Category: Uncategorised

Renters Reform Act – Phase 1 date announced

Following our recent update announcing the Renters Reform Act 2025 had finally received Royal Assent, the Government has now published its delivery roadmap, and Phase 1 will take effect on 1^st May 2026.

What’s in Phase 1?

• Section 21 ban – No new Section 21 notices can be served from 1 May 2026. Notices already served before that date remain valid until expiry or the tenant vacates.
  
  
• Periodic tenancies by default – All new tenancies will start as periodic (no fixed terms).
  
  
• Cap on rent in advance – Limits will apply to the amount a landlord can take upfront.
  
  
• Annual rent reviews via Section 13 – Rent increases must be issued by Section 13 with two months’ notice.
  
  
• No rental bidding – Landlords cannot accept offers above the advertised rent.
  
  
• Tenants will have the right to request a pet – Although Landlords can refuse on fair, legitimate grounds (e.g., head lease restrictions, lack of outdoor space, proximity to a main road).
  
  
• New Anti-discrimination measures – New protections, particularly for families and those receiving benefits.

From 1 May 2026, all existing and new private tenancies move onto the new framework.

What’s next?

• Phase 2 (late 2026): Launch of the Landlord Ombudsman and PRS Database.
  
  
• Phase 3 (mid-2030s): Further consultation on property standards, including the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law.

What do landlords need to do now?

The implementation date of 1^st May 2026, has been selected deliberately to allow landlords (and agents!) sufficient time to understand their responsibilities and action the required changes.

As part of the changes, Landlords will be required to issue information to their tenants to convert the tenancy agreements already in place (our managed property clients do not need to worry, as we will do this on your behalf).

Landlords without written agreements in place will need to provide details to their tenants prior to the implementation date, and we would encourage any landlords who this might affect to contact us to see how we might be able to assist them.

We will continue to provide updates as the government makes further announcements, but rest assured that the team will continue to work hard to ensure your compliance with the new regulations.

If you have any concerns about the new legislation, please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the team.

01539 792035 or lettings@hackney-leigh.co.uk

Caring about you and your property

We are thrilled to share some fantastic news with you all – Hackney & Leigh have just won three national awards:

• Best Sales and Lettings Estate Agency in the UK (6–20 branches)
• Best Lettings Manager in the UK – Jo Thompson, Head of Lettings
• Best Sales Manager in the UK – Keira Evans, Kendal Branch Manager

These incredible wins were announced this week at the EA Masters – Best Estate Agent Guide Awards, the estate agency event of the year!

A truly momentous achievement and a reflection of the incredible hard work, passion and dedication of our amazing team – we couldn’t be prouder!

The awards were presented at a glittering ceremony at Evolution London in Battersea Park, attended by more than 1,000 estate agents and industry partners.

Each year, the team behind the Best Estate Agent Guide carries out an independent performance assessment of the entire estate agency industry to identify the best agencies in the country, based on marketing, service and results.

The top performers are then mystery-shopped to ensure exceptional service levels are achieved and that all the latest marketing techniques are being employed to create the perfect first impression of their clients’ properties.

The process for the individual awards included Jo and Keira having in-depth interviews with industry leaders to understand more about them, their values and how they go about achieving the results for their clients.

On winning the Best Lettings Manager in the UK, Jo Thompson, who lives near Kendal, said: “I am honoured and elated to have won the award. It is not only a great result for me, but it recognises what a fantastic team I have that supports me.”

The judges said her in-depth industry knowledge was a key factor in their decision.

Jo has been in the industry for over a decade, having previously been a manager in the hospitality world. She joined Hackney & Leigh in 2017 and has helped shape and grow the business into what it is today.

Following the presentation for Best Sales Manager in the UK, Keira Evans said: “I am delighted to have won the award, not just for myself, but for my team. Just to be nominated was incredible, but to win was a total privilege. I’m utterly flattered to be recognised for my work in a profession I’m so passionate about, especially given the quality of the competition.”

Commenting on Keira’s win, the judges said she had shown fantastic knowledge of her market, alongside a wonderful empathy for her clients.

Keira has worked as an estate agent for ten years, following a successful career as a Sales Manager in the equine industry. She joined Hackney & Leigh at the start of 2022 and has taken the Kendal office from strength to strength.

Peter Knight, founder of the Best Estate Agent Guide and EA Masters, said: “We are delighted to recognise and help celebrate the outstanding achievements of everyone who took home an award at this year’s EA Masters.

“They represent the top-performing agents in the UK, setting the benchmark for excellence in customer service, expertise and results.

“We congratulate this year’s winners, who continue to raise standards in the industry and truly exemplify what it means to be the very best.”

