Rightmove updates tools for letting agents

Rightmove is updating its tools for letting agents to help landlords ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May.

The updates are intended to support landlords, with 57% reporting limited awareness or understanding of the Act.

That means, the platform says, that landlords will be relying on letting agents to manage compliance.

At the core are updates to its Tenancy Manager service, which handles tenancy set-up and payments while automating compliance across both new and existing tenancies.

The revised system introduces a workflow aligned to the legislation, covering tenancy agreements, offer letters and how agents notify existing tenants of contract changes.

Tenant referencing criteria have also been adjusted, reflecting the removal of rent in advance and fixed tenancy terms.

Help for agents

The firm’s director of agent partnerships, Christian Balshen, said: “Letting agents have had to become experts at dealing with legislation changes and Tenancy Manager is here to help.

“Slightly unusually, the Renters’ Rights Act applies not only to new tenancies but also to all existing tenancies.

“This is a massive administrative task for letting agents with several compliance potholes.”

He added: “Plus, the updates we’ve made to the platform are aimed at making it even easier for agents to act with confidence and clarity.”

Limit tenancy problems

The move comes as the new rules apply retrospectively to existing agreements, adding to the volume of administrative work agents must process.

Rightmove said the changes are designed to limit errors as firms adapt.

There are also additions around rent reviews with the platform now integrating evidence-backed data, allowing agents to base pricing decisions on current market evidence rather than manual checks.

Rightmove said agents using the system save more than six hours a week on average which is time that could be used for managing landlord and tenant relationships.