Councils are putting Renters' Rights Act enforcement funding to work, with Wolverhampton committing an extra £714,000 to private sector housing enforcement in 2026/27 and Worcester accepting a £70,746 grant to expand housing officer capacity, against a maximum civil penalty of £40,000. Plus Westminster's renewed HMO additional licensing scheme going live on 31 August 2026, the Wales anti-discrimination ban now in force via WSI 2026/6, new data protection complaint-handling rules from 19 June, and confirmation that phase two of the Act, including the PRS database, will begin rolling out from late 2026.
Lead item
The government has confirmed that the second phase of the Renters' Rights Act will begin in late 2026, with landlords required to sign up to the new private rented sector database from that point. Against this backdrop, councils are now receiving dedicated funding to enforce the Act's Phase 1 provisions, which came into force on 1 May 2026. From 1 May 2026, assured shorthold tenancies converted to periodic assured tenancies with no end date, section 21 evictions were abolished, and the reformed grounds for possession came into force. In Worcester, the government has confirmed a direct financial commitment to council enforcement capacity. Worcester City Council has welcomed £70,746 of government funding to enforce the Act, with the money earmarked to expand housing officer capacity and take action against non-compliant landlords and agents. Wolverhampton has gone further still, committing £714,000 in 2026/27 to private sector housing enforcement, directly tied to new duties arising from the Act. These allocations signal that central and local government regard enforcement as a priority in the months immediately following commencement, and landlords operating without full compliance should treat these developments as a material risk indicator.
Regulatory updates this week
Worcester receives RRA enforcement funding. Worcester City Council has accepted £70,746 of government funding to enforce the Renters' Rights Act. The council will use the allocation to expand its housing officer capacity and pursue enforcement action against landlords and agents found to be non-compliant with the Act's Phase 1 provisions, which came into force on 1 May 2026. Landlords with properties in Worcester should ensure their tenancy documentation, possession procedures, and tenant communication records are in order.
Wolverhampton commits £714,000 to PRS enforcement. City of Wolverhampton Council has allocated an additional £714,000 in 2026/27 to fund private sector housing enforcement, covering investigations, regulatory work, and legal action against rogue landlords. The investment is explicitly linked to new enforcement duties arising from the Renters' Rights Act. The maximum civil penalty available to councils for relevant breaches is £40,000, making non-compliance a significant financial risk.
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 Cabinet decision of 16 March 2026.
The scheme was formally designated on 21 April 2026 and will come into effect on 31 August 2026, running until 30 August 2031.
The scheme requires shared houses or flats where three or more people from two or more households share facilities to be licensed, covering flat shares, bedsits, and converted flats not captured under mandatory licensing.
Operating a licensable HMO without a valid licence is a criminal offence.
Westminster selective licensing active since November 2025. Westminster City Council introduced a selective licensing scheme covering all wards except Pimlico South, St James's, and Vincent Square, effective from 24 November 2025. All private landlords in designated wards are required to hold a licence, and overseas landlords must appoint a UK-based managing agent. Landlords with non-HMO properties in the affected wards who have not yet applied should do so without delay, given the scheme is already in force.
Wales: RRA discrimination ban now in force. The Welsh Ministers have made WSI 2026/6, commencing Chapter 4 of Part 1 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 in Wales. This brings into force the prohibition on discriminatory bans based on a prospective occupier having children or receiving benefits, applying to occupation contracts in Wales. Landlords and agents in Wales must review their tenant selection criteria and any standard rejection language to ensure compliance with the new prohibition.
Wales: Renting Homes Act periodic review 2026. The Welsh Government published a periodic review of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 in early 2026, consulting on possible amendments including additional tenant protections and changes to written statement requirements. The review covers the effectiveness of notice periods and fitness for human habitation standards. Landlords in Wales who have not engaged with the consultation should monitor outcomes, as amendments could affect notice procedures and property standard obligations.
Data (Use and Access) Act 2025: new complaint rules from 19 June. New rules relating to the handling of data protection complaints are due to come into force on 19 June 2026, applying to data controllers in relation to alleged failures to comply with the UK GDPR or Part 3 of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Controllers must acknowledge receipt of any complaint within 30 days and respond without undue delay. As landlords are data controllers, they must have clear and effective processes in place for handling data protection complaints from individuals, including to allow people to complain directly to them.
PRS database phase two confirmed for late 2026. According to the government's updated implementation roadmap, phase two of the Renters' Rights Act will start from late 2026 with a staged rollout of the PRS database.
The database will begin with a regional launch for landlords and councils, while the new landlord ombudsman will follow after the database is in place.
Registration will be mandatory for all private rented sector landlords, who will also have to pay an annual fee, and will be expected to provide contact details, property information, and core safety records including gas, electrical, and EPC certificates.
Deadlines in the next 30 days
- 19 June 2026 | England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland -- Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 data protection complaint-handling requirements come into force. All landlords as data controllers must have a clear process for receiving, acknowledging, and responding to data protection complaints from tenants and prospective tenants.
- 31 July 2026 | England -- Transitional deadline for section 21 notices: if a private landlord served a valid section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, court possession proceedings must be commenced on or before 31 July 2026.
- 31 August 2026 | Westminster, London -- Westminster's renewed Additional HMO Licensing Scheme goes live on 31 August 2026; landlords operating HMOs covered by the scheme must ensure they apply or hold a valid licence from this date.
One to watch
The government has published a timeline confirming that the PRS database will launch in late 2026, rolling out in phases by region.
Following the database, the landlord ombudsman is also scheduled to arrive as part of Phase 2, with Awaiting's Law and a decent homes standard for the private rented sector designated as Phase 3 on a timetable still to be confirmed. Landlords should begin preparing property and safety records now, as mandatory registration and associated fees will follow the regional rollout in due course.
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.