With fines for non-compliance set to go through the roof under the new Renters’ Rights Bill it’s more important than ever that landlords stay on top of their paperwork. Here James Kent, the NRLA’s Chief Innovation Officer explains more about how proposed fines will be applied, and how the association’s Portfolio property management system can help.

Landlords and agents could face fines of up to £40,000 for breaching new rules set to be introduced as part of the Government’s Renters’ Rights Bill.

Fines at the top end of the scale will be levied at repeat offenders who either fail to sign up to the new ombudsman scheme or register with the new digital PRS database; a scheme similar to the previous administration’s property portal plan.

While the highest fines will be charged to those who repeatedly flout the law, there are still significant fines for single breaches, of up to £7,000 a time.

Other failures, for example landlords and agents who are involved in discriminatory practises, those who encourage bidding wars and those whose homes fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard will also command fines of up to £7,500.

It is, therefore, more important than ever that landlords stay on top of their responsibilities when it comes to compliance.  

How we can help

While there will undoubtedly be a small minority of landlords that deliberately ignore the new legislation, with more than 170 different rules and regulations affecting the PRS, it is easy for costly mistakes to happen.

While, at the time of writing, we are still awaiting full details as to how the database will operate, it is likely it will require landlords to not only register properties but demonstrate compliance by uploading copies of documents such as Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and Gas Safety Certificates. 

This is where NRLA Portfolio comes in.

The property management system is a one stop shop when it comes to managing your portfolio online and, crucially, not only houses all your relevant compliance documents, but can also alert you when renewal dates are approaching.

Already more than 5,000 landlords are managing more than 30,000 properties via the platform, with the figure growing all the time.

And best of all it is free for NRLA members.

Although it is very early days, we will be contacting the Government to see if we can link Portfolio to the new database once it’s up and running, which would mean landlords would only need to fill in their details and upload their documents once. 

We all have busy lives, but NRLA Portfolio can offer you the peace of mind that all your compliance obligations are up to date, freeing up your time to focus on growing and developing your business while adapting to the new legislative regime.

More information

• To find out more about Portfolio and set up your own account, go onto the NRLA website and click on ‘My Portfolio’ in the top right-hand corner. This will allow you to log in the portal and start adding your properties.   

• Our Renters' Rights Bill hub  is your comprehensive resource for navigating these reforms and will be kept up to date as the legislation progresses. As part of that, we have published answers to a range of frequently asked questions. If your question isn’t covered, feel free to email out team at policyenquiries@nrla.org.uk.  

• The NRLA's annual Landlord Conference, being held on November 6 will offer a unique opportunity for property professionals to find out more about the Bill - and the changes we can expect to see - from expert speakers from across the industry. Tickets for the event, which will be held at Birmingham's NEC, are selling fast, so to find out more and book your place, click here.

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