Glossary
We have assembled a working glossary of the specialist terms, acronyms, and statutes used across this site. Each entry is a single self-contained definition. Where a term has changed under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the entry says so explicitly and links to where the current operational position is set out.
If you are a tenant, start with the Tenants page. If you are a landlord, start with the Landlords page. This page exists to decode the terms those pages use.
A
APT — Assured Periodic Tenancy. The default tenancy type in England since 1 May 2026 under section 4A of the Housing Act 1988 (inserted by section 1 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025). Every assured tenancy is now periodic from inception. Fixed-term assured tenancies are abolished. See Tenants and Landlord Terms of Business.
ARLA. The Association of Residential Letting Agents — a professional body for letting agents, now operating as part of Propertymark.
ASB — Anti-Social Behaviour. Conduct capable of causing nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress to neighbours. Relevant to Section 8 possession grounds 7A and 14 of the Housing Act 1988.
AST — Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The dominant pre-RRA private-sector tenancy type, abolished by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 with effect from 1 May 2026. All existing ASTs converted automatically to Assured Periodic Tenancies on that date.
AIIC — Association of Independent Inventory Clerks. A trade body whose members produce independent inventories. Harvey W James uses AIIC-accredited clerks for managed properties — the inventory is compiled by a third party, not by us and not by the landlord, so the report has no built-in bias.
Awaab's Law. The set of statutory hazard-response timeframes extended to the private rented sector by section 100 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and Schedule 4 Part 1, with the operational mechanics inserted into the Housing Act 2004 as sections 2A and 2B. Effective in the PRS from 2027 once Secretary of State regulations are made. Operationally: 24 hours to investigate and begin emergency-hazard repair; 10 working days to complete repair of significant hazards; 7 days to make a property safe to occupy if a hazard makes it temporarily uninhabitable.
B
Bidding ban. Short-form name for the rental bidding ban introduced by section 56 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Since 1 May 2026, landlords and letting agents cannot solicit, encourage, or accept rent above the advertised asking rent. The advertised rent is the ceiling, not the starting point. See Tenants and Tenant Fees Schedule.
C
CMP — Client Money Protection. A statutory protection scheme that guarantees client money held by a letting agent. Harvey W James' CMP is operated by Propertymark (ref C0130307) — verify here.
D
Decent Homes Standard. A property condition standard, extended to the private rented sector from 2027 by section 100 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Sits alongside Awaab's Law as the substantive condition standard for PRS properties.
DPA 2018 — Data Protection Act 2018. The UK statute that, together with UK GDPR, governs how landlords and letting agents handle personal data about tenants and clients.
E
EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report. A statutory periodic electrical safety inspection report. Required at least every five years and as a precondition of letting.
EPC — Energy Performance Certificate. A statutory rating of a property's energy efficiency. Must be in place before a tenant moves in. A valid EPC is also a precondition of relying on certain Section 8 possession grounds.
F
First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The judicial body that hears rent challenges under HA1988 s.14(A3) and applications for Rent Repayment Orders. A Section 13 rent increase can be challenged at the Tribunal before its proposed start date.
Form 3. The prescribed form ("Notice seeking possession of a property let on an Assured Tenancy") used to serve a Section 8 notice under the Housing Act 1988. Published by MHCLG on gov.uk under "Assured tenancy forms".
Form 4. The pre-1-May-2026 prescribed form for a Section 13 rent-increase notice. Replaced by Form 4A for assured tenancies from 1 May 2026.
Form 4A. The post-1-May-2026 prescribed form ("Landlord's notice proposing a new rent for assured tenancies in the private rented sector") used to propose a rent increase under HA1988 s.13(2) as amended by RRA s.6. Published by MHCLG on gov.uk.
G
GDPR / UK GDPR. The General Data Protection Regulation as it applies in the UK, together with the Data Protection Act 2018. Governs how personal data about tenants and clients is processed.
Goodlord. The regulated tenant-facing platform Harvey W James operates on (goodlord.co). Goodlord handles applications, referencing, tenancy agreements, deposits, and rent collection.