If you are one of the many landlords with a local property already using our managed or rent collection services, don’t worry, we have you covered!

If you are currently going it alone or doing let-only/tenant find, you might want to brush up on your knowledge!
(or have a chat with us and let us take care of all the hassle/give you peace of mind!)

Below are just a few of the ways it could affect you as a landlord…

• It will be harder to regain your property – taking possession back will now depend on specific grounds and legally required paperwork served within specific timescales. A missed clause or procedural slip can stretch repossession into months (or longer).
• Only rolling tenancies will be allowed going forward, which means fixed term contracts will become a thing of the past – Additional administration, with stricter notice rules, mean more careful planning of when paperwork needs to be served and what should be included. One incorrect notice or badly worded rent review could invalidate your action.
• Only one rent review per year will be allowed going forward – If a tenant challenges a rent rise, you’ll need evidence and procedures in place to justify the amount of the rise. Mishandled reviews can lead to lengthy disputes, lost income, lost time and additional stress
• Heightened scrutiny of standards will be introduced – Failure to respond to repairs in a timely manner or allow poor repairs mean fines, compensation claims, and reputational damage if you fall behind.
• Public records and scrutiny – The new databases and Ombudsman will expose poor practice. A single complaint can harm future lettings and reduce property value.

If you want to avoid costly mistakes, prolonged repossession battles, and public complaints – get an expert on your side.

We’ll guide you through every step, so you stay compliant and protect your income, taking care of the hard stuff so you don’t have.

We’ll issue the notices at the right times, use the correct documentation, defend rent review challenges, undertake timely repairs, professionally handle any disputes resulting in fewer legal risks with shorter void periods. We can also  provide protection for your rental income  and your reputation!

In a nutshell, the Renters’ Rights Bill isn’t about taking control away – it’s about rewarding professionalism!

We’d like to wish our past, present and future clients a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We’ve loved helping everyone this year; whether you’ve been buying, selling, renting or letting. We’re looking forward to helping even more of you in 2025.

Best Wishes,

Hackney & Leigh

Caring about you and your property

Once again, we’ve got to that time of year when we’re digging the thick socks and heavy scarves out of the back of the wardrobe. Meanwhile, the daunting thought of drafts and damp haunts us. Have a read of our top tips to ensure your home stays warm, cosy and mould-free this winter.

Continue reading » “Look after your home this winter”

Do you have unexpected guests or a last minute viewing and need to tidy-up your home fast? Follow these quick tips to get your home looking shipshape in no time!

Continue reading » “How to declutter….fast!”

Many of you will have seen that the long anticipated ‘Renters Reform Bill’ was finally introduced to parliament this week.

As usual, sections of the media have created a number of misleading and unhelpful headlines which have caused some people to worry unnecessarily.

A long time coming…

Back in 2019, the government set out to create ‘a better deal for renters’, and to ‘improve renters rights’, by providing a range of new protection against arbitrary rent increases and unfair evictions.

Continue reading » “Renters’ (Reform) Bill”

We are delighted to be celebrating our 40^th anniversary this August, and its proving quite a year for the company!

Having picked up an award back in May for North West Family Business of the Year, it has recently been announced that we will be marking our 5^th consecutive appearance in the Best Estate Agency Guide by making into the top 2% of agents in the entire country, receiving Gold Awards for both Sales and Lettings!

Continue reading » “Celebrating 40 years of caring about you and your property!”

Our Award Winning team have again been rated in the top 5% in the country for Marketing, Service and Results.

The BEAG awarded prizes to both our sales and lettings departments at Hackney & Leigh based on the “outstanding level of service and care they have shown towards their clients”.

“This year will be our 40 year anniversary in business, and never did Derrick and I expect that 40 years on, not only would we have a network of nine local offices across this beautiful part of the world, but that we would be winning awards as one of the best estate agents in the country. It makes us both immensely proud and we want to say a big thank you to all of our colleagues, some of whom have been by our side for over 30 years, and without whom we wouldn’t be where we are today.” – John Leigh

According to the BEAG website, the assessment, which was conducted by Rightmove and the Property Academy, looks at over 1.5 million transactions, 25 million leads and 1.5 billion property views, and by winning the awards, puts Hackney & Leigh in the top five per cent of UK Estate Agents for their ability to provide the best marketing, services and results.

A wonderful time was had by all at this year’s county show!

All sorts of people attended (including the lovely Sophie, Countess of Wessex), enquiring about the fabulous properties we have for sale and let, getting advice, and talking all things property!

We hope to see everyone at next year’s show, but in the meantime our friendly, knowledgeable team are here for you whether you are buying, selling, lettings or renting.

Caring about you and your property!