The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 brings the biggest shift in private renting for more than 30 years. For landlords with large portfolios, Build-to-Rent operators, PRS investors, housing associations with private rental stock, block owners and residential block management teams, the impact is significant.
The Act already has Royal Assent. New investigatory powers for councils start in December 2025, the new tenancy regime goes live on 1 May 2026, and the PRS database rolls out from late 2026. The PRS Landlord Ombudsman becomes mandatory by 2028, and Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard will be extended to the private rented sector on timetables now being set by Government.
For large portfolios, waiting until those dates will be too late. Every existing tenancy will move to the new rules, every property will have to be registered, and every decision will have to be evidenced. Portfolio owners need to start building their compliance position now, so they are ready when each duty becomes mandatory.
This reform increases demand for PRS compliance surveyors, structured portfolio property compliance surveys, accurate data and clear reporting. Many landlords will now need repeatable private rented sector surveys across every dwelling to meet the new standards.
Below, we outline what is changing, why large portfolios and residential blocks need to act early, and how we help landlords meet these new obligations with confidence.
The key changes
The Act introduces a set of mandatory requirements that affect landlords of all scales, but the burden is greatest on those managing large portfolios and multi-block estates. Although some measures do not come into force until 2026 and beyond, the data, survey work and planning needed to comply must start much earlier.
PRS database
From late 2026, all landlords must register themselves and every property they let on a new national PRS database and keep information up to date. You will not be able to use possession grounds if registration or data is incomplete. Accurate, validated information is essential, and many landlords will require PRS database registration support to get their records ready across multiple blocks and estates.
Landlord ombudsman
By 2028, every landlord must join a new ombudsman scheme. It will have the power to order compensation and binding action. Good documentary evidence will now decide the outcome of many disputes. Large portfolio owners cannot build this evidence base overnight. It needs to be developed and standardised now.
Decent Homes Standard (DHS)
For the first time, the Decent Homes Standard will be applied to the private rented sector, with a long-stop deadline expected in the 2030s. Local authorities will be able to issue formal enforcement notices, civil penalties and rent repayment orders where homes fall short. This will increase demand for reliable Decent Homes Standard assessments delivered by experienced DHS surveyors for landlords with large portfolios and residential blocks who want to get ahead of the curve, not scramble at the deadline.
Awaab’s Law
Awaab’s Law will be extended to the PRS, setting strict legal timeframes to inspect and fix serious hazards such as damp and mould. Landlords will have to show evidence of inspection, root cause, repair and completion within defined deadlines. This will require rapid Awaab’s Law inspections backed by documented proof, and clear processes that are in place and tested before the law is switched on.
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old who died in 2020 due to severe damp and mould in his home, prompting new legal duties on landlords to inspect and fix hazards within set timeframes.
What this means for large, multi-block and institutional landlords
Compliance now involves portfolio-wide planning
One-off surveys should be relied upon less, and rental portfolio owners will need to consider periodic compliance surveys to ensure their building stock complies with DHS. Landlords with multiple sites or large buildings will need structured multi-block compliance assessments. Old records or gaps in evidence will delay PRS registration, weaken your ombudsman position and increase risk once the Act’s measures are fully live.
The volume of work for large portfolios means you need a 12 to 24 month runway to survey, cost and programme works. That work needs to start well before May 2026 and the later PRS database and ombudsman deadlines.
Evidence decides outcomes
Whether you are defending a possession claim, responding to an ombudsman complaint or proving DHS compliance, decisions will rely on documentation. That means photos, plans, certificates, EPCs, condition and compliance reports and repair logs that stand up to scrutiny. Many landlords will need full landlord compliance audits PRS to understand their current position, identify gaps, and create a reliable starting point for meeting the new legal requirements.
For large portfolios and residential blocks, that audit is the first step and should begin before the new regime is switched on.
Enforcement risk increases
Local authorities gain extended investigatory powers from December 2025. Civil penalties rise to £40,000 for serious or repeated breaches. Poor data and slow responses will now carry financial and reputational cost. Landlords who prepare early with clear evidence trails will be in a far stronger position once enforcement ramps up.
