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15 April 2026
Issue: 8157 / Categories: Legal News , Landlord&tenant , Local authority , Housing
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Council duties change following Renters’ Rights Act

Local authorities will be legally obliged to make sure landlords are complying with the Renters’ Rights Act 2026 protections for private renters from 1 May

They will have a duty to enforce bans on rental bidding wars, ‘no-fault’ eviction and discrimination against tenants with children or tenants receiving benefits.

Housing secretary Steve Reed said councils will receive £41m extra funds as well as training to ease them into their new role.

Tenants will be able to challenge offences within the past two years, with landlords in breach expected to comply with rent repayment orders of up to two years’ worth of rent.

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NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
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