Has being a DIY Landlord become too Complicated?

In June 2022, Michael Gove the then Secretary of State made the following statement:- “Everyone has a right to a decent home. No one should be condemned to live in properties that are inadequately heated, unsafe, or unhealthy. Yet more than 2.8 million of our fellow citizens are paying to live in homes that are not fit for the 21st century. Tackling this is critical to our mission to level up the country. The reality today is that far too many renters are living in damp, dangerous, cold homes, powerless to put things right, and with the threat of sudden eviction hanging over them. They’re often frightened to raise a complaint. If they do, there is no guarantee that they won’t be penalised for it, that their rent won’t shoot up as a result, or that they won’t be hit with a Section 21 notice asking them to leave. This government is determined to tackle these injustices by offering a New Deal to those living in the Private Rented Sector; one with quality, affordability, and fairness at its heart.”

Since then, under a Labour government, we have seen the implementation of Phase 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and much of what Michael Gove referenced in his statement has happened. There are schools of thought that believe governments are out to ruin the lives of the small, independent landlord and force them into a position where they sell up, and whilst landlords have sold for many different reasons, one of them being the burden of changes in legislation, many landlords have not.

So where does that leave those landlords? How are they coping with change? There will always be landlords who prefer to manage their own properties. For some, particularly those with one property and a long-standing tenant, self-management may have worked perfectly well for years. But the private rented sector in England has changed considerably, and since 1st May 2026 the question is whether landlords understand just how much is now involved in managing a tenancy correctly.

Implementing Change

Since 1st May 2026, existing assured shorthold tenancies converted to assured periodic tenancies, section 21 has been abolished and landlords who wish to recover possession must establish a statutory ground. Increasing rent will be via the mechanism of Section 13 (Form4A). The new rules also affect how tenancies are documented and the information tenants must receive..

For new assured tenancies created from 1st May 2026, landlords must provide a Written Statement - the key terms before the tenancy is agreed or the tenancy agreement is signed, and failure to provide the required information can result in enforcement action.

Increasing Rent requires planning

A landlord can no longer simply telephone a tenant and agree that the rent will increase. For assured periodic tenancies, Form 4A must be used, at least two months' notice must be provided and the rent cannot normally be increased more than once every 12 months.. If a tenant challenges the proposed rent, the First-tier Tribunal can determine the open market rent. That means landlords should understand not only the procedure but also the importance of market evidence. An experienced letting agent will understand how to value properties and has access to comparable evidence.

Obtaining Possession requires Evidence

The abolition of section 21 also changes the risk profile for self-managing landlords. A landlord who needs possession of their property must identify the appropriate Section 8 ground, use the up to date Section 8 (Form 3A) notice correctly, provide the correct notice period and, if necessary, prove the grounds relied upon before the court. An incomplete or inaccurate notice can delay proceedings. This makes record keeping throughout the tenancy increasingly important.

Property Condition needs to be Properly Managed

Legal compliance is only one aspect of management. A rented property needs to be physically managed. Repairs must be reported and addressed in a timely fashion. Safety obligations must be monitored. Gas and electrical renewals need to be diarised. Regular, properly conducted interim property visits can identify problems that might otherwise remain hidden. For example, damp, leaks, condensation, damaged fixtures and fittings, blocked gutters or unauthorised alterations rarely improve by being ignored. Good management is preventative as well as reactive.

Communication Matters

A letting agent acts as a conduit between landlord and tenant, a role that is sometimes underestimated. Tenants need a clear route for reporting repairs and raising concerns, and landlords need objective advice when deciding how to respond. A letting agent must be able to distinguish between an issue that can wait and something that requires immediate attention. They should also be prepared to tell a landlord when a proposed course of action is inappropriate or cannot lawfully be taken. That independence is part of the value of professional management.

The Cost of Property Management versus the Cost of Non-Compliance

Landlords understandably consider the letting agent’s fees when deciding whether to instruct an agent, but management fees should not be considered in isolation. The alternative of not using a letting agent is worse.

A missed safety requirement, an incorrectly handled deposit, poor documentation, an invalid possession notice, an inappropriate rent increase or a repair left unresolved can cost considerably more than a letting agent’s management fee. The penalties for non-compliance along with a possible Rent Repayment Order (RRO) far outweighs a monthly payment to a letting agent who can minimise risk and provide the landlord with peace of mind..

There is also the landlord's own time to consider. How much time is spent keeping up with legislative change, corresponding with tenants, arranging contractors, monitoring rent payments, conducting inspections and maintaining records? For landlords with several properties, this can quickly become overwhelming..

Lettings and Property Management is becoming a Risk-Management Service

The increasing complexity of the PRS should not be presented to landlords simply as a list of things that can go wrong. Letting agents need to explain the value of a professional letting and management service, which means demonstrating what is actually included in the services they provide.

Showing landlords the compliance checks, tenancy audits, inspection processes, arrears procedures, managing maintenance, dealing with rent review work which takes place behind the scenes can be quite an eye-opener. It is not just about listing a property on a portal or putting up a To Let Board. A management fee becomes easier to understand when the landlord can see exactly what they are paying for.

The Role of the Letting Agent has changed

The best letting agents are no longer simply intermediaries between landlords and tenants. They are responsible for coordinating compliance, maintaining records, managing risk, monitoring property condition and guiding landlords through an increasingly complex structured legal framework. However, that does not mean that every landlord must use a letting agent, but it does mean that self-managing landlords need to ask themselves a more searching question than before:- “Do I genuinely have the systems, processes, expertise, time and knowledge necessary to manage my property?”

If the answer is one of uncertainty, employing the services of a letting agent management may no longer simply be a convenience. It may be one of the landlord's most important risk-management decisions.