Private Landlords Bulletin
Issue 42: February 2026

This edition will cover the following:

• Consultation on a new policy deciding the level of a civil penalty
• Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime
• Warm Homes Plan
• Decent Homes Standard
• Leasehold cap
• Making Tax Digital
• Shared recycling bin improvements
• New Article 4 Directions
• Private Landlords Bulletin sign up

 

Consultation on a new policy deciding the level of a civil penalty

Bristol City Council is consulting on a new civil penalty policy for private housing related offences and breaches. For more information and to take part, please visit our website. The consultation is open until 30 March 2026.

 

Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime

The government’s partial response to the ‘Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime’ consultation that was published on 4 December 2024 has been released. It details proposals on what reformed Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will measure and when EPCs will be required. A further response covering the remaining parts of the consultation will be published later in 2026.

Reformed EPCs will be valid for 10 years, while existing EPCs will retain their ten-year validity. For domestic EPCs, the existing single cost metric will be replaced with four new headline metrics: energy cost, fabric performance, heating system and smart readiness. Also, EPCs will be required at the point of marketing a property rather than the point of sale or rent.

Compliance to the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) will be measured using the new EPC ratings. Hence, changes to how EPCs are assessed and issued will directly influence how landlords will need to meet the new MEES requirements. All private rented sector properties will have until 1 October 2030 to meet the new MEES.

 

Warm Homes Plan

To help landlords and tenants meet the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), the government has launched its Warm Homes Plan project to “upgrade the nation’s homes, help families cut their energy bills, and tackle fuel poverty.”

Upgrading homes is a vital next step in addressing the long-term issue of energy affordability for the country. The plan will deliver £15 billion of public investment to enable millions of families to benefit from solar panels, batteries and heat pumps that can cut energy bills. Follow this link to see the press release.

 

Decent Homes Standard

The government has confirmed that the new Decent Homes Standard will be extended to the private rented sector from 2035. The new standard will replace the existing Decent Homes Standard, which currently applies only to social housing.

In brief, the Decent Homes Standard states that:
•   a home must be free of the most dangerous hazards
•   a home must be In a reasonable state of repair
•   a home must provide core facilities and services
•   a home must provide thermal comfort
•   a home should be free of damp and mould

The policy statement can be viewed on the government’s website, along with the government’s response to a consultation, and the briefing that was published with that consultation.

 

Leasehold cap


The government has confirmed that ground rents for existing leaseholders in England and Wales will be capped at £250 per year, with the amount reducing to a peppercorn (zero‑value) rate after 40 years.

According to the government’s announcement, the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill will change homeownership across England and Wales, marking a major shift away from the existing leasehold model. As part of these reforms, new leasehold flats will be banned and pathways to commonhold will be strengthened.

 

Making Tax Digital

Tax returns are changing with a new way to record and report your income and expenses. With the new method, you will not fill in your tax return all at once. Instead, you will split and spread the administration throughout the year. Sole traders and landlords with an annual income over £50,000 will be required to use the new tax reporting system from 6 April 2026. 

You will need to:
•   use recognised software to record income and expenses
•   send quarterly updates to HMRC from the software
•   submit your tax return by 31 January each year

This summary is based on guidance provided by the government.

 

New Article 4 Directions

Bristol City Council ran a public consultation on newly made Article 4 Directions for parts of Brislington, Frome Vale, Purdown, Southmead and Horfield, St George, and Westbury Park.

This expansion will remove permitted development rights that currently allow homes (C3) to be converted into small HMOs (C4) without planning consent. Once the new Article 4 Directions are in place, landlords will need to apply for full planning permission to create new HMOs within these zones. The new directions were approved by the Economy and Skills Committee in November 2025 and will come into place 12 months after the decision.

There are a number of existing Article 4 Directions in relation to HMOs. To find out if your property is affected, please visit this link.