The Good Landlord Handbook, Paperback

The Good Landlord Handbook: Succeed as a landlord under the Renters’ Rights Act

Paperback, delivered by Bookvault, a high quality print on demand service.* 

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the biggest change to England's private rented sector in almost 40 years.

There are now complex new rules at every stage of a tenancy, with significant penalties for landlords who get it wrong. This book shows you how to get it right.

Written by Suzanne Smith, a widely respected expert on the Renters' Rights Act and former corporate solicitor, she combines her legal expertise with hands-on landlord experience in this comprehensive, practical handbook.

The Good Landlord Handbook does not just explain the Renters' Rights Act, but it explains what the new regime means in practice, at every stage of a tenancy for single lets, HMOs and high rent tenancies. 

What's inside The Good Landlord Handbook?

This detailed yet digestible book is structured around the lifecycle of a tenancy:

• Foundations: The business of being a landlord, a plain-English overview of the Renters' Rights Act, key legal obligations, and how to work with (or without) letting agents.

• Before the tenancy: Getting a property ready to let, setting rent under the new rules, finding and vetting tenants, setting up a compliant tenancy, and checking tenants in.

• During the tenancy: Property management for single lets and HMOs, self-managing, managing letting agents, handling repairs, damp and mould, subletting, pets, inspections, rent in advance, rent increases, and rent arrears.

• Ending the tenancy: The end of Section 21, the revamped Section 8 grounds for possession, serving notices, recovering possession, deposit returns, and everything in between.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is not a bolt-on. As well as meriting a standalone chapter, it is integrated throughout the book, because this is now the way landlords need to operate.

With over 100 footnotes for those who want to dig deeper, plus extensive appendices covering legislation, civil penalties, and fines implementation timelines, and further resources, this is a book you'll keep coming back to.

Much more than a compliance manual 

This book explains what the new regime means in practice, and how to provide a genuinely good service for tenants at every stage of a tenancy.

Being a good landlord is good for tenants and good business.

Who is this book suitable for?

This is a practical handbook is perfect for anyone involved in the private rented sector, including:

• First time landlords
• Accidental landlords
• Landlords with a small or large portfolios
• Property investors
• HMO landlords
• Letting agents
• Service providers like mortgage brokers
• Local government officials

PS Buy the book and get £10 off The Independent Landlord Hub, my membership community, with step-by-step courses, ask me questions at live Q&A livestreams, checklists, templates, and a supportive community of landlords. Details inside the book.

* How long will the book take to arrive?

The book is printed by Bookvault, a print on demand company based in Peterborough. It will take longer to arrive than Amazon, but the paper quality is better. I also like supporting a British printing company.

Once the book is printed, they will send it direct to you. If you haven't received a notice of dispatch within one week (longer if there are bank holidays), please email shop@theindependentlandlord.com. The speed of delivery from that point will depend on the postal option you have chosen.