dangerous hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, providing core facilities and services, providing thermal comfort, and free of damp and mould. It currently applies to social housing. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides the power to extend it to the private rented sector, and the Government’s January 2026 policy statement sets 2035 for both tenures, but the regulations have not been made, so it is not a duty on private landlords today. Energy has a separate, earlier planned date: EPC C by 1 October 2030, also not law yet.Tenant rights
- Deposit CapThe limit on tenancy deposits set by the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Five weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000, six weeks' rent where rent is £50,000 or more. Holding deposits are separately capped at one week's rent.Deposits
- Deposit Protection SchemeA government-authorised scheme that holds or insures tenancy deposits. Three schemes are approved in England: DPS (Deposit Protection Service), TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme) and mydeposits. Deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt.Deposits
- DilapidationsDamage or disrepair beyond fair wear and tear that a tenant is responsible for at the end of a tenancy, for example burns, stains, broken fittings or unauthorised alterations. A landlord can propose deposit deductions for dilapidations, but must evidence them and cannot charge to improve the property beyond its original condition.Deposits
- DisrepairA property condition falling below the landlord’s repairing obligations under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 or the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Tenants can sue for damages and specific performance. Disrepair is not in itself a defence to a possession claim, but a damages counterclaim can be set off against rent arrears, which can drop the arrears below the Ground 8 threshold, and it weighs against the landlord on the reasonableness test for discretionary grounds.Tenant rights
- DPS (Deposit Protection Service)One of the three government-authorised tenancy deposit protection schemes in England. It offers a custodial scheme, which holds the money for free, and an insured scheme, where the landlord or agent holds the money and pays a fee. Deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same period.Deposits
E
- EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)A formal inspection of the fixed electrical installation, wiring, consumer unit, sockets and light fittings, by a qualified electrician. Required every 5 years for all private rented properties in England under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. Maximum civil penalty: £40,000 per property.Safety
- EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)A certificate rating a property's energy efficiency from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Rental properties in England must meet at least an E. Properties rated F or G cannot be legally let under MEES. An EPC is valid for 10 years. Maximum fine: £5,000 per property.Energy (EPC/MEES)
- EPC C ProposalConfirmed government policy to raise the minimum EPC rating for rental properties in England from E to C. Confirmed in the government response of 21 January 2026, the standard applies to all privately rented homes from a single deadline of 1 October 2030 (the earlier "2028 for new tenancies" proposal was dropped), with a £10,000 per-property cost cap. The regulations are aimed to be in force in 2027. Landlords should plan upgrades now but verify the detailed rules on GOV.UK.Energy (EPC/MEES)
- Eviction BanA temporary government pause on enforcing possession orders, used in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. No eviction ban is in force in 2026: if a tenant stays after the date in a possession order, the landlord applies for a warrant of possession and a court bailiff carries out the eviction.Possession
- EWS1 FormAn External Wall System assessment form, introduced after Grenfell, that records whether a building’s external walls and cladding meet fire-safety standards. It is completed by a qualified professional and is typically valid for five years for the whole building. Lenders often require one before mortgaging a flat in a taller block with cladding.Safety
F
- Fair Wear and TearThe reasonable deterioration of a property and its contents from normal day-to-day use over the length of the tenancy. A landlord cannot make deposit deductions for fair wear and tear, only for damage, cleaning or loss beyond it. What counts as fair depends on how long the tenant lived there and how many people occupied the property.Deposits
- First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber)The specialist tribunal that decides most private-rented-sector disputes in England outside the county court. It hears challenges to Section 13 rent increases, applications for Rent Repayment Orders, appeals against council civil penalties and licensing decisions, and leasehold service-charge disputes. It is designed to be used without a solicitor, and its decisions are binding.Tenant rights
- Fitness for Human HabitationThe standard set by the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Every rented home must be fit for habitation at the start of the tenancy and throughout. Tenants can sue the landlord directly for breach, without involving the local authority.Tenant rights
