The 2026 Landlord Compliance Checklist: What You Must Have in Place Now

Landlord compliance is no longer something that can be dealt with reactively or delegated without oversight. With regulatory scrutiny increasing and possession rights tightening, the consequences of getting compliance wrong are now far more serious than a missed certificate or administrative inconvenience. In many cases, a single compliance failure can invalidate a rent increase, undermine a possession claim, or expose a landlord to enforcement action.

As we move into 2026, landlords should be treating compliance as an ongoing system, not a once-a-year task.

At a minimum, every landlord must have valid gas safety certification, an up-to-date EICR, compliant smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and an EPC that meets the required standard. Deposits must be protected correctly and on time, with prescribed information served accurately. Right to Rent checks must be carried out and recorded. In many areas, licensing requirements now apply even to single-let properties, and failure to licence can carry significant financial penalties.

What we see repeatedly, however, is not landlords ignoring their obligations, but landlords relying on processes that don’t actually stand up when challenged. Certificates that are renewed late, documents that are served but not evidenced, deposits protected but with incorrect paperwork, or licensing overlooked because “the agent didn’t flag it”.

At Hermens, compliance is treated as a legal risk issue, not an administrative one. Because we are solicitor-led, we look at compliance through the lens of enforceability. We ask whether, if challenged by a tenant, local authority or tribunal, the landlord could prove compliance clearly and convincingly. That means not just having documents, but having the right documents, served in the right way, at the right time.

For managed clients, we build compliance into the management process itself, with structured checks, documented service, and ongoing review rather than last-minute fixes. For landlords who self-manage, we regularly step in to audit compliance before problems arise.

In the current climate, compliance is not about box-ticking. It is about protecting income, preserving control, and reducing exposure. Landlords who address it properly now are far less likely to face disputes later.