Fact sheet: Housing Health and Safety Rating System Regulations 2026

The UK Government has opened a consultation on extending Awaab’s Law to private rented homes in England. Rather than placing new duties on landlords to carry out repairs, the proposals set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which homes must be made safe if they contain serious hazards, while also empowering private renters to challenge dangerous conditions. Propertymark is calling on members to get involved in our work to ensure proportionate regulations packaged with meaningful support for agents and their landlords.

A series of enforcement actions relating to licensing breaches, overcrowding, poor property management, and failures to comply with regulatory requirements present a cautionary tale for both agents and landlords. The Renters’ Rights Act has strengthened many of the consequences of non-compliance, whilst local authorities continue to take a firm approach and are increasingly willing to use substantial financial penalties where standards fall short.

As the dust settles following the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, lettings agencies are finding alternative ways to mitigate uncertainty and financial risk for landlords. A range of services are growing in popularity that replace traditional, abolished methods like rent in advance, not least professional rent guarantor provision. This service offers reassurance for good tenants who can afford the rent but don’t quite meet the right criteria on paper, including students, self-employed people or those on benefits, or retirees.

Propertymark has urged the UK Government to ensure that reforms to the building lifecycle support property agents, improve the home-moving process, and give consumers confidence that building work has been completed properly. Our members work closely with other professionals throughout the life of a building, and we have highlighted how consistent standards, clear responsibilities, and reliable records would help agents provide a better service to sellers, buyers, landlords, tenants, and leaseholders.