- Fixed-Term TenancyA tenancy granted for a set period, such as 6 or 12 months, historically the standard form of assured shorthold tenancy. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed terms for most residential tenancies from 1 May 2026: new tenancies are periodic from the start and a tenant can end them with two months’ notice at any time.Tenancy
- Form 3A (Notice of Seeking Possession, Section 8)The prescribed form a private landlord in England uses to give notice of seeking possession under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988. GOV.UK publishes Form 3A for the private rented sector and Form 3 for social housing, so a private landlord who serves Form 3 has used the wrong form. The notice names the grounds relied on from Schedule 2, sets out the facts behind them and gives the earliest date proceedings can start, which depends on the grounds: none for Grounds 7A and 14, four weeks for Ground 8 and four months for Grounds 1 and 1A. A notice with the wrong form, ground, date or wording is a common reason possession claims fail.Possession
- Form 6A (Section 21 Notice)The prescribed form landlords in England used to give a Section 21 “no-fault” possession notice, until Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. It required at least two months’ notice and was invalid if the deposit was unprotected or the tenant had not been given the gas safety record, the EPC or the How to Rent guide. A Form 6A served before 1 May 2026 could only be used for a claim started by 31 July 2026. Possession is now sought under Section 8 on Form 3A.Possession
- Form N5B (Accelerated Possession Claim)The court form historically used to start an accelerated possession claim after a valid Section 21 notice. The accelerated route allowed possession on paper without a hearing in straightforward cases. From 1 May 2026 the form is no longer usable for new claims because Section 21 has been abolished by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025; possession claims now start under Section 8 / Form N5 instead.Possession
- FreeholdOutright ownership of a property and the land it stands on, with no time limit and no landlord above you. Most houses are freehold; most flats are leasehold. A freeholder of a block owns the building and collects ground rent and service charges from the leaseholders.Compliance admin
- Full ManagementA letting agent service covering marketing, referencing, setting up the tenancy, rent collection, repairs and day-to-day compliance. It is usually charged as a percentage of the rent, plus VAT. The landlord remains legally responsible for the property’s compliance even when the agent does the work.Compliance admin
- Furnished Holiday Let (FHL)A short-term let that met the furnished holiday letting tests, including being available to let for at least 210 days and actually let for at least 105 days a year. Until April 2025 it had special tax treatment: full relief for mortgage interest, capital allowances on furniture and fittings, and some Capital Gains Tax reliefs. The regime was abolished from April 2025, and former holiday lets are now taxed like any other property business.Tax
G
- Gas Safe RegisterThe official register of gas engineers qualified to work safely and legally on gas appliances in the UK. Only Gas Safe registered engineers can carry out the annual gas safety check required for rental properties. Verify an engineer's registration at gassaferegister.co.uk before any work starts.Safety
- Ground 8 (Serious Rent Arrears)The mandatory possession ground for serious rent arrears under Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. Since the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 the threshold is at least three months’ rent unpaid (13 weeks’ for weekly tenancies), up from two months, and the Section 8 notice period is four weeks. The arrears must be at or above the threshold both when the notice is served and again at the hearing, so a tenant who pays below it before the hearing defeats the ground.Possession
- Ground RentA payment due from a leaseholder to the freeholder. Ground rents on long leases granted on or after 30 June 2022 are capped at a peppercorn (effectively zero) under the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022.Tax
- GuarantorA person, usually a parent, who agrees in writing to pay the tenant’s rent and other sums due under the tenancy if the tenant does not. Common where a tenant is a student, is new to the UK or does not pass an affordability check. The guarantee must be in writing and signed by the guarantor, a landlord cannot charge the tenant a fee for checking the guarantor, and under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 a guarantor’s liability ends if the tenant dies.Tenancy
H
- HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System)The system councils in England use to assess hazards in homes under the Housing Act 2004. It covers 29 hazards, from damp and mould to falls on stairs. A Category 1 hazard is the most serious, and the council must take enforcement action, such as an improvement notice or a prohibition order.Tenant rights
- HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)A property let to 3 or more people from 2 or more households who share facilities (kitchen, bathroom, toilet). Any HMO with 5 or more occupants from 2 or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence from the local authority. Many councils also operate additional licensing for smaller HMOs.Licensing
