Traditional referencing tells you whether a tenant looked good on paper. Husmus tells you whether they can afford the rent today, whether they have paid it reliably, and how they have treated the properties they have lived in. Here is exactly what we check, how the process runs, and why you only pay when we find someone suitable.

Most landlords have never tested a guarantee. They accept a signed deed at move-in and assume the money is safe. Here is what a human guarantor is actually liable for, why enforcement so often fails, and how insurance-backed cover compares when the rent stops.

The bidding ban means you cannot test the market upwards. The one-increase-per-year rule means underpricing costs you 12 months of income. And tenants can now challenge the initial rent at the First-tier Tribunal within the first six months of a new tenancy. If the tribunal decides you have overpriced, it will reduce the rent. It cannot increase it.

The government published the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on 20 March 2026. If you are a landlord with existing tenants, you are legally required to send them this document by 31 May 2026. Fines for non-compliance start at £4,000.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes almost every stage of the onboarding process. No fixed terms. No rent in advance, no rent payments before signing. A new required document before the agreement is signed. And stricter rules on who you can and can't turn away.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the most significant reform to England's private rental sector in a generation. It received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. Phase 1 takes effect on 1 May 2026, which is now just weeks away.