What Bristol landlords are still getting wrong about the Renters’ Rights changes
Even this close to the Renters’ Rights changes coming in, there are still a few key things landlords are getting wrong.
Not through lack of effort.
There’s a lot of information out there now. Most landlords are aware something is changing.
The issue we’re seeing isn’t awareness.
It’s clarity.
“It doesn’t really affect me yet”
This is probably the most common one.
A lot of landlords feel like this is something they’ll deal with later — once something changes or once a tenancy turns over.
But from May, the way notice works changes, the structure of tenancies changes, and the margin for anything unclear gets much smaller.
So it’s not really about whether it affects you yet.
It’s about whether what you have in place would hold up if you needed to rely on it.
“I’ll deal with it if something comes up”
This is where landlords tend to get caught out.
By the time something “comes up”, you’re usually already under pressure.
That might be:
rent slipping
a tenant issue
needing the property back
or a sale that suddenly needs to move
At that point, you’re not just dealing with one issue — you’re trying to understand your whole position at the same time.
And that’s where time starts to go.
“My setup is straightforward”
Most landlords think this - and often, day to day, it is.
But where this gets tested is when the detail actually matters.
We’re seeing this particularly with:
room lets
licence arrangements
informal agreements
or setups that have just evolved over time
What something gets called day to day is not always the same as what it is legally when it matters.
“I’ve read about it, so I’m fine”
There’s a lot of content out there now, which is a good thing.
But reading about the legislation is not the same as being clear on your own setup.
At this stage, it’s not a lack of information.
It’s a lack of confidence.
The Nook view
This is manageable.
But it does require a bit more clarity than many landlords have needed in the past.
Not more complexity.
Just less vagueness.
The landlords who stay in control are the ones who:
understand what they have
know where their documents are
and have a clear sense of what they would do if something changed
Let’s Talk!
If you’re somewhere in that “I think it’s fine, but I’d rather be sure” space, that’s exactly the point where it’s worth having a quick conversation.
We’re happy to talk it through.
Nook Lettings
Call: 0117 370 4778
Email:hello@nooklettings.com