New Local Authority Investigatory Powers - What Landlords and Letting Agents Need to Know
As from the 27th December 2025, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 will introduce a new enforcement framework intended to improve standards across the private rented sector. At the heart of these reforms lies a set of investigatory powers being granted to local authroities in England.
Investigatory Powers
The purpose of the updated investigatory regime is to give councils the power to enforce legislation. These powers are not designed to be intrusive, they create a structured legal framework that ensures evidence is gathered lawfully, inspections are conducted professionally, and both letting agents’ and landlords’ rights are respected throughout the process.
Clarification on Mandatory Grounds 1 and 1A of the Renters’ Rights Act
The Renters’ Rights Act brings some of the biggest changes to the private rented sector for over 30 years. Among those changes are the amended Ground 1 of Section 8 and the introduction og Ground 1A. These Grounds will be relied upon if a landlord intends to sell, or where the landlord or a close family member wish to move into the property.
The Origins of the Twelve Days of Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas form one of the key elements of the festive season, yet the precise dates and significance of this period are often misunderstood, because the Twelve Days begin on Christmas Day and not before. The last day is the 5th January, known as Twelfth Night. and following day is the Epiphany, an important Christian feast marking the end of Christmastide.
Renters' Rights and the Proper Approach to Pets
With the Renters’ Rights Act now in force and us heading towards implementation I am increasingly being asked by landlords and agents about consent for pets. I was recently speaking with a journalist on this topic and found myself using the meme “it's not about you”.
While this might seem facetious, what I mean by this is that frequently landlords and their agents will give reasons for wanting to say no to pets that are entirely to do with them and their personal viewpoints on pets. So, for example, people will say to me that they don't want pets in their property or, more usefully, that they have a potential allergy to pet hair and might want to live in the property again themselves. There also seems to be quite a narrow assumption for most landlords and agents that pets that we mean cats and dogs, while the definition of pets is not limited in the RRA. Of course most people have cats and dogs as pets but there are a lot of other possibilities. There is also the point that cats and dogs are not all the same. There are wide variations in size, exercise needs, allergens and space requirements. The current thinking for a lot of landlords and agents is quite one dimensional in relation to pets.