Local authorities are ramping up Renters' Rights Act enforcement, with Wolverhampton committing an extra £714,000 and Worcester receiving a £70,746 grant as part of £41 million in new national funding. Plus Westminster's HMO additional licensing renewal to 2031, the Wales anti-discrimination ban now in force with a 14 June contract-update deadline, and the 31 July court deadline for pre-abolition Section 21 notices.
Lead item
City of Wolverhampton Council has committed an additional £714,000 in 2026/27 to tackle rogue landlords and protect private rented sector residents, directly in response to the Renters' Rights Act, which requires councils to take a proactive role in regulating the sector, including a duty to enforce landlord legislation, investigate breaches, issue civil penalties, and report on enforcement activity. The scale of this local commitment illustrates the material enforcement obligations the Act places on local housing authorities across England. The Act expands investigatory powers, enabling authorised officers to obtain information from landlords, agents, banks, and other organisations, and to enter premises where offences are suspected.
Local authorities across England are to receive an extra £41 million to cover the cost of new enforcement powers through the Renters' Rights Act.
Worcester City Council similarly welcomed £70,746 of government funding to support enforcement of the Act, with new rules including a ban on no-fault evictions, rental bidding, and landlord discrimination now in force as part of the Act's first phase. The emerging picture is one of sustained, funded enforcement activity at the local level, and landlords operating across multiple authority areas should expect heightened scrutiny.
Regulatory updates this week
Wolverhampton commits £714,000 to PRS enforcement. City of Wolverhampton Council has confirmed an extra £714,000 during 2026/27 to strengthen its private sector housing enforcement activity, supporting investigations, regulatory work, and legal action linked to housing standards in the private rented sector.
The council's service has faced rising pressure over recent years, covering damp and mould cases, high-rise building safety, and illegal eviction cases, with the number of service requests having tripled and officers dealing with increasingly complex cases.
Worcester receives £70,746 RRA enforcement grant. Worcester City Council has welcomed £70,746 of government funding to support its enforcement role under the Renters' Rights Act, which requires councils to take action against landlords and agents who do not follow the new rules.
The council has indicated the funding will be used to expand housing officer capacity to advise and support both renters and landlords, and to take enforcement action against non-compliant landlords.
Westminster HMO Additional Licensing renewed to 2031. Westminster City Council has confirmed the renewal of its borough-wide Additional Licensing Scheme for HMOs, following a full public consultation and a Cabinet decision of 16 March 2026. The scheme was formally designated on 21 April 2026, comes into effect on 31 August 2026 and runs until 30 August 2031, meeting the legal requirement for three months' notice before a new licensing designation begins.
Operating a licensable HMO without a valid licence is a criminal offence; the council may issue a civil penalty of up to £40,000 from 1 May 2026, and prosecution can result in an unlimited fine.
Westminster selective licensing in force since November 2025. Westminster Council introduced a new selective licensing scheme starting on 24 November 2025, covering designated wards and requiring all private properties not already licensed under an HMO scheme to obtain a licence, regardless of the number of households or occupants. Overseas landlords in scope are required to appoint a UK-based managing agent. Landlords with properties in Westminster who have not yet confirmed their licensing position under either scheme should do so without delay ahead of the HMO scheme renewal commencing in August.
Wales: discrimination ban now in force, contract update deadline approaching. From 1 June 2026, it became unlawful for a landlord, or anyone acting on their behalf, to discriminate against applicants in Wales because they have children or receive benefits.
All landlords in Wales are required to update their standard occupation contracts by formal variation by 14 June 2026, or include the fundamental terms in new standard occupation contracts from 1 June 2026. Landlords must give contract-holders either a written statement of the varied terms or a fully updated written statement.
Failure to comply may result in financial consequences or criminal proceedings.
Wales: Renting Homes Act periodic review. The Renters' Rights Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, includes provisions preventing landlord discrimination against contract-holders; once commenced on 1 June 2026, two new fundamental provisions are added to the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 as sections 54A and 54B, preventing landlords from discriminating against contract-holders who have children or are in receipt of welfare benefits. Separately, the Welsh Government has been consulting on broader amendments to the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, covering notice periods and fitness for human habitation standards; that consultation process remains ongoing.
Section 21 transitional deadline approaching. Transitional provisions mean that if a private landlord served their tenant with a valid Section 21 eviction notice before 1 May 2026, they must begin court possession proceedings on or before 31 July 2026. Landlords who have not yet issued proceedings in reliance on a pre-commencement Section 21 notice should take urgent legal advice. After 31 July 2026, the right to proceed on that notice is lost and the Section 21 route is no longer available in any circumstances.
PRS database roll-out scheduled for late 2026. The government has published a timeline confirming that the PRS database will launch from late 2026, requiring landlords to register themselves, their properties, and compliance information, with the roll-out proceeding in phases by region.
Signing up to the PRS database will be mandatory for all private rented sector landlords, who will be required to pay an annual fee and provide key information including contact details, property address, type, number of bedrooms, occupancy status, and confirmation of whether the property is furnished.
Deadlines in the next 30 days
- 14 June 2026 | Wales only: Landlords must provide existing contract-holders with an updated written statement or written notice of variation incorporating the new anti-discrimination fundamental terms (sections 54A and 54B of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, as amended).
- 31 July 2026 | England: Landlords who served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 must have issued court possession proceedings by this date or lose the right to rely on that notice.
One to watch
Phase 2 of the Renters' Rights Act implementation will begin in late 2026 and will introduce new private rented sector infrastructure and dispute resolution processes.
Signing up to the PRS database will be mandatory for all landlords, who will be required to pay an annual fee and provide key compliance information about their properties.
Mandatory sign-up to the PRS Landlord Ombudsman is then expected to come into effect in 2028. Landlords should begin reviewing their property records and compliance documentation in preparation for registration requirements, the precise scope and fee level of which have not yet been confirmed.
This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Always verify information against the original source and seek independent professional guidance before acting on any regulatory matter.