A list of primary legislation referenced or amended by the Act is as follows (alphabetised)
	a. Agricultural Holdings Act 1986
	b. Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003
	c. Building Safety Act 2022
	d. Capital Allowances Act 2001
	e. Charities Act 2011
	f. Consumer Rights Act 2015
	g. Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
	h. Deregulation Act 2015
	i. Finance Act 2003
	j. Housing Act 1985
	k. Housing Act 1988
	l. Housing Act 1996
	m. Housing Act 2004
	n. Housing and Planning Act 2016
	o. Housing and Regeneration Act 2008
	p. Housing (Scotland) Act 1988
	q. Immigration Act 2016
	r. Land Compensation Act 1973
	s. Landlord and Tenant Act 1985
	t. Local Government Act 1974
	u. Local Government and Housing Act 1989
	v. Localism Act 2011
	w. Police Reform Act 2002
	x. Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016
	y. Protection from Eviction Act 1977
	z. Rent (Scotland) Act 1984
	aa. Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019
	bb. Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
	cc. Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Protection of Civil Interests) Act 1951
	dd. Tenant Fees Act 2019
	The Protection from Eviction Act 1977 protects tenants from illegal eviction and harassment. Local councils and the police have enforcement powers to investigate cases of illegal eviction and harassment and can prosecute where an offence has been committed. The Rent (Scotland) Act 1984 legislates for criminal offences relating to eviction and harassment in Scotland.
	The Housing Act 1988 sets out the statutory framework for assured and assured shorthold tenancies in England, including introducing section 21 notices. The Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 made similar provision for Scotland. Assured and assured shorthold tenancies are the two main tenancy types for tenants of private registered providers of social housing and in the private rented sector.
	An assured tenancy is a tenancy agreed under the Housing Act 1988. A landlord may, having given a section 8 notice to the tenant citing one of the statutory grounds for possession, apply to the Court for an order for possession of the premises. Grounds can be mandatory or discretionary. A mandatory ground requires the court to order possession if the landlord can prove that the ground applies. A discretionary ground allows the court to decide whether it is reasonable for possession to be granted if the landlord proves the ground applies. Assured tenancies are currently most commonly offered to tenants of private registered providers of social housing.
	An assured shorthold tenancy is a type of assured tenancy. Most new tenancies in the private rented sector in England are automatically this type. A tenancy can be an assured shorthold tenancy if all the following apply:
							It is let by a private landlord or housing association;
							The tenancy started on or after 15 January 1989;
							The property is a tenant’s main accommodation; and
							A landlord does not live in the property.
	A landlord can end a tenancy of this type by either giving to the tenant a section 8 notice citing a ground for possession (as above for an assured tenancy), or by giving to the tenant a section 21 notice requiring the tenant to give up possession at the end of a period of the tenancy but without requiring a reason to be provided or citing a ground.
	The Housing Act 1996 amended the Housing Act 1988 to remove the requirement of service of a notice to turn an assured tenancy into an assured shorthold tenancy. As a result, assured shorthold tenancies were made the default tenancy in the private rented sector. The Housing Act 1996 also provides for functions of local housing authorities to be used to assist those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
	The Housing Act 2004 sought to modernise and improve standards and management of private rented sector properties, including by requiring houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) to be licensed and removing the ability for section 21 notices to be issued where they are not licensed. It also introduced tenancy deposit schemes and rent repayment orders (RROs), alongside the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
	The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced the Database of Rogue Landlords and Property Agents and banning orders.
	The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans unfair letting fees and caps tenancy deposits to either five- or six-weeks’ rent. It prevents a landlord from serving a section 21 notice if the landlord has required a prohibited payment and the payment is made as a result or if the landlord breached the rules on holding deposits in relation to an assured shorthold tenancy. A landlord is prevented from serving a section 21 notice to end the tenancy if the payment or deposit has not been repaid. The Renting Homes (Fees, Discrimination etc.) (Wales) Act 2019 introduced similar measures in Wales.
	The Building Safety Act 2022 includes provisions to improve the design, construction and management of higher-risk buildings. The Act amongst other things makes provisions for information sharing with other bodies.
	The Consumer Rights Act 2015 amended the law relating to the rights of consumers and protection of their interests, this included making provision about investigatory powers for enforcing the regulation of traders.
	The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 gave extra powers to the police, with the aim to tackle crime and disorder more effectively. The Act gives powers of seizure in specified circumstances.
	The Local Government Act 1974 introduced the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
	The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 introduced a new tenancy system in Wales and requirements on landlords related to maintenance and communication.
	The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 introduced a new tenancy system in Scotland.
	The Act makes consequential changes to a number of existing Acts further to the Decent Homes Standard measures. Consequential changes are made to the Land Compensation Act 1973, Housing Act 1985, Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, Housing and Planning Act 2016, Tenant Fees Act 2019, Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Protection of Civil Interests) Act 1951, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, Capital Allowances Act 2001, Police Reform Act 2002, Finance Act 2003, Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Localism Act 2011, Housing Act 1996, Housing Act 2004, Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, Local Government Act 1974, Government of Wales Act 1998, Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005, Building Safety Act 2022, Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, Deregulation Act 2015, and Immigration Act 2016.
Legal background