Goodlord Guarantor. A professional guarantor service offered through Goodlord. Up to three years' guarantor cover for a one-off fee paid by the tenant. The compliant route for applicants who would otherwise have offered rent in advance — including international students — since the rent-in-advance ban came into force.
H
HA1988 — Housing Act 1988. The foundational statute governing assured tenancies, as substantially amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The post-RRA references most relevant to PRS lettings are s.4A (periodic-from-inception), s.5 (tenant 2-month notice), s.8 (possession grounds), s.13 (rent reviews), s.14(A3) (Tribunal challenge), s.16A and s.16B (pet right).
HA2004 — Housing Act 2004. Governs HMO licensing, hazard rating (HHSRS), and — from 2027 — the Awaab's-Law hazard-response framework via inserted sections 2A and 2B.
HHSRS — Housing Health and Safety Rating System. The statutory hazard-rating regime under HA2004 used to identify and act on Category 1 and Category 2 hazards in residential properties.
HLPAS — Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. A free legal-advice service available to tenants facing possession proceedings, before and on the day of any possession hearing.
HMO — House in Multiple Occupation. A property occupied by three or more tenants forming more than one household and sharing facilities (kitchen, bathroom, toilet), defined by Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. Some HMOs require licensing.
HMRC NRL Scheme. The Non-Resident Landlord scheme operated by HMRC for landlords resident outside the UK. Harvey W James operates under HMRC NRL Scheme No NA062270.
Holding deposit. A payment of up to one week's rent, paid to reserve a property while referencing is completed. Held for up to 15 calendar days under Schedule 2 of the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Refunded or credited against your first month's rent on successful completion. See Tenant Fees Schedule.
I
ICO — Information Commissioner's Office. The UK regulator for data protection and freedom of information. Landlords processing tenant personal data must register with the ICO. Harvey W James' registration is ZA312485 — verify here.
J
Joint and several liability. Where two or more tenants are on one tenancy agreement, each is liable for the whole rent and all obligations — not just their notional share. The legal effect of any change in the share group is a surrender of the original tenancy and the grant of a new tenancy to the new combination. See Tenants — "If you are one of several sharers on a joint tenancy".
K
KeyNest. A third-party key-collection-and-handover network used by Harvey W James for property access.
L
Letting as seen. The convention that a tenant accepts the property in the cosmetic and decorative state observed at the viewing. It does not waive statutory repair obligations — landlords remain bound by sections 11–14 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and by Awaab's Law (where applicable).
Lettspay. The regulated client-money platform Harvey W James operates on for landlord-side accounting (lettspay.co.uk). Handles rent disbursement, monthly statements, landlord identity verification, and UK sanctions checks.
M
MHCLG — Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The UK government department responsible for housing policy. Publishes the prescribed forms (Form 3, Form 4A) and operational guidance on the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
N
NRLA — National Residential Landlords Association. A UK landlord trade body.
O
OFSI — Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. The UK government agency responsible for the UK sanctions regime. Letting agents have been classed as a "relevant firm" under the UK Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 since 14 May 2025. Maximum penalty for breach is up to £1 million or 50% of the transaction value, whichever is higher.
P
PAT — Portable Appliance Testing. Annual electrical-safety testing of portable appliances. Required for HMOs; recommended for all let properties.
Periodic tenancy. A tenancy that runs from one rent period to the next, without a fixed end date. Since 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy in England is periodic by operation of HA1988 s.4A.
PRP — Private Registered Provider. A non-profit or private provider of social housing registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. PRPs have access to specialist Schedule 2 possession grounds not available to private landlords.
PRS — Private Rented Sector. The market segment in which private landlords let properties to tenants on assured tenancies — distinct from the social rented sector.
PRS Database. The Private Rented Sector Database established under Part 2 Chapter 3 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (sections 75 onwards). Mandatory landlord registration regime, expected to go live in late 2026. Marketing or letting a dwelling that is not registered will be an offence under RRA s.92.
PRS Ombudsman. The mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman scheme established under Part 2 Chapter 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (sections 64 onwards). All residential landlords in England must join. Expected to go live in late 2026. The Ombudsman can direct apologies, compensation up to £25,000, and remedial works. See Internal Complaints Procedure.