- Holding DepositA refundable payment of up to one week’s rent that a landlord or agent can take to reserve a property while checks are done, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. The landlord and applicant have 15 days to agree the tenancy unless they agree a different date in writing. The holding deposit must then be repaid, or put towards the first rent or the deposit, unless the applicant withdraws, fails a Right to Rent check, gives false or misleading information or does not take reasonable steps to enter the tenancy. Taking more than a week’s rent, or keeping it wrongly, is a prohibited payment.Deposits
- How to Rent GuideA government checklist that landlords in England had to give tenants at the start of a new assured shorthold tenancy. GOV.UK withdrew it on 1 May 2026; it is retained only as evidence for Section 21 notices served before that date. It is no longer a document to serve on a new tenant. New tenancies instead require a written statement of terms, given before the tenancy is entered into (penalty up to £7,000).Compliance admin
I
- ICO (Information Commissioner's Office)The UK regulator for data protection. Landlords who keep tenant information, such as ID copies, references and bank details, are data controllers under UK GDPR, should give tenants a privacy notice, and may need to pay the ICO’s data protection fee unless an exemption applies.Compliance admin
- Immigration Act 2014The Act that created Right to Rent, requiring landlords in England to check every adult occupier has the legal right to rent in the UK. Civil penalties for failing to check reach up to £10,000 per occupier for a first breach and £20,000 for a repeat breach; knowingly renting to a disqualified person is a criminal offence (unlimited fine, up to 5 years).Compliance admin
- Improvement NoticeA formal notice served by the local housing authority under section 11 (Category 1 hazard) or section 12 (Category 2 hazard) of the Housing Act 2004 requiring a landlord to remedy hazards identified through the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). The notice specifies the works, the deadline and the route of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. Failure to comply is a criminal offence with civil penalty up to £40,000, and triggers a Rent Repayment Order of up to two years’ rent.Compliance admin
- Inheritance Tax (IHT)A tax on the value of an estate on death, charged at 40% above the tax-free threshold. Rental property counts in the estate at its market value less any outstanding mortgage. The nil-rate band is £325,000, with a further residence nil-rate band potentially available when a main home passes to direct descendants.Tax
- Interest Coverage Ratio (ICR)The rental stress test buy-to-let lenders use to decide how much they will lend. It measures whether the rent covers the mortgage interest by a required margin, commonly 125% for basic-rate borrowers and 145% for higher-rate borrowers, tested at a notional stressed interest rate rather than the actual pay rate.Tax
- Interest-Only MortgageA mortgage where the monthly payment covers only the interest, leaving the original capital to be repaid at the end of the term. Most buy-to-let mortgages are interest-only because it maximises monthly cashflow and, historically, the tax treatment of interest. The capital must still be repaid eventually, usually by selling or remortgaging the property.Tax
- Inventory (Inventory Clerk)A detailed, dated record of a property’s contents and condition at the start of a tenancy, with photos, used as the comparison at check-out for any deposit deductions. An independent inventory clerk can prepare it, which adds weight because the record is impartial. It is the main evidence a deposit scheme adjudicator uses in a dispute.Deposits
L
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (Section 11)The cornerstone repair-obligation statute for residential lets in England and Wales. Section 11 implies into every short-term residential tenancy a landlord obligation to keep in repair the structure and exterior of the property, and to keep in repair and proper working order the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and water heating. Cannot be contracted out of. Breach is the basis for tenant disrepair claims, and Section 11 is what actually bites on a private landlord today, Awaab’s Law SLA enforcement is a social-sector regime the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 carries the power to extend to the PRS.Compliance admin
- Landlord Database (Private Rented Sector Database)A national digital register of private landlords and rented properties in England, established under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and run by the Government as the "Register your rental property" service. Landlords of assured or regulated tenancies must register themselves and each let property, giving property, occupancy and rent details and copies of the gas safety record, EICR and (where required) EPC, and pay £65 a year per property. It opens on 15 December 2026 and becomes required region by region, with each region getting 3 months to register; all actively let properties must be registered by 14 November 2027. Councils will use it for enforcement and can impose a penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach, or up to £40,000 where an offence is committed, and a court may not make a possession order while the landlord is in breach of the duty to be registered, except on Ground 7A or 14.Compliance admin
- Landlord InsuranceInsurance built for let property, going beyond a standard home policy. It typically bundles buildings cover, property owners’ (public) liability, and optional extras such as loss of rent, malicious damage by tenants, and legal expenses. A normal residential home-insurance policy usually will not cover a property that is let.Compliance admin
