London councils received 291 complaints about landlords breaking the new Renters’ Rights Act rules, but only six fines were issued.

Witan Solicitors sent Freedom of Information requests to London borough councils, asking how many complaints each council received about suspected breaches between 1 May and 31 August 2026. It also asked how many landlords were sent a notice of intent to fine them, how many final penalties were issued, the total value of those penalties and what type of breach each one involved. 18 councils provided figures.

The research revealed that two councils issued final penalties during the four months. Barking and Dagenham issued four, worth £53,120 in total. This included a £40,000 fine for unlawful eviction and harassment, the highest civil penalty available to councils under the new rules. Brent issued two penalties worth £7,000 in total.

Councils had also sent 11 notices of intent to landlords. A notice of intent is the first formal step towards a fine. Barking and Dagenham sent four, Brent, Southwark and Tower Hamlets sent two each, and Enfield sent one.

Not every fine was for serious misconduct. Barking and Dagenham fined two landlords £5,120 each for failing to provide written statements and other prescribed information. Another landlord was fined £2,880 for failing to provide the required Renters’ Rights Act documentation.

Barking and Dagenham received the most complaints, with 59. It was followed by Hounslow (50), Redbridge (45), Lambeth (44), Enfield (22) and Camden (16).

Unlawful eviction or harassment made up around three in four complaints where councils provided a breakdown, with 244 reports. Problems with written statements and information sheets were second, with 25 reports. There were also 10 complaints about rent in advance or pre-tenancy payments, and 5 each about rental bidding, discrimination and misuse of possession grounds.

Under the Act, councils can issue civil penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches and up to £40,000 for more serious offences.

In response to the findings, Qarrar Somji, Solicitor-Advocate and Director of Witan Solicitors, said: “A £40,000 fine is a sharp reminder of how quickly things can go wrong for a landlord under the new rules. While six fines across London may look pretty low, it’s important to remember that notices of intent are already going out, and many complaints will still be under investigation.

“Understandably, a lot of landlords are feeling frustrated right now. Letting property has become harder and more expensive in the past few years, and the Renters’ Rights Act has added a lot of new rules in a short space of time, making it difficult for landlords to keep up without a team behind them.

“Interestingly, some of the fines were for paperwork. Not giving a tenant a written statement or the government’s information sheet has cost landlords more than £5,000 in some cases. Unfortunately, these are exactly the kind of mistakes that are easy to make when you’re busy.”

How landlords can avoid being caught out

Witan Solicitors shared the following advice for landlords:

• Check your paperwork – Make sure every tenant has a written statement of terms. Existing tenants should also have been given the government’s Renters’ Rights Act information sheet. It must be the GOV.UK PDF itself, not a link
• Never end a tenancy informally – Section 21 no-fault evictions have ended. To take a property back, you must serve a Section 8 notice on a valid ground and go through the courts. Asking a tenant to leave verbally or serving a notice to quit can lead to a fine of up to £7,000. Unlawful eviction or harassment can lead to a fine of up to £40,000
• Plan ahead if you’re selling or moving in – You must give at least four months’ notice, and the notice can’t end in the first 12 months of the tenancy. You then can’t re-let or market the property for 12 months after the notice ends
• Advertise a clear rent and stick to it – You must state the rent in adverts, and you cannot invite or accept offers above it
• Be careful with upfront payments – You can’t take any rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. After that, you can ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance. Holding deposits are capped at one week’s rent
• Treat every applicant the same – Blanket bans on tenants who receive benefits or have children are no longer allowed
• Keep records of everything – Save copies of documents, emails and dates. If a complaint is made, this is your best evidence
• Act quickly on a notice of intent – You have 28 days to send written representations to the council. If a final notice follows, you have 28 days to pay it or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The tribunal can raise a penalty as well as lower it, so it’s wise to get legal advice before appealing