Awareness is not the same as preparedness
The distinction Mason draws between knowing the rules and feeling equipped to apply them cuts to the heart of what the Aviva data reveals. Landlords report specific struggles despite their stated awareness, with 40% saying identifying which regulations apply to their business is a top difficulty, 38% cite keeping up with changes, and 35% point to mitigating penalty or enforcement risk. Asked what support would help most, 42% want regular regulatory updates, 41% want insurance products bundled with legal and regulatory support, and 41% want simpler regulatory guidance.
Mason said the message about the scale of legislative change has landed, but preparedness is a different matter entirely. “Most landlords are well aware that the rulebook has changed significantly, but knowing a major piece of legislation is coming and understanding exactly what it means for your own properties are two very different things.”
He pointed to the volume of simultaneous change as a key pressure point, particularly for smaller landlords. “The challenge is the sheer amount of change happening at once. For professional landlords, adapting is increasingly becoming part of running a property business. But for someone with one or two properties, keeping on top of new tenancy rules, compliance requirements and future reforms can feel like taking on a second job.”
That dynamic is consistent with what brokers across the market have been observing. When the Renters’ Rights Act came into force and brokers began bracing for its full effect on buy-to-let lending, the professional landlord cohort showed greater resilience and adaptability than those with smaller portfolios, while single-property landlords have emerged as the group most exposed to compliance risk and most likely to consider exiting the market altogether.
The compliance picture is set to become more complex still. A private rented sector database is due to roll out regionally from autumn 2026, requiring landlords to register themselves, their properties and compliance information. A mandatory landlord ombudsman scheme follows in 2028. Both measures will add further administrative layers to a sector already stretched by the demands of the Act itself.