One of the most prominent lettings experts is warning that the second half of 2026 will see more rigorous enforcement on rogue landlords.
And this will get stiffer still as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham gets into his stride.
Allison Thompson, head of lettings at Leaders – part of LRG – says there are two significant developments she expects over the next six months as a direct result of the Renters Rights Act.
Firstly “with the rise in the maximum level of fines and increased government funding for local council enforcement efforts, we will probably see more landlords being penalised for breaking the law.”
And she warning that with a Burnham-led Labour government ”we can expect an even greater focus on regulation and enforcement, given his efforts in Greater Manchester, which has recently seen a 43% rise in landlord fines.”
In another forecast for the second half of the year, she also warns that it’s likely to take longer for landlords to regain possession of their properties now that every contested eviction has to go to court.
She continues: “In 2025, the median average time from claim to landlord possession increased to 27 weeks, up from 24 weeks in the same period in 2024.
“Although court reforms and streamlining of the legal process has been promised, very little has actually been done so far.
“So the inevitable increase in the number of cases due to RRA is bound to slow things down even further in the immediate future.”
Her warnings do not deter her from saying that most landlords continue to prosper despite the Renters Reform Act, and she anticipates that the next six months will see more landlords get to grips with the tighter regulations.
- Thompson makes a more extensive set of forecasts for the second half of 2026 in a special feature on Landlord Today this coming weekend. Subscribers will see the feature on their Saturday morning newsletter.
