The Agent Blog - Goodlord | Decent Homes Standard

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May 1 2026 - Renters' Right Act Commencement Day

You have 0 days to:

Serve any final Section 21 notices

Stop accepting above-asking rent offers

Prepare for the rental bidding ban

Remove “No DSS” from adverts

Remove “No Children” from listings

Show one clear rent price

Stop using fixed-term agreements

Switch to periodic tenancy templates

Check which tenancies go periodic

Stop taking rent before signing

Take no more than one month’s rent

Move all evictions to Section 8

Train staff on new notice rules

Create Section 13 process flow

Add two months to rent reviews

File court claims for Section 21s

Update landlord move-in grounds

Update landlord selling grounds

Send the RRA Information Sheet

Create written terms where missing

Update How to Rent processes

Review tenant screening questions

Update pet request processes

Stop backdating rent increases

Discuss rent protection backbooks

Act now before it is too late...

Act now!

A modern building with a distinctive design, featuring a large, smooth, reddish-brown wall on the right and a section on the left with multiple levels of dark-colored, box-like protrusions. These protrusions have large windows and glass balconies. The building is made of brick and what appears to be dark metal cladding, symbolising the decent homes standard. A clear sky is visible in the background, with a single bird flying.

Mar 10, 2026

Landlords

Decent Homes Standard

Renters' Rights Act

The Decent Homes Standard in the Renters’ Rights Act: How to evolve alongside new standards

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, a new Decent Homes Standard will apply across the Private Rented Sector, creating a single minimum standard for rented homes.

A brown two-story cottage with a large wooden wrap-around deck and a small upper balcony, set on a grassy hill under a blue sky.

Feb 19, 2026

Landlords

Decent Homes Standard

The Government's Decent Homes Standard has been rated 'not fit for purpose': here's what that means for landlords

The Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) has issued a red rating around the Decent Homes Standard, questioning some of the evidence behind the policy.

5 ways the government plans to crack down on rogue landlords

Jan 15, 2024

Business

Decent Homes Standard

Property Portal

5 ways the government plans to crack down on rogue landlords

2024 will see more measures to tackle non-compliant landlords, from a new law for emergency repairs to Manchester's proposed Rogue Landlord Charter.

Oct 9, 2023

Landlords

Tenants

Decent Homes Standard

Tenant rights

Are bed bugs a landlord’s problem?

Rik Smith, Director of Tenancy Services at Goodlord, explains how can landlords and letting agents support tenants when there’s an infestation - and whose responsibility is it to get rid of them?

Sep 7, 2023

Landlords

Decent Homes Standard

Health and safety

What's changing for the Housing Health & Safety Rating System (HHSRS)?

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) has been reviewed, so here's what could change for assessing hazards in your landlords' properties.

Oct 20, 2022

Decent Homes Standard

Pets

Webinar

Tenant rights

Legislation

WEBINAR RECORDING: The Renters' Reform Bill series: Understanding tenants' rights

The 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' white paper aims to enhance tenants' rights, from improving the quality of homes to giving tenants the rights to keep pets in rented properties, as Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme explains.

Sep 26, 2022

Rents

Decent Homes Standard

Rent controls

Legislation

Sean Hooker: End of an era - so what's next for lettings?

Sean Hooker looks at current sentiment in the property industry and shares insights on some of the bigger changes on the horizon in lettings.

Jun 20, 2022

Compliance

Redress

Decent Homes Standard

Section 21

Section 8

Podcast

Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper

Property Portal

Legislation

PODCAST: What the Renters' Reform Bill proposals mean for the private rented sector - with Sean Hooker

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme, and Goodlord's Oli Sherlock joined this recording of our newsflash webinar all about the Renters' Reform Bill and the proposals that were outlined in the Fairer Private Rented Sector white paper.

Sean Hooker: Industry revelations and the renters' reform saga

Jun 6, 2022

Compliance

Redress

Decent Homes Standard

Section 21

RoPA

Queen's Speech

Legislation

Sean Hooker: Industry revelations and the renters' reform saga

Sean Hooker delves into what the Property Redress Annual Report reveals about the sector - and just where the rental reform saga will take us.

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