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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.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Jasmine Olomolaiye, Foot Anstey

NLJ Career Profile: Jasmine Olomolaiye, Foot Anstey

Jasmine Olomolaiye, partner at national law firm Foot Anstey, discusses the power of reading and the dizzying heights of her dream career

Freeths—Christopher Stephens

Freeths—Christopher Stephens

Strategic land specialist joins real estate practice as partner

Shakespeare Martineau—Jonathan Pawlowski

Shakespeare Martineau—Jonathan Pawlowski

Construction practice strengthened by partner hire in London

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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