New TDS research explores what helps landlords comply with changing PRS rules

The private rented sector (PRS) is facing one of the most significant periods of change in a generation. From the Renters’ Rights Act and Making Tax Digital to future energy efficiency requirements and a new Decent Homes Standard, the expectations on private landlords are increasing.

To address this, the TDS Charitable Foundation has launched a timely new research report looking at what drives unintentional non-compliance among landlords – and what kind of support could help them meet their responsibilities.

What is unintentional non-compliance?

Unintentional non-compliance happens when landlords are not deliberately breaking the rules, but fail to meet them because of regulatory complexity, limited awareness, lack of capacity or weak systems.

The scale of the challenge is significant. Around 43% of landlords fall into MHCLG’s “mixed compliance” or “lower compliance and awareness” groups, suggesting many struggle to self-regulate effectively. Gaps in compliance can leave tenants exposed to poor standards, while landlords face financial, legal and reputational risks.

Funded by the Nationwide Foundation and underpinned by behavioural science, the research will inform practical, evidence-led support to help landlords improve standards.

Sector leaders back new research

To mark the report’s launch, TDS Charitable Foundation hosted a webinar with a range of sector voices including:

• Paul Dennett, Deputy Mayor for Housing, GMCA

• Dr Jennifer Harris, Head of Policy, Research and Social Impact, TDS Charitable Foundation

• Rory Hughes, Programme Manager – Private Rented Sector, Nationwide Foundation

• Chris Norris, Chief Policy Officer, NRLA

• Chair: Melissa York, Assistant Property Editor, The Times and the Sunday Times

Jennifer Harris began by explaining that the research aims to understand how compliance happens in practice. As she put it, self-regulation means “obeying the rules when no-one is watching” – and the challenge is to make that easier, clearer and more achievable.

As the Renters’ Rights Act accelerates reform, landlords will need to keep up with a changing legal landscape. Practices that may once have been common could become unlawful under new rules, such as collecting more than one month’s rent in advance or accepting rental bids above the asking price.

Speakers agreed that improving standards requires better landlord support alongside firm enforcement. Paul Dennett emphasised the value of a compliance-first approach, which could help landlords understand what is expected, while allowing councils to focus enforcement where it is needed most. Done well, this could improve the quality and security of homes for tenants.

Moving beyond “good” versus “bad” landlords  

Chris Norris highlighted the importance of moving beyond a simple “good” versus “bad” landlord narrative. He said the findings reflect the real-life stories seen every day: landlords who are “trying to get things right, but they make mistakes”. In one example discussed, when landlords were contacted about safety concerns, many responded quickly and resolved issues without the need for further formal action.

There was strong support for using the future PRS Database as more than a register. Speakers saw it as a potential communication tool that could send timely reminders, signpost trusted guidance and help landlords stay on top of certification and changing responsibilities. Whether the database fulfils this potential will depend on how ambitiously it is designed, and whether the Government learns lessons from Scotland’s experience.

What happens next?

Rory Hughes introduced the next phase of work, describing an action research project in Greater Manchester, developed with TDS, GMCA and the Good Landlord Charter. He noted that one of the biggest challenges will be reaching landlords who are not already engaged with existing advice or membership networks: “The hardest bit is trying to find where those landlords are and get those communications in front of them.”

The new briefing provides an important evidence base for anyone interested in improving standards in the PRS and supporting landlords to meet their responsibilities.

We encourage landlords, local authorities, policymakers and sector partners to read the briefing and consider how its findings could inform future guidance, communications and interventions.

The next stage of the project will focus on testing practical, behaviourally informed approaches to help landlords improve compliance. Learning from this work will be shared with the sector to support better policy design, more effective communication and an improved private rented sector for everyone.

About TDS

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme is part of The Dispute Service (TDS), the largest tenancy deposit protection and resolution service provider in the UK making life easier for tens of thousands of agents, landlords, developers, and millions of tenants and homebuyers. Our award-winning customer service is highly rated on both Trustpilot and Google, and we’re backed by the NRLA. We offer free deposit protection in our Custodial scheme, and the lowest rates for landlords in our Insured scheme.

The views expressed in this content are solely those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the views of TDS, its officers, or employees.