- Landlord LicensingLocal authority schemes that require landlords to hold a licence to let property in a defined area. Three types: mandatory HMO licensing (national), additional licensing (smaller HMOs), and selective licensing (non-HMOs). Operating without a required licence carries civil penalties up to £40,000.Licensing
- Landlord Ombudsman (Private Rented Sector)A redress scheme for private landlords that the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 allows the Government to set up. When it launches, private landlords of assured tenancies will have to join, and tenants will be able to complain to it free of charge instead of going to court. It is not open yet: the Government expects it in 2028.Tenant rights
- LeaseholdOwning the right to occupy a property for a fixed number of years under a lease, while a separate freeholder owns the land and building. Most flats in England are leasehold. Leaseholders usually pay ground rent and service charges and must observe lease conditions, including any restrictions on subletting.Compliance admin
- Legionella Risk AssessmentA written assessment of the risk of legionella bacteria in the property's water system. Required by HSE under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Not a formal certificate, but landlords must demonstrate they have considered the risk.Safety
- Let Property CampaignAn HMRC disclosure route for residential landlords who have not declared rental income from earlier years. Coming forward before HMRC opens an enquiry usually means a lower penalty: for careless errors disclosed unprompted it can be as low as nothing, while deliberate and concealed failures can reach 100% of the tax. After telling HMRC you intend to disclose, you have 90 days to work out and pay the tax, interest and penalty.Tax
- Let-OnlyA letting agent service limited to finding a tenant, referencing and preparing the tenancy. The landlord handles rent collection, repairs and ongoing compliance. It is usually a one-off fee, plus VAT.Compliance admin
- Loan to Value (LTV)The size of a mortgage expressed as a percentage of the property’s value. A £150,000 loan on a £200,000 property is 75% LTV. Buy-to-let lending is usually capped around 75–80% LTV, and lower LTVs unlock better interest rates.Tax
- Local Housing Allowance (LHA)The figure used to work out the most Universal Credit or Housing Benefit will contribute towards rent for a private tenant, based on where they live and how many bedrooms they need. Rates were reset to the 30th percentile of local rents in April 2024 and are not always uprated each year, so in many areas they fall below actual rents. Anything above the rate has to come from the tenant’s other income.Tenancy
- LodgerSomeone who rents a room in a property where the landlord also lives, sharing living space such as the kitchen or bathroom. A lodger is an excluded occupier, not an assured tenant, so the landlord can end the arrangement with "reasonable notice" and does not need a court order. The Rent a Room scheme lets the resident landlord earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free.Tenancy
M
- Mandatory GroundA ground for possession under Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 that the court must grant if proved. Examples include Ground 1 (landlord moving in), Ground 1A (sale) and Ground 8 (serious arrears). Contrast discretionary grounds, where the court decides if possession is reasonable.Possession
- MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards)Regulations requiring rental properties in England and Wales to meet a minimum EPC rating of E. Landlords cannot grant a new tenancy or continue an existing one for an F or G property without a valid exemption. Maximum fine: £5,000 per property.Energy (EPC/MEES)
- Mileage AllowanceA simplified way to claim the cost of driving for your lettings business: for cars and goods vehicles, 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles in the 2026-27 tax year (45p in earlier years) and 25p per mile after that. You claim either mileage OR the actual running costs of the vehicle, not both, and you must keep a log of business journeys (inspections, repairs, viewings).Tax
- Mortgage Interest Tax Credit (Section 24)The basic-rate tax credit that replaced the deduction of mortgage interest for individual landlords, under section 24 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2015. Since 6 April 2020 finance costs such as mortgage interest are no longer deducted from rental profit; instead HMRC gives a tax reduction at the basic rate, 20%, rising to 22% from the 2027 to 2028 tax year, limited by the lowest of finance costs, property profits and income above the personal allowance. Companies are not affected and still deduct interest as an expense.Tax
- Move-in Pack (Statutory)The bundle of documents an English landlord must serve on a new tenant before, or at the very start of, a tenancy. Standard contents: latest Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), latest EICR, current EPC (band E or above), the deposit Prescribed Information, and a written statement of terms before the tenancy is entered into. Only a deposit failure bars a Section 8 possession order (every ground except 7A and 14, until the deposit is protected with the Prescribed Information given, even late, or returned). Missing gas, EICR or EPC carry their own penalties and weigh against the landlord on the discretionary grounds, but they do not bar possession. The GOV.UK How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026 and is no longer served on new tenants.Tenancy
