When property visits stop being routine: Risk-based visits under the Renters’ Rights Act

Since 1 May 2026, all new tenancies now become Assured Periodic Tenancies after the initial two months. With no fixed end date, the structure that traditionally helped guide how and when agents visit properties has shifted and with it, the thinking behind long-standing inspection schedules.

Most agencies operate on fixed calendar cycles: every three months, every six months, as part of established policy. In a fully periodic tenancy landscape, this approach does not always reflect the differing levels of risk across properties, or the growing importance of maintaining a clear and consistent evidential record.

In this session, Sián Hemming-Metcalfe from Inventory Base will explore how APTs are changing the way agents think about property visits, introduce a practical risk-based framework for determining visit frequency, and explain how each visit contributes to a wider continuous evidential approach to property management, connecting initial condition assessment through to check-out.

Attendees will leave with a clear, practical framework they can begin applying to their portfolio, and a grounded understanding of what is most likely to stand up under redress and scrutiny as the sector moves into 2026.

What the session covers:

• Why Assured Periodic Tenancies challenge traditional inspection schedules
• The three structural considerations agents should understand ahead of May 2026
• The shift from “inspection” to “property visit” and why language matters
• How property visits fit within a continuous evidential management approach
• A practical framework for risk-based visiting
• What should be recorded to support a clear, defensible property record
• Triggers that may require an immediate visit outside scheduled frequency
• How expectations around damp and mould response influence visiting decisions