Barely a third of tenants believe their management company is compliant with the Renters Rights Act.
That’s the claim from property management firm Rushbrook & Rathbone which says almost 60% of tenants living in managed properties have seen no changes to their tenancy agreements.
The firm surveyed 1,105 UK tenants living in managed properties to gain insight into how their property management company responded to the Act.
Some 29% of tenants say their management company has thoroughly communicated and explained the changes resulting from the RRA, while 50% report receiving no communication at all.
And 40% of managed tenants believe their property fully meets the new RRA requirements regarding health and safety hazards, including damp and mould.
This is particularly concerning given that only 41% of tenants say their manager has historically addressed maintenance issues without delay, suggesting long-standing shortcomings may still be going unresolved.
Since hearing about the RRA, a significant 91% of tenants report seeing no noticeable change at all from their property manager, with just 7% saying they’ve observed improvements.
Only 19% say their manager has responded proactively by addressing issues such as damp, mould, or safety concerns within the home. A further 6% say some minor improvements have been made, although communication surrounding these actions has been limited, while 7% feel their manager is aware of issues but has been slow to act.
Meanwhile, 69% say their manager has either taken no visible action, or they simply don’t know due to a continued lack of communication.
This apparent lack of action is further reflected in tenancy agreements themselves. Almost 60% (59%) of tenants say their agreements have not been updated to reflect the changes introduced by the RRA, despite managing agents having a deadline of 31st May to have sent new documentation.
Taken together, the findings suggest that many tenants remain unclear about both their rights and their property manager’s responsibilities under the new legislation, despite the implementation period having now passed.
Just 32% believe their manager is fully compliant, whilst 42% believe there are at least some gaps in compliance. A further 26% simply don’t know, highlighting the extent to which poor communication may be undermining confidence in the sector.
A Rushbrook & Rathbone spokesperson says: “With the implementation period now behind us, tenants should have confidence that their property manager has taken the necessary steps to comply with the new legislation and communicate any relevant changes.
“However, our findings suggest that many tenants remain uncertain about what has changed, what protections are now in place, and whether their property manager has fully adapted to the new requirements.
“At the same time, the absence of visible action – particularly when it comes to issues like damp, mould and general safety – points to a wider problem within parts of the industry, where compliance risks becoming a box-ticking exercise rather than a genuine commitment to raising standards.
“For property managers, this is a clear moment of accountability. Those who fail to communicate transparently and act decisively risk falling short of both their legal obligations and tenant expectations.”
