Five months on from 1 May 2026, the headline changes are familiar to most York landlords. The real question now is whether the way you run your let has caught up.
In York, autumn is when that gets tested. The University of York and York St John terms are under way, shared houses in Heslington and Hull Road have just turned over, and commuters are looking for homes within walking distance of the station. At the same time, rent reviews come round, and the first cold snap finds the weak spots in older terraces across South Bank, Clifton and The Groves.
Here’s a practical check to run through this October.
Your tenants should have the information sheet.
If your tenancy was agreed in writing before 1 May 2026, the government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet had to reach your tenants by 31 May 2026. Councils can issue penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to provide it.
If you can’t show when yours was sent, put that right now and keep a record.
Rent reviews now run through Section 13.
Rent can only go up once a year, using a Section 13 notice with at least two months’ notice. Old rent review clauses no longer work, and tenants can challenge an increase at tribunal if they think it’s above market rent.
York’s average private rent was £1,199 a month in August 2026, up 6.5% on a year earlier, according to the ONS. For you, that means evidence matters more than the headline. A flat near York Central is judged against very different comparables from a family home in Acomb or a shared house in Tang Hall.
Get a rental value for your York property
Re-letting this autumn? The rules have changed.
If a tenant moves on, the next let works differently:
- Advertise one fixed rent, and don’t accept offers above it.
- Ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance.
- Avoid blanket bans such as “no pets”, “no DSS” or “no children”.
- Reply to pet requests within 28 days. Separate pet deposits and pet fees aren’t allowed.
York’s student market is where old habits are hardest to break. Taking several months’ rent upfront from a student group, for example, is now off the table.
Keep your paperwork possession-ready.
Without Section 21, regaining possession means proving a specific ground, whether that’s rent arrears or a plan to sell. Rent statements, written messages, inspection notes and correctly served certificates are your evidence. They’re far easier to keep up month by month than to rebuild under pressure.
Your York register dates
The landlord register, now called the Register your rental property service, opens on 15 December 2026. York sits in Yorkshire and the Humber, so:
- Registration for the region opens on 15 April 2027
- The deadline to register is 14 July 2027
- The fee is £65 per property, per year
- Early registration is possible from 15 December 2026.
HMO landlords in wards with additional licensing, such as Fulford and Heslington, Hull Road and Heworth, should check their licence details are complete, as the register asks for them. A landlord ombudsman follows later, with compulsory membership expected in 2028.
Your October checklist
- Information sheet sent to existing tenants, with proof.
- The next rent review is planned through Section 13, backed by local evidence.
- Adverts and referencing free of bidding, blanket bans and excess rent in advance.
- A process for answering pet requests within 28 days.
- Rent records, messages and certificates up to date.
- Your register window in the diary: 15 April to 14 July 2027.
Let Hunters York take this off your list.
Each rule is simple on its own. Together, they turn every rent review, re-let and repair into a process with a deadline. With fully managed lettings, Hunters York handles the day-to-day and gets your property register-ready, while you keep the final say.
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