Property safety guides for UK landlords

No-win-no-fee firms have made disrepair the fastest-growing claim against landlords. The 2026 guide for landlords and agents: your repairing duties, the new hazard timescales, the pre-action protocol, and the response-time evidence that defeats a claim before it reaches court.

Where to fit CO alarms (every room with a fixed combustion appliance: gas boilers, gas fires, wood burners), when interlinked smoke alarms are required, the tenancy-start test rule, HMO differences and how to log tests. Penalties up to £5,000 per breach.

Is PAT testing mandatory for landlords? How it differs from EICR, what to test, typical intervals, and how to keep records for supplied appliances.

Awaab’s Law has applied to social landlords since 27 October 2025 and is set to extend to the PRS: strict timescales for investigating hazards and fixing damp, mould and emergency defects. What every private landlord in England must do now.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 applies the Decent Homes Standard to private rentals for the first time. Here are the four criteria, the grace period and how enforcement works.

A tenant says there’s mould in the bathroom. What you do in the next 14 days decides whether this is a routine fix, or a Housing Ombudsman case, an HHSRS Category 1 hazard, an Awaab’s Law breach and a Rent Repayment Order risk. Step-by-step landlord response with statutory duties, evidence rules and contractor scripts.

Short answer: no. There is no such thing as a legally required "legionella certificate", whatever the company emailing you says. What the law actually asks for is a simple risk assessment you can usually do yourself. Here is what is real, what is a sales pitch, and how to cover yourself.