England’s private rented sector faces an immediate compliance shift this Christmas week. From Saturday 27 December 2025, the first commencement regulations for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 switch on the Act’s investigatory powers and supporting definitions, giving local housing authorities sharper tools to demand data and build cases.

What changes on day one is practical. Councils can issue written notices requiring information from a “relevant person” - not just landlords and licensors but also agents and anyone who marketed a property in the previous twelve months. Alongside that sits a broader power to require information from any person where a breach or offence is suspected.

Those notices must set deadlines, specify the format for records, and explain the consequences for non‑compliance. They can require you to create documents in a legible form. The Act also sets out when advertising or telling someone a home is available counts as “marketing a dwelling”, a detail that matters for lettings teams using portals and email lists.

There is teeth behind the paperwork. Failing to respond without a reasonable excuse - or supplying information that is knowingly false or misleading - can amount to an offence, with government guidance pointing to a level 3 fine in some cases. The guidance is explicit that the new information powers are there to help councils gather usable evidence.

Entry powers are also tightening. In defined circumstances, officers may enter with or without a warrant, and changes to the Housing Act 2004 mean that for “qualifying residential premises” owners can be notified after entry within a reasonable period. Occupiers can waive the usual 24‑hour notice - but only if everyone entitled to notice agrees - so expect more same‑day visits where risk is high.

Money is at stake too. The Act inserts a new section 6A into the Housing Act 2004, allowing councils to impose a civil penalty - capped at £7,000 - alongside enforcement where a Category 1 hazard exists or a Type 1 requirement is not met. Ministers also plan statutory guidance to steer how authorities set those penalties, with the framework flagged for Phase 1 implementation work.

Case file, lettings desk: You marketed a two‑bed flat in Manchester on 10 December. On 3 January, the council serves a notice asking for advert copy, portal logs, the date the listing went live and any emails sent to applicants. That sits squarely in scope because a “relevant person” includes anyone who marketed a dwelling for a residential tenancy in the last twelve months. Keep searchable archives of listings and outbound contact, nominate a single handler for notices, and respond in writing by the stated deadline.

Case file, compliance team: A council officer calls at a licensed HMO after neighbours report unsafe electrics. The occupier signs a waiver of the normal 24‑hour notice and the team inspects immediately. Front‑of‑house staff should check ID, note timings and requests, avoid obstructing, and supply copies promptly afterwards. If your access policy assumes 24‑hour notice, update it now to reflect that occupiers can agree to same‑day entry and owners may be notified after the visit.

Remember this is a staged rollout. The headline tenancy reforms - ending section 21, moving to assured periodic tenancies, annual rent‑rise limits and a ban on rent bidding - are due from 1 May 2026. Today’s shift is about evidence gathering; the day‑to‑day tenancy changes land in spring. Plan accordingly.

Our take for landlords and agents: treat this week as a systems job. Map where advertising and tenancy data lives, ensure you can retrieve records by property within hours, brief reception and property managers on how to verify an officer’s ID and who to call internally, and agree a clear written response template with your legal adviser. Good record‑keeping now will reduce friction - and risk - when the main reforms switch on.