- MTD ITSA (Making Tax Digital for Income Tax)HMRC’s digital tax regime for landlords and the self-employed. From 6 April 2026 anyone whose qualifying gross property plus self-employment income was over £50,000 in 2024 to 2025 must keep digital records, send four quarterly updates and submit their tax return (the Final Declaration) through compatible software. The threshold drops to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028, pulling in most UK landlords.Tax
- mydepositsOne of the three government-authorised deposit protection schemes in England. Offers custodial and insured options. Deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt.Deposits
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- Notice PeriodThe minimum time a landlord must give in a Section 8 notice before starting possession proceedings. Since 1 May 2026 it depends on the ground: four months for Grounds 1, 1A, 2, 6 and 6A; two months for Grounds 5, 7 and 9; four weeks for Grounds 8, 10, 11 and 18; two weeks for Grounds 7B, 12, 13, 14ZA, 14A, 15 and 17; and no minimum for Grounds 7A and 14. A tenant ends an assured periodic tenancy with two months’ notice.Possession
- Notice to QuitA common-law notice ending a contractual periodic tenancy (rather than a statutorily protected one). For most modern residential lets governed by the Housing Act 1988 the relevant notices are Section 21 (until 1 May 2026) and Section 8 (Form 3A) under the assured shorthold / assured periodic tenancy regime, not a common-law Notice to Quit. The phrase is still used colloquially and remains relevant for specific edge cases: company lets, resident landlords, holiday lets and tenancies excluded from the Housing Act 1988 by Schedule 1.Possession
- NotifyIn LetCompliance, the reminder ladder that emails you 90, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before a certificate or deadline you have recorded runs out. Email reminders come on every plan and text messages on paid plans, with quiet hours so nothing arrives overnight.LetCompliance
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- PAT Testing (Portable Appliance Testing)Electrical safety testing of portable appliances (kettles, lamps, toasters) supplied with the tenancy. Not legally required for private rentals in England, but recommended good practice and sometimes required by insurers and HMO licences.Safety
- PCM (Per Calendar Month)PCM stands for "per calendar month", the standard way UK rent is advertised (e.g. "£1,200 pcm"). It is the rent due each month regardless of how many days that month has. To convert a weekly rent (pw) to pcm, multiply by 52 and divide by 12; dividing weekly rent by 4 understates the true monthly figure. The legal tenancy deposit cap and Section 13 rent-increase rules are all calculated from the monthly (or annualised) rent, so getting pcm right matters beyond the advert.Tenancy
- Periodic TenancyA tenancy that continues from period to period (usually monthly) with no fixed end date. From 1 May 2026 all assured tenancies in England are periodic by default under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Tenants can end the tenancy with two months' notice.Tenancy
- Pet Request (Renters’ Rights Act)A tenant’s right, under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, to ask in writing to keep a pet in a rented home in England. The landlord must reply in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. If the landlord asks for more information within that time, they have seven days from receiving it to decide. Consent can come with reasonable conditions, but the landlord cannot charge a pet deposit or require pet insurance.Tenant rights
- Possession OrderThe court order made at the end of a possession claim, requiring the tenant to give up the property to the landlord on a specified date. Two main types under Section 8: outright (give up by a fixed date, typically 14–42 days) or suspended (postponed if the tenant complies with terms, e.g. clearing arrears). If the tenant does not leave by the date in the order the landlord must apply for a Warrant of Possession to enforce eviction by a county court bailiff or High Court Enforcement Officer.Possession
- Possession Warrant (Warrant of Possession)The court document that authorises a county court bailiff to evict a tenant who has not left by the date in a possession order. A landlord applies on form N325 and pays a court fee; the bailiff then gives the tenant notice of the eviction date. Enforcement can be moved to the High Court, where an enforcement officer acts under a writ of possession, but only with the court’s permission.Possession
- Prescribed InformationA document landlords must give tenants within 30 days of receiving a deposit, alongside deposit protection. It tells the tenant which scheme holds the deposit, how to reclaim it and how to raise a dispute. Failure to serve it can result in a penalty of 1-3 times the deposit.Deposits
- Property Income AllowanceA £1,000 tax-free allowance for gross property income. If your total rental income in a tax year is £1,000 or less you usually do not need to declare it. If it is more, you can either deduct the £1,000 allowance instead of your actual expenses, or claim actual expenses, whichever gives the lower tax, but not both.Tax
- Property Redress SchemeA government-approved ombudsman scheme for property-related complaints. Letting agents in England must be members of a redress scheme (The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme). The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for a separate Landlord Ombudsman that private landlords will have to join, but that scheme is not open, the Government’s roadmap expects mandatory membership in 2028.Compliance admin
