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3 weeks ago | 3 comments
Landlord vs guaranteed-rent/company-let operator after Renters’ Rights Act?
12:02 AM, 14th September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Hi, We have a company-let agreement with a rent-to-rent/guaranteed-rent operator. The contractual term has expired but the operator has not returned vacant possession because some of its sub-occupiers remain.
The operator is now saying that because of the Renters’ Rights Act changes that we, as superior landlord, must obtain possession against the operator and occupiers, even though our agreement appears to place responsibility for removing subtenants and associated possession costs on the operator.
They have also stopped paying rent and are asking us to use the contractual deposit instead while possession remains outstanding.
Has anyone dealt with this exact structure since the 2026 changes — particularly whether the superior landlord now has to bring possession proceedings and whether that affects the operator’s contractual liability for rent/costs?
I’m particularly interested in experiences with guaranteed-rent/rent-to-rent operators rather than ordinary AST possession.
Thank you,
Jonathan
Tags:
company let agreement, company let landlord, guaranteed rent, landlord possession, rent arrears, rent to rent, rent to rent operator, Renters’ Rights Act 2026, subtenants, vacant possession
4 comments on this article
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Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2325 - Articles: 2
12:29 PM, 14th September 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Rent to rent, been there done that, got the T shirt, several in fact. Never again especially under the RRA. The landlord is ALWAYS left with the problems.
Member Since July 2022 - Comments: 1
1:42 PM, 14th September 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by The_Maluka at 14/09/2026 – 12:29
While your contract is a company let so would be 14 days notice if the company is letting to the public then yes RRA applies and you are stuck with the tenants.
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 1370
4:54 PM, 14th September 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Rent to rent was always a bad idea in my view, but now it’s a disaster for landlords. Your tenant, the company, can’t evict their tenant for anything but rent arrears or ASB and the Act makes you, the superior landlord liable for any mistakes the company makes.
I believe that your only option is to seek possession against the company or agree a surrender with them. The occupants will then become your direct tenants, so you had better make sure that you get ALL the compliance documents from them because you will need that to evict the occupants. Seek help with all this as mistakes will be costly.
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 33
8:48 PM, 19th September 2026, About 2 weeks ago
I wonder how many others are going to be financially damaged, possibly bankrupted, in the same way as Jonathan. Hundreds? Thousands?