Residential landlords in England face the largest change to the rules on letting in a generation. The Renters' Rights Act changes how a tenancy runs, how it ends and the standard a home must meet while someone lives in it. Check each of your tenancies against the new rules this year.

Notice and possession

Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are giving way to periodic tenancies, and a landlord can no longer end a tenancy without giving a reason. To recover possession you rely on the statutory grounds, such as selling the property, moving in yourself or rent arrears, and each ground has its own notice period and evidence.

Keep the records that would prove a ground if you needed one: rent statements, correspondence about arrears and a dated note of any decision to sell. A court will ask for them.

Rent increases follow a set procedure too. Use the prescribed notice, no more than once a year, and expect a tenant to be able to challenge an increase above the market rent. A tenant can still leave on two months' notice, so plan for empty periods as well as possession claims.

Deposits

The deposit rules have not relaxed. Protect each deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it, and give the tenant the prescribed information in the same period. Keep the scheme certificate and proof that you served the information, with the date you served it. A landlord who misses either step can be ordered to pay up to three times the deposit, and may find a possession claim delayed.

Check older tenancies with care. A deposit taken years ago and carried into a new tenancy may need protecting again, and a missing certificate from a previous agent becomes your problem once you take over the letting.

Repairs and standards

Expect closer attention to the condition of the home. Damp and mould, safety hazards and faulty gas or electrical installations all carry duties with fixed timescales for action. Keep current gas safety, electrical and energy performance certificates on file, and give tenants copies at the start of each tenancy.

Record each repair request and your response to it. A dated log of reports, inspections and work done is the best defence to a disrepair claim, and the first thing a council officer will ask to see.

Set aside an afternoon to go through each tenancy agreement, deposit certificate and safety record. Put right anything missing before a tenant or a court asks for it. If you let several properties, a review of your standard documents costs less than one contested possession claim.

This briefing is general information, not legal advice.