We’re hurtling towards the end of Q1 2026 already, and therefore the changes that come with the Renters’ Rights Act, particularly the end of Section 21, is no longer a distant policy change, it’s a ‘coming very soon attraction’.
The final date for serving a valid Section 21 notice is 30th April 2026, after which landlords will have to rely on the revised Section 8 grounds. At the same time, Assured Shorthold Tenancies will fall away and tenancies will move to a fully periodic structure from 1st May.
Therefore, any landlord who may want to regain possession in order to sell, refinance, gift property to family, or reshape a portfolio needs to be clear about their intentions now. Waiting until the summer will be too late if possession under Section 21 was part of the plan.
This is not about encouraging exits, but about clarity. If a client has even a loose intention to sell or restructure this year, advisers should be asking direct questions and, where appropriate, suggesting they take legal advice without delay. Funding strategy and tenancy strategy can no longer sit in separate boxes.
Compliance risks could derail refinancing
April 2026 also marks five years since the first mandatory EICRs for existing tenancies were due. That means a significant number of electrical safety certificates will expire around now. In a rising regulatory environment, an expired certificate is more than an oversight; it is a potential delay to refinancing or further borrowing.
From a lending perspective, missing documents can slow cases at the worst possible time, particularly where a landlord is trying to secure a rate ahead of product expiry. Advisers should check certificate dates as part of every review, especially where fixed rates are maturing in the first half of this year.
At the same time, civil penalties for housing standard breaches are increasing, and there is heightened focus on damp, mould and general property condition. Even though full enforcement of the new Decent Homes Standard sits further out, local authorities already have stronger tools at their disposal. Poor standards can lead to fines, voids and, in extreme cases, funding complications.
Compliance should therefore be positioned as part of portfolio risk management. A well-maintained property is easier to let, easier to value and easier to refinance.
Tax reporting is about to tighten
From 6 April 2026, Making Tax Digital will apply to landlords whose combined gross income from property and self-employment exceeded £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year. While this does not replace self-assessment at this stage, it does introduce more frequent and structured reporting.
In practical terms, advisers should expect cleaner, more current financial information to become the norm. There is a clear role here for advisers to prompt early engagement with accountants and to reinforce the link between accurate records and smoother underwriting. Portfolio landlords, in particular, benefit when income, costs and rental performance are easy to evidence.
Energy efficiency cannot be left to 2029
Although minimum EPC targets remain set for 2030, the groundwork is being laid now. Expenditure on qualifying energy efficiency improvements from October 2025 counts towards the overall cost cap, which means decisions taken this year will shape how much flexibility landlords have later.
For some clients, upgrades will require material investment. That raises funding questions around capital raising, product selection and the sequencing of works across a portfolio. Advisers should not treat EPC planning as a future issue; it should be part of 2026 review discussions.
Structured reviews are no longer optional
Taken together, the changes landing in April and beyond underline a simple point: this is not the moment for passive portfolio management. Advisers should be running structured reviews that cover tenancy intentions, compliance status, reporting readiness and capital expenditure plans.
In my view, the most effective conversations are those that link regulation to cashflow and borrowing strategy. If a landlord understands how a missed deadline or delayed upgrade could affect refinancing, they are more likely to act promptly.
Fleet has a Landlords Checklist document that outlines many of these issues and deadlines, and what compliance looks like, and I would urge all advisers to review it in order to see what is coming and when.
The sector has shown resilience time and again, but resilience depends on preparation. With key deadlines now measured in weeks rather than years, advisers who lead clear, timely discussions will help their landlord clients protect flexibility and make better-informed decisions in what is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the private rented sector.