- Public Liability InsuranceCover, often called property owners’ liability, that protects a landlord against claims if a tenant, visitor or member of the public is injured or their property is damaged because of the condition of the let property. It is usually included within a landlord insurance policy.Compliance admin
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- RemortgagingSwitching a mortgage to a new deal, either with the same lender (a product transfer) or a new one, usually when a fixed or tracker period ends. Landlords remortgage to avoid rolling onto the lender’s higher standard variable rate, or to release equity to fund another purchase.Tax
- Rent a Room ReliefA scheme letting you earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free from letting a furnished room in your own home. The threshold halves to £3,750 if someone else (for example a partner) also receives income from the same letting. It applies to resident landlords with a lodger, not to a separate buy-to-let property.Tax
- Rent Bidding BanA Renters’ Rights Act 2025 rule that stops landlords and letting agents in England inviting or encouraging offers above the advertised rent. From 1 May 2026 a property must be advertised at a fixed asking rent, and the landlord cannot accept, or invite a tenant to make, a bid higher than that figure. It targets the "sealed-bid" rent auctions that pushed prices up in high-demand areas.Tenant rights
- Rent Guarantee InsuranceA policy that pays the landlord’s rent if the tenant defaults, usually alongside legal-expenses cover for the cost of obtaining possession. Cover is conditional on the tenant having passed referencing and on the tenancy being properly set up, and policies cap the number of months and the monthly amount paid.Compliance admin
- Rent in AdvanceRent paid before the period it covers. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord in England cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before the tenancy is signed, and a term requiring rent in advance has no effect, except the initial rent, for the first rent period, which can be required between signing and the start date. A tenant can still choose to pay early once the tenancy has started. Advance rent is separate from the deposit, which is capped and must be protected.Tenancy
- Rent Increase Notice (Section 13)A notice under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 used to increase the rent on an assured periodic tenancy. Since 1 May 2026 the landlord must use the prescribed Form 4A (Form 4 is the social housing version) and give at least two months’ notice, and the new rent cannot start sooner than 52 weeks after the tenancy began or the last increase. A tenant can refer the proposed rent to the First-tier Tribunal, which decides the open-market rent; the tenant then pays that figure if it is lower than the proposal, and the proposed rent otherwise.Tenancy
- Rent Repayment Order (RRO)An order of the First-tier Tribunal requiring a landlord to repay rent to a tenant, or to the council where housing benefit or Universal Credit covered the rent, for certain housing offences, such as letting a licensable property without a licence, unlawful eviction, harassment or failing to comply with an improvement notice. For offences from 1 May 2026 the maximum is two years’ rent, up from 12 months. No conviction is needed: the tribunal must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the offence was committed.Possession
- Rent-to-Rent (R2R)An arrangement where a middle party rents a property from the owner on one agreement, then sub-lets it (often room by room as an HMO) to occupiers for a higher total rent, keeping the margin. Legitimate only with the owner’s written consent, the correct tenancy type and, critically, the right HMO licence held by whoever is the "person in control". Done without consent or a licence it is a common source of unlawful-eviction, deposit and licensing liability.Tenancy
- Rental Yield (Gross / Net)The annual return on a rental property as a percentage of its value. Gross yield is annual rent ÷ property price × 100; net yield subtracts running costs (management, insurance, maintenance, a void allowance, ground rent/service charge) before dividing. Neither is the real return until you also take off mortgage interest and tax, after Section 24 and Making Tax Digital, the after-tax yield is what actually matters.Tax
- Renters Rights Act 2025The Act that reformed private renting in England. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and its main tenancy reforms took effect on 1 May 2026: Section 21 was abolished, assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, tenants can ask to keep a pet, rent bidding was banned, and landlords cannot refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits. It also creates the Private Rented Sector Database, opening on 15 December 2026 and required region by region by 14 November 2027 (£65 a year per property), and powers for a Landlord Ombudsman, expected in 2028, and a Decent Homes Standard for private homes, with 2035 set in the policy statement.Tenant rights
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 is the main law for renting a home in Wales. It has been in force since 1 December 2022. It replaced assured shorthold tenancies with "occupation contracts", and tenants are now called contract-holders. Private lets use a standard contract, and social housing uses a secure contract. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 covers England only, so Welsh lets follow different rules.Tenancy
