landlord

Landlord fines and penalties in England, ranked by the maximum amount

Landlord fines in England ranked by the maximum GOV.UK states: unlicensed HMOs, rent repayment orders and EPC penalties, plus breaches with no amount stated.

4 min read
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
By Your Property Check team

Part 1 of 7

How this ranking works

General information, not advice. Landlord fines in England vary widely by breach. This list ranks landlord penalties in England by the largest maximum that a GOV.UK page states, as we read those pages on 4 November 2026. We include only penalties with a source, and we say plainly where a page gives no amount. The ranking compares the stated ceiling, not how likely a penalty is, and it is not a forecast. A court or council decides what applies to a real case. Amounts that depend on rent or on a court cannot be compared exactly with fixed sums, so where a ceiling is unlimited or tied to rent we say so.

Part 2 of 7

Ranked by the maximum stated

Rank	Breach	Maximum penalty	Legal source	Date checked
1	Renting out a licensable HMO without a licence	An unlimited fine	GOV.UK: Houses in multiple occupation licence	4 November 2026
2	Offences that allow a rent repayment order	Up to 2 years' rent (raised from 1 year)	GOV.UK: Renters' Rights Act, an overview for landlords	4 November 2026
3	Letting a property below EPC E without a valid exemption, for 3 months or more	Up to £4,000 and/or publication; £5,000 total cap per property	GOV.UK: Minimum energy efficiency standard guidance	4 November 2026

Part 3 of 7

1. Unlicensed HMO: an unlimited fine

GOV.UK says "You must have a licence if you're renting out a large HMO in England or Wales." It defines a large HMO as a property rented to 5 or more people from more than one household, where some tenants share facilities and at least one tenant pays rent. It also says smaller properties may need a licence depending on the council. The page states you could get an unlimited fine for an unlicensed HMO and gives no other amount. Our guide to HMO licence cost covers the fee side.

Part 4 of 7

2. Rent repayment orders: up to 2 years' rent

GOV.UK says tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order, and "The maximum amount a landlord can be ordered to pay has increased from 1 to 2 years' rent." The page does not list which offences lead to an order or give a pound figure, because the sum depends on the rent. The same page says your local council has new powers to investigate, collect and act on evidence if you break the law, without describing them in detail.

Part 5 of 7

3. EPC breaches: up to £5,000 per property

GOV.UK's landlord guidance lists these maximum penalties, per property and per breach:

Breach	Maximum
Letting a non-compliant property for under 3 months	Up to £2,000 and/or publication
Letting a non-compliant property for 3 months or more	Up to £4,000 and/or publication
False or misleading exemption information	Up to £1,000 and/or publication
Failing to comply with a compliance notice	Up to £2,000 and/or publication

The total cap is £5,000 per property. Councils enforce the rule. They can issue a compliance notice up to 12 months after a suspected breach and a penalty up to 18 months after a breach, and publication lasts at least 12 months. Landlords can ask for a review and then appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. See our guide to EPC rules for landlords.

Part 6 of 7

Breaches where we found no amount

GOV.UK's pages for these topics do not give a penalty figure, so we have not ranked them and we do not guess one.

Breach	What the page we read says
Deposit not protected	Deposit must go into a scheme within 30 days. Since 1 May 2026 a court grants possession only if deposit conditions are met, and Section 21 cannot be used
Right to rent checks	Every adult tenant or lodger must be checked before a new tenancy. No penalty amount is on the page
Serious hazards	The council can issue an improvement notice, fix the hazard and bill you, or stop use of part or all of the property. No amount is given
Gas and electrical safety, alarms	The page states the duty, with no penalty figure on the pages we read

Our landlord legal requirements checklist sets out each duty and the evidence to keep. Landlord CertCheck tracks certificate expiries.

Part 7 of 7

If you are thinking of selling

Unresolved breaches can complicate a sale, because a buyer's solicitor will ask about licences, certificates and deposits. Read selling with tenants, and the guide to selling a tenanted property, then ask a solicitor about your case. This page is general information, not advice.

Our take

Know the maximum, then keep the evidence

Our view: the biggest exposure we can source is an unlicensed HMO, with an unlimited fine, and a rent repayment order can now reach 2 years' rent. EPC penalties are capped at £5,000 per property. The common mistake is to treat deposit, right to rent and safety duties as minor because the pages we read give no amount.

What Your Property Check adds: Landlord CertCheck tracks certificate expiries for Gas, EICR, EPC, PAT and fire. The first property is free, and it is £49.99 a year after that. It tracks dates and does not replace advice.

Track certificates

Our opinion, drawn from the facts on this page: not advice and not a forecast. We earn from OfferCheck reports and from introducing sellers to cash buyers, so weigh it with that in mind (see our disclosure). We are not authorised or regulated by the FCA.

Questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum fine for an unlicensed HMO?

GOV.UK says you could get an unlimited fine for renting out an unlicensed HMO. It gives no other amount on that page.

What is the penalty for not protecting a deposit?

The GOV.UK pages we read give no penalty amount. They say the deposit must be protected within 30 days, and that since 1 May 2026 a court grants possession only if deposit conditions are met.

What is the right to rent penalty?

The GOV.UK right to rent pages we read do not state a penalty amount. They say you must check every tenant or lodger aged 18 or over before a new tenancy begins.

What are the EPC penalties?

GOV.UK lists up to £2,000 for letting a non-compliant property for under 3 months and up to £4,000 for 3 months or more, with a total cap of £5,000 per property.

Where this comes from

Sources

Last reviewed 4 November 2026 by the Your Property Check team. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. For your own situation, speak to a conveyancing solicitor or another qualified professional.