The Residential Landlord Checklist

Being a residential landlord can be very daunting especially when you are first starting out. There are many things you have to do to get your property ready to legally rent out in the UK and this changes from time to time, as well with new legislations coming in. This checklist will help you understand what you need to do together and the time frames required.

1/ Gas safety certificate

If your rental property has gas, you will need a gas safety certificate. You will need a qualified gas engineer or plumber to carry out this check for you. This certificate lasts for 1 year and will need renewing.

2/ Electrical Instillation Condition Report

Otherwise known as an EICR, this check is to make sure that the electric installation is safe and to a certain standard. You will need to get a qualified electrical engineer to carry out this report. This certificate lasts for 5 years.

3/ EPC

This is the energy performance certificate and legally has to be shown when advertising your property in both the sales and rental market. The legal requirement is to hit at least an E or above (there is talk of this changing to a C or above but nothing has been decided yet). This certificate lasts for 10 years.

4/ Leginella risk assessment

This is a legal requirement but you do not have to record the assessment. We advise that you do and that you send a copy of your assessment to your tenants as good practice. This assessment can be carried out by yourself and needs to be checked periodically to make sure nothing has changed. Most houses are normally classed as low risk.

5/ Smoke alarms

Smoke alarms are a legal requirement and should be on each floor of the building. You need to carry out a check on the alarm(s) on the day of any new tenancy. If you or the tenant find that the alarm for any reason has failed, you need to replace it immediately. (I test all smoke alarms on my house inspections as good practice and encourage any landlord to do the same).

6/ Carbon monoxide alarms

This requirement has recently change to make it safer for your tenants. It is now a legal requirement to have a CO2 alarm in every room that has fuel burning appliance. You need to carry out a check on the alarm(s) on the day of any new tenancy. If you or the tenant find that the alarm for any reason has failed you need to replace it immediately. (I test all carbon monoxide alarms on my house inspections as good practice and encourage any landlord to do the same).

7/ Fire risk assessment

Did you know that the risks of experiencing a fire are seven times higher for people who live in rented or shared accommodation, according to Firemark. This is why its so important to carry out a risk assessment and make sure you have done everything you can to make it a safe home to live.

All the above are things you need to have done before a tenant can move in. If you are struggling to find trades people to carry out your tests or you still need advice please contact NS Property and we will be more than happy to help you. We want all UK rented homes to be safe and legal for tenants to live in.