- Replacement of Domestic Items ReliefThe tax relief that lets landlords deduct the cost of replacing furnishings and appliances in a let property, beds, sofas, carpets, curtains, white goods, crockery. It replaced the old Wear and Tear Allowance in April 2016. It covers the like-for-like replacement cost only, not the first-time purchase of an item and not any improvement element.Tax
- Resident LandlordA landlord who lives in the same building as the person renting from them. Where the landlord shares living accommodation with the occupier, that occupier is usually an excluded occupier (a lodger) rather than an assured tenant, with far fewer statutory protections and no need for a court order to end the arrangement.Tenancy
- Right to RentThe legal requirement on all private landlords in England to check every adult occupier has the legal right to rent in the UK before the tenancy starts. Introduced by the Immigration Act 2014. Civil penalties: up to £10,000 per occupier for a first breach, rising to £20,000 for repeat breaches (since 13 February 2024).Compliance admin
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- SA105 (Property Pages)The UK Property supplementary pages of the Self Assessment tax return, where landlords report rental income and expenses. It sits alongside the main SA100 return. Under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, landlords over the income threshold move from the annual SA105 to digital quarterly updates plus a final declaration.Tax
- Schedule 2 (Housing Act 1988 Possession Grounds)The list of grounds a landlord relies on to seek possession of an assured tenancy under Section 8. On a mandatory ground the court must order possession if the ground is proved; examples are Ground 1 (the landlord or family moving in), Ground 1A (selling), Ground 7A (serious antisocial behaviour) and Ground 8 (serious rent arrears). On a discretionary ground the court must also be satisfied possession is reasonable; examples are Grounds 10 and 11 (rent arrears), 12 (breach of the tenancy), 13 (deterioration of the property) and 14 (antisocial behaviour). Each ground has its own notice period.Possession
- Schedule of ConditionA room-by-room photographic record of the condition of the property itself (walls, floors, windows and fittings) at the start of a tenancy, updated at check-out. It differs from an inventory, which lists contents. Together they are the evidence for deposit deductions, and without them a deposit scheme will usually return the deposit to the tenant.Deposits
- Section 13 NoticeThe only lawful way to raise rent on an assured periodic tenancy. An increase cannot take effect until 52 weeks after the tenancy began or after the last increase, with a 53-week correction where the 52-week date would fall more than six days before the anniversary of the first increase after 11 February 2003, and with at least two months' notice (extended from one month by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025). Tenant can refer to the First-tier Tribunal, which determines the market rent; that figure may be higher or lower than the landlord proposed, but the tenant will not be required to pay more than the amount in the notice.Tenancy
- Section 21 NoticeThe no-fault eviction notice under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Abolished for new notices from 1 May 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Landlords must now use Section 8 with a specified ground.Possession
- Section 21 PrerequisitesThe conditions a private landlord in England had to meet before a Section 21 notice (Form 6A) was valid. The main ones were: the deposit protected and the prescribed information given, and the tenant given the gas safety record, the EPC and the How to Rent guide. A notice was also blocked by a licensing breach, a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act that had not been repaid, or a recent improvement notice following a repair complaint. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and these conditions went with it. Under Section 8, an unprotected deposit still stops a possession order on every ground except 7A and 14.Possession
- Section 47 Notice (Rent Demand Address)Section 47 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 requires any written demand for rent or other sums from a residential tenant to include the landlord’s name and address and, if that address is not in England or Wales, an address there at which notices can be served. If a demand leaves this out, any service charge or administration charge in it is treated as not due until the information is given by notice. Rent itself is not suspended by section 47; the separate duty in section 48 is the one that affects when rent is due.Tenancy
- Section 48 Notice (Landlord’s Address for Service)Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 requires the landlord of a home in England to give the tenant, in writing, an address in England or Wales at which notices can be served. Until it is given, rent is treated as not due; once it is, the earlier rent becomes payable. An address in the tenancy agreement, given without limitation, is enough. Whether a letting agent’s address counts has not been decided by an appeal court.Tenancy
- Section 8 NoticeA possession notice served under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 citing a specific ground. From 1 May 2026 this is the only route to possession in England. Common grounds: Ground 1 (landlord moving in), Ground 1A (sale), Ground 8 (3 months' arrears).Possession
