The past twelve months have been a whirlwind for the private rental sector. With many new laws making an appearance and 2018’s legislation taking full swing, 2019 has kept landlords and letting agents on their toes – and there’s even more to expect in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what has this year brought us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April this year, the Energy Efficiency Regulations were introduced \u2013 meaning all rented properties must now have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate<\/a> (EPC) rating of E before a new tenancy is started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Landlords\nwho\u2019s properties were already being let before the regulations came into force\nhave until 1 April 2020 to make the improvements required to meet the minimum\nstandard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the government\u2019s increasing focus on taking environmental precautions, it\u2019s likely that the minimum standard will be increased in the next couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 10 Legal Changes Landlords Can Expect in 2020 – read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the 1 June 2019, the Tenant Fee Ban<\/a> came into force \u2013 preventing landlords and agents charging fees to tenants. Tenancy deposits were largely affected by the ban; deposits for properties with an annual rent less than \u00a350,000 are now capped at 5 weeks rent and those more than \u00a350,000 are capped at six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new\nlegislation also affected holding deposits, capping them at 1 week\u2019s rent and limiting\ntheir holding time to 15 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read our full article about the Tenant Fee Ban here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation<\/a> was introduced to monitor the compliance of those handling personal data. A year later, landlords are far more familiar with their GDPR responsibilities, however, it\u2019s still an area of concern and worry for some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a look at our guide to GDPR for landlords here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure you\u2019re GDPR compliant, download our free privacy policy template to issue to tenants below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nThe\nTenant Fee Ban<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One year\nof GDPR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n