The compliance solution aims to show that a government information sheet that was published on 20 March has been provided to tenants. Landlords must not only provide it but must also evidence that it has been received, and if they do not, they could be fined up to £7,000 per tenancy.
Lendlord’s latest update focuses on addressing this proof of service requirement, bringing together a set of tools designed to help landlords distribute the document, track tenant engagement and retain a clear audit trail.
The service includes in-app acknowledgement, with tenants needing to confirm that they have read the document before progressing further, as well as integrated e-signatures and a tenancy agreement generator.
Landlords can send the Information Sheet, track whether it has been received and reviewed, and obtain signed acknowledgment within a single dashboard.
Aviram Shahar, co-founder and CEO of Lendlord, said that while sending out an information sheet is straightforward, the real issue is proving receipt.
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He said: “The burden of proof sits entirely with the landlord, and a standard email or proof of posting does not confirm that the document has been opened or read.
“What we are seeing is that this is less about sending a document and more about evidencing service in a way that stands up if challenged. That is where the risk sits, particularly for portfolio landlords where penalties apply per tenancy.”
Landlords unaware of responsibilities
The Renters’ Rights Act brings in a huge number of changes for landlords, including the abolition of Section 21 eviction notices. While many landlords are preparing and some have already sold up, a recent survey shows that some do not know that their roles must change.
A quarter of landlords are still unaware of the implications of the Renters’ Rights Act. The “significant minority” who have yet to engage with the incoming laws are typically smaller or long-established landlords who may not follow regulatory changes as closely as their larger counterparts, according to Pegasus Insight, which carried out the survey.
