Council powers and inspections under the Renters' Rights Act

The Renters' Rights Act powers for councils, in force since 27 December 2025, let your local council demand information from you and from third parties, enter business premises, enter homes in limited cases and seize documents when it investigates a landlord. Since 1 May 2026, councils also have a duty to enforce the new tenancy rules and can impose civil penalties of up to £40,000. Obstructing an officer is a criminal offence.

What Renters' Rights Act powers do councils have?

Part 4, Chapter 3 of the Act (sections 114 to 136) gives local housing authorities investigatory powers. They came into force automatically on 27 December 2025, two months after Royal Assent. The council can:

• serve an information notice requiring you to provide information or documents;
• serve an information notice on a third party, such as a letting agent, and ask a court to enforce it if they don't comply;
• enter business premises, such as a letting agent's office;
• enter residential premises, but only in the limited circumstances the Act sets out;
• seize documents as part of an investigation.

These powers support the council's job of enforcing the Renters' Rights Act, as well as older duties such as licensing. They apply in England.

Can the council inspect my rental property?

The Act gives councils a power of entry to residential premises, but it is deliberately limited, and the conditions are set out in the Act itself. Councils also keep their existing powers under the Housing Act 2004 to assess hazards and enforce licensing.

If an officer asks to enter, ask which power they are using and keep a note of the visit.

What happens if you don't cooperate?

Section 131 makes it a criminal offence to:

• obstruct a council officer exercising these powers;
• fail to comply with a requirement made under them; or
• give false information.

The penalty on conviction is a fine of up to level 3 on the standard scale. This offence has applied since 27 December 2025.

Watch out: ignoring an information notice turns a compliance question into a criminal matter. Reply by the deadline, even if only to ask for more time in writing.

What can councils fine you for?

Councils, not courts, impose the Renters' Rights Act civil penalties. The main ones:

Breach	Maximum civil penalty
Unlawful eviction or harassment	£40,000
Re-letting or marketing after relying on Ground 1 or 1A, within the restricted period	£40,000
Housing Act 2004 offences (licensing, HMO management, improvement notices)	£40,000
Most tenancy breaches (fixed terms, written statement, Information Sheet, invalid possession notices)	£7,000, or £40,000 if continued or repeated
Discrimination, rental bidding	£7,000, plus extra penalties for repeats
Category 1 hazards (since 22 June 2026)	£7,000
Rent in advance before the tenancy is agreed	£5,000

Each follows the same process: a notice of intent, 28 days for you to make representations, a final notice, and a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal within 28 days. The full list is in our guide to Renters' Rights Act fines and penalties.

Councils can also apply for a rent repayment order to recover rent paid through Universal Credit.

The council's duty to enforce

Since 1 May 2026, sections 107 to 109 of the Act place a duty to enforce the new landlord rules on councils, together with duties to notify. Enforcement is now a legal duty for councils, not just a power.

Later, councils will also enforce the landlord database. They can do that once a region's 3-month registration window has passed, starting with the West Midlands after 14 March 2027. See the private rented sector database.

Other council powers landlords meet

The Renters' Rights Act sits alongside older council powers that are still in use:

Area	Council power
Electrical safety (EICR)	Civil penalty of up to £40,000 per breach; remedial notices; urgent remedial work by the council
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms	Remedial notice with 28 days to comply; penalty charge of up to £5,000 if you don't
HMO and selective licensing	Civil penalty of up to £40,000, or prosecution, for letting without a licence
Licensing schemes	Since 23 December 2024, councils can introduce selective licensing schemes of any size without the Secretary of State's confirmation, after consulting for at least 10 weeks

To check whether your area has an HMO, additional or selective licensing scheme, enter your postcode on GOV.UK's house in multiple occupation licence page, or check your council's licensing pages and its public register of licences. Our guides to selective licensing and the HMO licence explain the rules.

How to respond to an information notice

1. Read the deadline and what is asked for. Note exactly which documents and which properties are covered.
2. Gather the documents. Typical requests are tenancy agreements, written statements, proof the Information Sheet was given, deposit protection details, safety certificates and licences.
3. Answer accurately. Giving false information is an offence in its own right.
4. Reply in writing and keep a copy of everything you send.
5. Take advice from a solicitor if the notice suggests the council is considering a penalty or prosecution.

The easiest notice to answer is one where your records are already in order.

What to do next

Keep your certificates, licences and tenancy documents in one place so you can answer a council request quickly. Our compliance reminders track the dates for each property. For the penalties councils can impose, read Renters' Rights Act fines, or go back to the Renters' Rights Act hub.