Landlords are being warned they may lose visibility of property condition once the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) comes into force unless they adopt a more structured approach to inspections and record-keeping.
New research from Inventory Base suggests many landlords are not planning to change how they monitor their properties despite the shift to indefinite periodic tenancies, which will remove the natural review points created by fixed-term agreements.
The RRA, due to introduce major changes to the private rented sector, will abolish fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and Section 21 evictions.
As a result, tenancies may last significantly longer, reducing the number of occasions when landlords traditionally review condition, carry out inventories or reassess risk.
PROPERTY CHECKPOINTS
Historically, the start and end of a tenancy created clear checkpoints for documenting property condition, supported by check-in, inspection and check-out reports.
Without those milestones, landlords may need to rely on more regular monitoring and stronger documentation to demonstrate that homes are being properly managed.
A survey of 800 UK landlords commissioned by Inventory Base found that 46% expect to inspect their properties no more than once a year once fixed terms disappear.
Around 26% plan annual inspections, 3% less than once a year, while 18% said they would only inspect when a tenant reports a problem.
LIFECYCLE EVIDENCE
The findings suggest a large proportion of landlords risk having limited evidence of how a property has been maintained during long tenancies, at a time when regulators and adjudicators are expected to place greater emphasis on documented management history rather than single inspection reports.
Inventory Base says landlords should move towards a “lifecycle evidence” approach, where inspections, maintenance decisions and safety checks form part of a continuous record throughout the tenancy rather than isolated events.
This would typically include an initial HHSRS risk assessment, a detailed inventory, early-stage inspections after occupation, and regular follow-up visits supported by clear decision logs and photographic evidence.
INDEFINITE PERIODIC TENANCIES
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, Operations Director at Inventory Base, says: “As the Renters’ Rights Act reshapes the private rental sector, landlords and agents will need to move beyond treating inspections as isolated reports and start building a continuous understanding of how their properties perform over time.
“With indefinite periodic tenancies replacing fixed terms, many properties may remain occupied for much longer without the traditional reset point that previously came with a new tenancy. That means property management can no longer rely on occasional snapshots of condition.
“In the post-RRA rental market, compliance will depend not just on the condition of a property at a single moment, but on the quality and continuity of the evidence behind how it has been managed.”
