Councils can now enter a property and seize documents about rental activity as part of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Residential properties can be entered to investigate illegal evictions, check the condition of a property, and/or to check an investor’s landlord database registration status.
Business premises meanwhile can be entered without a warrant if council officers want to gather relevant documents.
William Reeve, chief executive of Goodlord, said: “May 1, 2026 may be the key date in everyone’s minds as we head into the New Year.
“But in recent days we’ve seen the unofficial start of Renters’ Rights Act implementation. With councils granted stronger investigatory powers as of December 27th, the direction of travel is clear: enforcement will become more proactive and far less forgiving of poor process.
“For agents and landlords, next year won’t be about reacting to new rules as they land, but demonstrating that robust compliance is already embedded in day-to-day operations.
“Those who use the coming months to get their records and systems in order will be best placed to navigate a tighter regulatory environment with confidence.”
Landlords can be slapped with a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a single breach of the act, or up to £40,000 for repeated serious breaches.
The government previously said: “Some of these investigatory powers can be used to support local housing authority investigations relating to illegal eviction, poor housing conditions and other housing legislation where they apply to relevant accommodation.”