- Selective LicensingA local authority scheme that requires every private landlord in a designated area to hold a licence, regardless of property type. Operating without a required selective licence carries civil penalties up to £40,000.Licensing
- Self AssessmentHMRC’s system for reporting untaxed income, including rental profit, and paying the tax due. Most landlords must register for Self Assessment and file a return by 31 January after the tax year, paying any tax by the same date. Making Tax Digital is progressively replacing the single annual return with digital quarterly updates for landlords above the income thresholds.Tax
- Service ChargeThe amount a leaseholder pays towards the cost of maintaining, insuring and running the shared parts of a building, cleaning, lifts, buildings insurance, communal repairs and a reserve (sinking) fund. It is charged by the freeholder or managing agent and must, by law, be reasonable and properly consulted on for major works.Compliance admin
- Smoke AlarmA smoke alarm is required on every storey of a private rented home in England that has a room used as living accommodation, under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, as amended in 2022. The landlord must check the alarms work on the day each tenancy starts and repair or replace any alarm once told it is faulty. The regulations do not specify the type of alarm, though an HMO licence or building regulations can require more.Safety
- SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle / Limited Company Landlord)A limited company set up solely to hold buy-to-let property, used by landlords to sidestep the Section 24 mortgage-interest restriction, a company deducts finance costs in full, then pays Corporation Tax on the profit. New purchases can be made directly by the company; moving existing personal properties in is a sale to the company, triggering SDLT and potentially CGT. SIC code 68209 is the usual "letting of own property" classification.Tax
- Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT)Tax on buying property or land in England and Northern Ireland. For residential purchases the standard rates since 1 April 2025 are 0% up to £125,000, 2% to £250,000, 5% to £925,000, 10% to £1.5 million and 12% above. Buying an additional home, including most buy-to-let purchases of £40,000 or more, adds 5 percentage points to each band.Tax
- Stamp Duty Surcharge (Additional Property)The extra 5 percentage points of Stamp Duty Land Tax (England and Northern Ireland) charged on buying an additional residential property of £40,000 or more, including most buy-to-let purchases and second homes. It rose from 3 percentage points on 31 October 2024 and applies on top of the standard rates. Buyers not resident in the UK pay a further 2 percentage points. If you buy a new main home before selling the old one, the surcharge can be reclaimed if the old home is sold within three years. Scotland and Wales have their own taxes and rates.Tax
- Statutory Periodic TenancyHistorically, the rolling tenancy that arose automatically when a fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy ended and the tenant stayed on. Since the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed terms from 1 May 2026, all assured tenancies are periodic from the outset (an assured periodic tenancy), so the "statutory periodic" step no longer applies to new tenancies.Tenancy
- Sub-lettingWhen a tenant lets all or part of the property to someone else while their own tenancy continues. Most tenancy agreements forbid it without the landlord’s written consent, and a breach can support possession on Ground 12, a discretionary ground. Unauthorised subletting can also turn a property into an HMO that needs a licence, and in social housing it can be a criminal offence.Tenancy
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- TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme)One of three government-authorised deposit schemes in England. Offers a custodial scheme (TDS Custodial) and an insured scheme (TDS Insured). Adjudication is included for disputes at end of tenancy.Deposits
- Tenant Fees Act 2019The law that bans most fees charged to tenants in England. Landlords and agents can only require rent, a refundable deposit (capped at five or six weeks’ rent), a holding deposit of up to one week’s rent, and set payments such as a capped fee for a change of tenancy, early termination costs, default fees for late rent or lost keys, and bills such as utilities and council tax where the tenancy says so. A first breach can lead to a civil penalty of up to £5,000, and a further breach within five years to a penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution.Compliance admin
- Tenant in SituA property sold or bought with an existing tenant already living in it under a continuing tenancy. The buyer takes over as landlord and inherits the tenancy on its current terms, including the deposit, the compliance history and any arrears position.Tenancy
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- Vacant PossessionHanding over a property empty of people and belongings, with the tenancy legally ended. A landlord recovers vacant possession at the end of a tenancy, or through the courts and, if necessary, county court bailiffs or High Court enforcement officers after a possession order.Possession
- Void PeriodA period when a rental property is empty and producing no rent, typically between tenancies. During a void the landlord still pays the mortgage, and usually becomes liable for council tax and utilities. Voids are one of the biggest hidden costs in buy-to-let.Tenancy