Property Redress Scheme. The redress scheme of which Harvey W James is currently a member (registration PRS010914 — verify here) for handling complaints about the agent. Will be supplemented by the PRS Ombudsman from late 2026 for complaints about the landlord. See Internal Complaints Procedure.
Propertymark. The UK professional body for property agents. Harvey W James is a Propertymark Protected Agent (No M0243538). Operates the CMP scheme used by Harvey W James.
Q
(no glossary entries currently begin with Q)
R
Rent-in-advance ban. Short-form name for the prohibition on requiring rent in advance beyond the first month, introduced by section 8 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (inserting section 4B into the Housing Act 1988) and supported by section 9 (amending the Tenant Fees Act 2019). The first month's rent may be paid at or before tenancy start; anything more is unlawful even if offered voluntarily. The compliant alternative is the Goodlord Guarantor service.
RRA / RRA 2025 — Renters' Rights Act 2025. UK statute (c. 26), Royal Assent 27 October 2025, in force 1 May 2026. Abolishes assured shorthold tenancies. Abolishes Section 21 "no-fault" eviction. Introduces the PRS Database, PRS Ombudsman, rental bidding ban, rent-in-advance ban, statutory pet right, and the post-2027 hazard-response framework for the private rented sector. Source-of-truth for almost every change described on this site.
RRO — Rent Repayment Order. A statutory order made by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) requiring a landlord or agent to repay rent received during a period in which they were committing a relevant housing offence. The maximum award was extended from 12 months to 24 months by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Relevant offences include illegal eviction, harassment, breach of a banning order, failure to license an HMO, and breach of an improvement or prohibition notice. See Internal Complaints Procedure.
RSL — Registered Social Landlord. A non-profit body, typically a housing association, that provides social housing. Has access to specialist Schedule 2 possession grounds not available to private landlords.
S
Section 8. The route to possession of an assured tenancy under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, citing one or more of the grounds in Schedule 2. The only route to possession for assured tenancies since 1 May 2026, following the abolition of Section 21.
Section 13. The statutory rent-increase mechanism under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by RRA s.6). Used with Form 4A in the private rented sector. Capped at the open-market rent. Maximum once per 12-month period. The tenant has a right to challenge at the First-tier Tribunal under HA1988 s.14(A3). See Landlords and Tenants.
Section 21. The pre-RRA "no-fault" eviction route under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Abolished by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 with effect from 1 May 2026. No new Section 21 notice can be served from that date. Pre-1-May-2026 notices retain their transitional effect under Schedule 6 of the RRA.
T
TDS — Tenancy Deposit Scheme. The deposit-protection scheme used by Harvey W James to protect tenant deposits as required by Part 6 of the Housing Act 2004. Deposits are registered within 30 days of payment.
TFA 2019 — Tenant Fees Act 2019. The UK statute governing what payments may lawfully be required of a tenant. Substantially amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 sections 8 and 9 to insert the rent-in-advance ban. The schedule of permitted and prohibited payments is set out on the Tenant Fees Schedule.
U
(no glossary entries currently begin with U)
V
Verification of Tenancy Application. A letter issued by Harvey W James Ltd to every UK applicant on receipt of their application, as part of our anti-fraud protocol. The letter contains a verification code that the applicant must confirm receipt of within the specified timeframe. Counters the rising incidence of rental ID fraud in London.
Viewber. A third-party network of trained property viewers used by Harvey W James to conduct property viewings outside its in-house team.
W–Z
(no glossary entries currently begin with W, X, Y, or Z)
How to use this glossary
This is a working reference, not an exhaustive legal dictionary. Where an entry references a statute or section, that reference is intended to let you look up the primary source on legislation.gov.uk yourself. Where an entry says "see /tenants" or "see /landlords", the operational position at Harvey W James is set out on that page.
If a term you are looking for is not here, please tell us via aftercare@harveywjames.com and we will consider adding it to the next revision.
This page reflects Harvey W James' operational understanding of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the Housing Act 1988 (as amended), the Housing Act 2004 (as amended), the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (as amended), the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Equality Act 2010. It is not legal advice. For the published Act text refer to legislation.gov.uk; for your specific situation seek independent legal advice. Last reviewed against Essential Terms and Charges v2.1.5 (7 May 2026).