Investors and boards expect audit-ready information
Funds, REITs and institutional landlords will require consistent compliance reporting to protect value, manage risk and meet ESG expectations. The Act makes this unavoidable. Reliable PRS readiness surveys will help demonstrate compliance at both asset and portfolio level and will become a standard expectation in investment and board reporting.
How Charles Garth helps you meet the new standards
We work with landlords, residential block management teams and asset managers to build clear and comprehensive planned preventative maintenance programmes across large portfolios, multi-block estates and complex residential buildings. Our team delivers the structured private rented sector surveys and costed programmes needed under the Act, so you are ready when each duty becomes mandatory.
Speak to an expert
Decent Homes Standard surveys
We deliver DHS assessments across private residential portfolios and large estates that require coordinated residential block management, using a consistent methodology that produces dependable, comparable results. You receive:
- Property-level DHS reports
- Portfolio-level DHS compliance summary
- Cost modelling plans to support Capex forecasting
Awaab’s Law hazard response
We mobilise quickly to inspect damp, mould and other hazards within statutory timeframes. Our work includes:
- On-site inspection
- Defect analysis and outline remedial proposals
- Costed remedial plans
- Evidence packs to show completion
This protects tenants, reduces risk and supports any future challenge or claim. It also allows you to test and refine your Awaab’s Law response model ahead of full PRS implementation.
PRS database and ombudsman readiness
We collate, validate and prepare the evidence required to register each dwelling. Our support includes:
- Structured data capture for every property
- Review of certificates, EPCs, plans and compliance documentation
- Identification of any gaps and actions needed
- Upload-ready information packs
This gives you a complete, verifiable record for both PRS registration and potential disputes.
Strategic lifecycle and 5-year capital planning
We build capital plans that bring together DHS requirements, Awaab’s Law obligations, building safety risks and long-term asset performance. Our approach gives residential block managers and landlords of large rental portfolios a clear view of what work is needed, when it is needed, and what it will cost across every block and dwelling.
You receive:
- Planned preventative maintenance plans (PPMPs)
- Prioritised works lists linked to risk, safety and statutory compliance
- Cost modelling for all planned works
- Capital forecasts
- Alignment with PPM strategies and wider asset management plans
- Pre-acquisition advice to aid investment decisions and highlight building related liabilities
- Clear evidence to support board reporting, funding discussions and PRS readiness
This gives owners, investors and asset managers a data-led programme they can plan against with confidence.
Reinstatement cost assessments
We provide RICS-compliant BRCAs for blocks and multi-unit buildings. These valuations reflect current rebuild requirements and support correct sums insured. This reduces the risk of underinsurance or disputes following a loss and ensures your sums insured keep pace with changing tenancy and compliance structures.
Governance, assurance and reporting
We deliver clear, practical reporting that gives you:
- Portfolio-level assurance
- Compliance assessments
- Evidence trails for audit, fund reporting and regulatory review
Our documentation is structured, transparent and easy for asset teams to use.
What good looks like – and how we deliver it
A compliant portfolio has DHS assessments across all units, clear upgrade plans, a hazard response model that meets Awaab’s Law, verified PRS registration data for every dwelling, and evidence packs containing plans, EPCs, certificates, photos and repair logs. It also needs a 5-year capital plan aligned with risk for every block, and governance that shows ongoing compliance to boards, investors and regulators.
This is the model we build with landlords.
Our team brings the surveying, cost planning and regulatory experience needed to deliver it at scale. We mobilise quickly, gather consistent data, and produce clear reporting that asset managers can use straight away. All work is director-led from start to finish.
We provide clear insight, reliable evidence and practical plans that protect value, reduce risk and meet the requirements of the Act.
Get portfolio-ready
If the Renters’ Rights Act affects your rental portfolio or your residential block management responsibilities, now is the time to act. Large portfolios, multi-block estates and complex residential buildings cannot be made compliant in a few weeks before a deadline.
We can help you understand your compliance position and build a programme that meets the new standards ahead of time.
Share your details below or book a discovery call and we will outline the surveys and assessments we deliver for multi-unit buildings, large portfolios and residential blocks, including:
- Decent Homes Standard surveys
- Awaab’s Law hazard inspections
- PRS readiness and portfolio compliance audits
- Reinstatement Cost Assessments (BRCAs)
