Onboarding the self-managing landlord: a compliant take-on under the Renters' Rights Act

The most useful signal in the lettings market this summer isn't a new regulation. It's a phone that keeps ringing. According to Propertymark's latest Housing Insight Report, agents across England are picking up management instructions from landlords who used to do it themselves - and in some cases have never used an agent before. One Staffordshire agent reported replacing managed stock lost to sales with previously self-managing owners coming in the other door.

The reason is simple. The Renters' Rights Act made running a compliant let materially harder, and a chunk of small landlords have decided the workload and the penalties aren't worth carrying alone. That's an opportunity - but every take-on is also an inheritance, and you inherit the compliance gaps along with the keys.

This is operational guidance for letting agents, not legal advice. Where an inherited tenancy looks legally messy - a dubious notice, a deposit problem - get a solicitor on it before you act.

Why the self-managers are calling now

The pattern Propertymark describes is consistent across its branch feedback: demand still far outstrips supply, with the average branch reporting around seven applicants for every available home, while the rules around possession, rent and documentation have got heavier. The re-let that used to be automatic when a tenant gave notice isn't automatic any more, and that's the moment a lot of self-managers decide they're out of their depth.

For agents, there's a structural point underneath this. Many branches are managing fewer properties than they were two years ago, and the landlords who remain are, on average, more in need of professional help. The competent self-manager who ran an AST off a template and common sense is exactly the person the new regime trips up. The agencies winning now are the ones actively reaching out to those landlords and converting the "I think I need help" conversation into a management instruction. For the wider context on what changed in Phase 1, our first-month review is the short version.

The catch: you inherit their compliance, mistakes and all

Here's what a self-manager rarely understands when they hand over: taking on the management doesn't reset the clock. You take the tenancy as it is, including whatever was or wasn't done since 1 May. If the deposit was never properly protected, if the Information Sheet never went out, if a rent increase was served on the wrong form - that's now your problem to spot and fix.

One trap catches agents specifically. Where a property is managed by a letting agent, the obligation to serve the tenant the government's Information Sheet falls on the agent too - even if the landlord tells you they already did it. "The landlord says it's sorted" is not a defence. Verify it, and if you can't prove it was served correctly, serve it yourself and keep the record.

The take-on audit

Before you confirm an inherited tenancy as "managed and compliant", work through every one against this list. Treat anything you can't evidence as a gap to close, not a box to assume.

• Tenancy status - confirm it's now a periodic assured tenancy and you understand its start date. See the periodic tenancy playbook for how the mid-tenancy moments now work.
• Information Sheet - was it served on the tenant (and any guarantor) by the deadline, with proof? If not, serve it now as the agent.
• Written statement of terms - is there a compliant written statement for the tenancy? Our line-by-line guide is the reference.
• Deposit - protected in an approved scheme, with prescribed information served? Unprotected or mis-served deposits are a live liability and block possession.
• Safety certificates - gas safety, EICR and EPC present, in date, with renewals diarised.
• Live notices - any possession or rent notices already served? Note the type, date and validity before you rely on anything.
• Rent record - the current rent, the last increase date and method (this sets the Section 13 clock you'll inherit).
• Outstanding requests - any pet requests or repairs reported and unanswered, with their dates.

Mark each tenancy green, amber or red. The reds are your immediate work; don't let them sit under a "fully managed" label.

Re-paper and re-serve where needed

Once you've found the gaps, close them in a defensible order: serve the Information Sheet as agent where proof is missing, sort any deposit protection or prescribed-information failures, and put a compliant written statement in place. Document every step with dates - the same audit-trail discipline the DSAR rules already demand. If you take on a tenancy and quietly carry its defects, you've bought someone else's risk for a management fee.

Keeping that inherited record straight from day one - certificates, notices, deposit data and the full communication trail in one place - is exactly what OdjoAI Property is built to do. But the principle is process, not product. If you're doing this manually, do it religiously: a single take-on checklist per property, completed before you call the tenancy "managed".

Price the risk, and set the landlord's expectations

A take-on is also a commercial conversation. The landlord is handing you risk; price it honestly, and be clear about what your fee buys: compliant documentation, valid notices, and protection from penalties that have got sharper under the Act. Set the comms cadence, explain who does what, and be candid that fixing inherited gaps may take a few weeks. A landlord who understands why the onboarding is thorough is a landlord who stays.

A clean take-on process

Week 1: gather and verify

Collect the tenancy file, certificates, deposit details and any notices. Run the audit above and triage to green/amber/red.

Week 2: close the gaps

Serve the Information Sheet as agent where needed, fix deposit and statement issues, chase missing or expiring certificates, and answer any outstanding tenant requests.

Ongoing: own the record

Diarise certificate renewals and the Section 13 date, set the inspection schedule, and keep every tenant interaction logged so the trail is there if a dispute or complaint arrives.

Frequently asked questions

A landlord says they served the Information Sheet - do I need to do anything?

Yes. As the managing agent the duty applies to you as well. Get proof of what the landlord did; if you can't evidence correct service, serve it yourself and keep the record.

Do I have to re-issue the tenancy agreement when I take over management?

Not because management changed hands. The tenancy continues as a periodic assured tenancy. But you do need a compliant written statement of terms in place and the Information Sheet served - check both rather than assume.

What's the biggest inherited risk to look for first?

Deposit protection. An unprotected or improperly served deposit is a standing liability and can block a possession claim. Confirm the scheme and that prescribed information was served correctly.

The landlord served a possession notice before I took over. Is it still valid?

Maybe - it depends entirely on type, date and whether it was correctly served. Don't rely on an inherited notice until you've checked it, and take advice if possession is contentious.

The takeaway

The Renters' Rights Act isn't just changing tenancy law - it's changing who runs the tenancy, and more of that work is landing with agents. The opportunity is real, but a take-on without an audit is just buying someone else's exposure. Run every inherited tenancy through the same checklist, re-serve what you're now responsible for, price the risk honestly, and the landlords who come to you because the rules got hard will be the ones who stay because you made them simple.