Does the Renters’ Rights Act change which certificates you have to give new tenants in London?

Does the Renters’ Rights Act change the certificates London landlords must give new tenants?

In most cases, no. The Renters’ Rights Act does not replace the core safety and energy documents that landlords already need to provide at the start of a tenancy. London landlords still need to focus on the existing legal requirements for gas safety, electrical safety, and energy performance, alongside any property-specific duties that apply through licensing, building type, or local authority rules.

An illustrative image of a letting agent handing over compliance certificates to tenants

Understanding the Renters’ Rights Act in the context of London rentals

The Renters’ Rights Act sits within a wider legislation update aimed at tenant protection and changes to the private rented sector. That wider context is what creates confusion. When a major housing bill moves through UK Parliament or is discussed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, many landlords reasonably assume that every part of rental compliance has changed at once.

A calmer reading usually shows something narrower. One set of reforms may affect possession, tenancy structure, or enforcement, while existing safety regulations remain in place as before. That distinction matters in London, where national rules apply alongside local authority licensing schemes and borough-level enforcement priorities.

A few misconceptions appear again and again:

• A new rental law automatically creates brand new certificates.
• London has its own separate set of national tenancy certificates.
• Existing documents, including the EICR or gas cert, stop mattering once new legislation arrives.

None of those assumptions is a safe basis for compliance. The practical question is always which duties are already in force, which part of the law changes them if at all, and whether any London-specific requirement comes from licensing rather than the Act itself.

An illustrative image of an electrical contractor performing a safety check on a consumer unit

Core certificates required for new tenancies in London

For most new tenancies in London, the main documents landlords must have in order are unchanged. The legal position still centres on established safety and energy rules, not on a fresh list created by the Renters’ Rights Act.

1. Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). This electrical certificate records the outcome of an electrical safety check under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
2. Gas Safety Certificate (CP12). This gas safety record, often called a gas cert or landlord gas safety record, is required where gas appliances or installations are present under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
3. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This energy certificate shows the property’s energy rating and links to the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015.

Some landlords will also deal with other safety documents, although they are not universal tenancy-start documents for every standard let. A Fire Alarm Certificate may arise in properties with a fire alarm system that requires inspection or servicing. An Emergency Lighting Certificate is relevant where emergency lighting is installed, which is more common in certain HMOs and larger buildings. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT), often called a PAT test or PAT testing certificate, may be expected as part of sensible management where appliances are supplied, but its status depends on the property and context rather than a blanket rule for every new tenancy.

Timing matters as much as possession of the document itself. A valid gas safety record should already be in place before occupation begins where gas is present. An EPC should be available to prospective tenants and form part of the letting process. An EICR must be current within its inspection cycle, which is commonly five years unless the report states a shorter interval. A flat with supplied white goods, shared systems, or HMO licensing conditions may also need closer attention to supporting records before keys are handed over.

What, if anything, has changed under the Renters’ Rights Act?

The short answer is that the Act does not generally create a new set of certificates for new tenants in London.

That point is worth stating plainly because much of the confusion comes from the phrase “new tenancy requirements”. A change in tenancy law can alter documents, notices, or procedures in one area without changing the core list of safety certificates required under existing safety regulations.

A simple comparison helps:

• Before the Act, landlords needed to comply with gas safety, electrical safety, and EPC rules that already applied.
• After the Act, those same underlying duties still need to be met unless and until separate legislation changes them.

Some myths are easy to clear up. The Act does not mean every landlord suddenly needs a PAT certificate for every tenancy. It does not replace an EICR with a different electrical document. It does not remove the need for a valid gas safety record before a tenant moves in. Local authority enforcement can still focus on the documents that were already required long before this latest landlord legal update.

London can make the picture look more complicated because borough licensing conditions may ask for additional evidence, including fire safety records in some HMOs or converted buildings. That does not mean the Renters’ Rights Act itself has introduced a new universal certificate list. It usually means the property falls into a category with extra compliance duties attached to its use, layout, or licence.

An illustrative image of an empty rental property living room waiting for new tenants

Compliance timelines, renewals, and practical delivery

A landlord who signs up a new tenant next week still needs a process that starts before the move-in date, not after it. Most compliance failures happen through timing and admin gaps rather than outright refusal to comply.

A straightforward sequence usually looks like this:

1. Check which certificates are already valid and which are close to expiry.
2. Book any inspection early enough for remedial works if the report identifies defects.
3. Obtain the final documents in a clear format.
4. Give the relevant documents to the tenant at the proper stage of the tenancy process.
5. Record the handover and diary the next renewal date.

Digital delivery is widely used by letting agents and property managers, provided the document is legible and the tenant actually receives it. Many landlords now keep certificates in a digital file for each property, including issue date, expiry date, and the contractor details. Landlord Building Certificates is one example of the kind of provider landlords use for consolidated inspection work, especially where several documents need to be renewed close together.

Renewal cycles vary. Gas safety checks are annual. EPCs generally last longer, subject to the usual rules around validity and minimum energy standards. EICRs often run on a five-year cycle unless the report says sooner. Once one date slips, the rest of the schedule can become untidy, particularly in larger portfolios where void periods, repairs, and new move-ins overlap.

Late paperwork can have wider consequences than many landlords expect. Missing or outdated documents may lead to local authority attention, issues with licensing, delays in letting, or disputes over whether the tenancy started with the right paperwork in place. In practice, the smoothest handovers come from treating certificates as part of pre-tenancy administration, alongside referencing, inventory work, and deposit compliance.

Common misconceptions and forward-looking considerations

Several landlord compliance myths continue to circulate around rental law updates:

• Every new housing law creates extra certificates at tenancy start.
• London landlords must follow a different national certificate regime from the rest of England.
• A valid certificate can be dealt with after the tenant moves in without any risk.
• If a letting agent is involved, the legal responsibility disappears from the landlord.

Each of those ideas can lead to expensive mistakes. National legislation sets the broad legal framework, but local authorities may impose extra licensing conditions for certain properties. Agents can manage the process, yet the landlord still carries legal responsibility for making sure the right documents exist and are given when required.

Future rental regulations may well change procedures, enforcement, or documentary standards over time. Professional accreditation bodies, regulators, and government guidance are the places to watch for confirmed changes. Until any new rule is actually in force, though, the sensible approach is to keep current certificates valid, store records properly, and treat each new tenancy as a compliance checkpoint rather than an admin afterthought.

Routine organisation usually does more for staying compliant than reacting to headlines. A landlord with a clear renewal diary, accurate records, and property-specific awareness is far less likely to be caught out by either old rules or new ones.