Westminster Tenants’ Charter Introduced 

Westminster City Council has released a new Private Rented Sector (PRS) Tenants’ Charter to protect tenants from poor practice in the London borough’s rental market.   

In May 2025, the council released a new charter outlining tenants’ rights and responsibilities and raising awareness of action that can be taken. These new rental guidelines are backed by Renters’ Rights London, and also by the National Residential Landlords Association.  

Tenants’ rights are already enshrined in law. At a national level, the Labour government’s Renters’ Rights Bill (currently passing through parliament) is expected to bolster the legal framework surrounding private rentals.  

Westminster City Council hopes to raise standards at a local level, and ensure that tenants are aware of their rights as well as contacts they can turn to if standards aren’t upheld.  

Councillor Matt Noble, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters, said: “Too many private renters face poor conditions, uncertainty, and confusion about what their rights are. The Tenant’s Charter is a step toward putting power back in the hands of residents—providing clear, accessible guidance and making it easier to get help when it’s needed.”  

Most of the issues addressed in Westminster City Council’s Tenants’ Charter will already be familiar to landlords, such as damp and mould, safety checks, deposit protection and evictions. The charter spells out good practice standards, warning signs and next steps for 11 common issues that renters face.  

A bigger shift is that it makes the process simpler for tenants to report landlords who don’t comply. Tenants are made aware of who enforces standards in each instance, and which team to contact if they have reason to believe their landlord is breaching the guidelines. Westminster City Council also set out enforcement action they can take, and maximum fines that can be issued.   

The council will update the Tenants’ Charter to reflect updates in private rented housing laws, such as the Renters’ Rights Bill. 

Read more about Landlord Today and find full details on the Westminster City Council website.