THE government has told landlords what they need to do. What it hasn’t told them is how to afford the legal help to do it properly claims a leading lawyer.
From 1st May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act introduces the biggest change to private renting in England in a generation.
Section 21 no-fault evictions end. All fixed-term tenancies are converted to rolling periodic tenancies. New rules on possession, rent increases, property standards, and tenant discrimination come into force.
Most landlords in England are individuals, not property companies. They manage one or two homes for supplementary income, not as a full-time business. For the majority, the cost of instructing a solicitor to navigate every element of the new regime is a genuine barrier, often leading landlords to either guess at compliance or do nothing until something has already gone wrong.
There is a route to specialist legal help that most landlords have never been told about.
The Direct Access scheme allows landlords in England and Wales to instruct a specialist barrister directly, without first going through a solicitor. It covers legal advice, document review, and representation in court or at a tribunal, with fees agreed upfront before any commitment is made. For landlords working through what the Renters’ Rights Act means for their specific tenancies, that means access to qualified housing law expertise at a substantially lower cost than the traditional two-lawyer route.
The situations where Direct Access is most useful are exactly the ones the Act is creating.
Understanding the new Section 8 possession grounds and when they apply.
Navigating disputes over rent increases under the reformed process.
Responding to complaints referred to the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman and knowing what the extended property standards obligations require in practice.
These are not abstract legal questions; they are the day-to-day decisions that landlords are now legally required to get right.
Richard Taylor, Barrister, Barrister Connect said: “It is not just the headlines ending no fault evictions and the abolition of fixed term tenancies that Landlords need to be aware of, Local Authority powers are expanded, and with increased penalties. There is a new decent homes standard to comply with, setting out minimum standards for repair, safety, comfort and facilities, with enforcement by Local Authorities. Couple these with a new ombudsman for swift resolution of tenant complaints, and it is a new era for Landlords”.
There are honest limits to what the scheme covers. Barristers under Direct Access cannot manage the full administrative conduct of litigation as a solicitor would. Where that level of support is needed, clients are made aware of it clearly at the outset. For most landlord legal problems, Direct Access provides a faster, more affordable, and equally expert alternative. The government has pointed landlords to its guidance. Direct Access points them to a specialist.
For landlords who want to understand their obligations under the Renters’ Rights Act without paying over the odds, Barrister Connect at www.barristerconnect.com matches people directly with specialist housing barristers, with fixed fees, no obligation, and same-day callbacks available for urgent matters.
