How Prepared Are You For
The Changing Lettings Market?

Local Authorities Now Have "Super Powers"

• Duty on Habitation: Councils hold a strict new duty to ensure homes are fit for human habitation and free from Category 1 & Category 2 hazards.
• No Court Required for Fines: Local authorities can now issue direct civil penalties without taking cases through lengthy court prosecutions.
• Financial & Bank Records Access: Expanded investigative powers allow officers to access bank statements and audit full tenancy/financial records.
• 24-Hour Warrants & Seizures: Powers include securing search warrants within 24 hours and executing on-the-spot equipment seizures where necessary.
• Landlords & Agents Both Included: Guidance explicitly confirms investigatory powers target both landlords and letting agents managing private rental stock.

What Is Happening in Your Area?

• The legislation is national, but enforcement is strictly local.
• Different councils have distinct priorities and target areas.
• Inspection intensity varies substantially from area to area and officer to officer.

Angel Moves makes it our priority to bring you the latest enforcement activity and council campaigns as they emerge, through our ongoing relationships with 80+ Local Authorities.

Would You Know What to Look For?

Even with newly fitted features:

• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Heating system
• Flooring
• Decoration

Modern cosmetics do not by themselves establish that the whole property is free from housing hazards. The HHSRS is a risk-based assessment system that covers 21 potential hazards.

The Important Questions

• Would you recognise a Category 1 hazard?
• Would you recognise a Category 2 hazard?
• Would you understand what makes the risk serious enough to cross into Category 1?

“My Agent Deals With It” vs. “It's the Landlord's Property”

Neither statement by itself answers the legal question. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, investigatory powers explicitly target relevant persons—including both landlords and managing agents.

Depending on the specific statutory duty and breach, council investigators will examine:

• Whether information was concealed from the landlord, or if the landlord was informed and refused to act.
• Who held the contractual and statutory duty, and who was aware of the defect.
• Exactly when each party became aware of the issue.
• What communications and instructions passed between the landlord and agent.
• What remedial action was actually taken.
• What written audit trail and inspection records exist to prove compliance.

The Important Question

The NRLA previously reported that the private rented sector was already subject to more than 160 regulations concerning standards in privately rented homes, spread across separate pieces of legislation that carry multiple individual obligations.

But the Number Is Not the Real Question

The real operational questions you need to answer are:

• Which requirements trigger which fines and civil penalties?
• Which specific rules apply to each property in your portfolio?
• Which legal responsibilities sit solely with the Landlord?
• Which responsibilities directly involve the Agent?
• What has changed in legislation since that figure was published?
• Can you legally evidence what you have complied with?

The Important Question

If It Isn't Recorded, How Would You Prove It?

If faced with an allegation tomorrow, could you immediately produce:

• Routine inspection records and condition logs
• Time-stamped, dated photographs and video evidence
• Exact dates initial tenant complaints were logged
• Actioned repair records and contractor invoices/work orders
• Follow-up inspection reports and communications
• Documented refused-access logs showing attempts to carry out work
• Definitive sign-off evidence proving when works were completed

Attention Letting Agents: Does Your CRM Solve the Problem?

Does your existing property management software allow you to identify, manage, and evidence statutory property risks—or does it merely log the repair ticket itself?

You have just identified the evidence problem. Does your current system actually protect you from liability?

Would You Like a Category 1 & Category 2 Property Risk Assessment?

Commissioning a professional risk assessment demonstrates proactive compliance and builds an evidentiary defence against:

• Civil Penalties & Fines: Up to £7,000 for initial/minor breaches and up to £40,000 for serious violations per breach.
• Rent Repayment Orders (RROs): Extended 24-month orders ranging from £24,000 to £72,000+.
• Tenant Compensation Claims: Housing disrepair awards reaching up to £30,000+.
• Complex & Costly Evictions: Blocked notices due to unresolved hazards and statutory non-compliance.
• Targeted Claims Firms: Predatory tactics by no-win, no-fee disrepair claims companies.

How Angel Moves Protects You