Private landlords
Private landlords are individuals, families or companies who let homes to residential tenants in the Private Rented Sector (PRS), rather than being a council or housing association. You might own a single property as a small landlord, or hold a larger property portfolio financed by buy to let mortgages.
Most lets you grant will be a private tenancy in the form of an assured tenancy, previously often an assured shorthold tenancy (AST), created by a written tenancy agreement. That brings full PRS duties under the Renters’ Rights Act, meeting rental standards and fit for human habitation rules, including Awaab’s Law on damp and mould, complying with energy efficiency rules such as Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and Higher rate efficiency standards (HRAD), and following the regimes on permitted payments, tenancy deposits, late rent interest and prohibited payments.
You must also engage with regulation and redress, including joining the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, registering on the Private Rented Sector Database, cooperating with the Local Housing Authority (LHA) on licensing, for example an HMO licence) and inspections, and avoiding enforcement tools such as a civil penalty notice or banning order. Many private landlords use a managing agent or join bodies like the NRLA, but you remain ultimately responsible for lawful rent payments, repairs and any regaining possession using the correct possession grounds.
Also see our landlord blog articles, including:
