RentersRightsAct.info

The landlord checklist

The duties that run through every tenancy, in one list. Tick them off as you go.

General guidance only. Always check against official GOV.UK guidance.

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A Gas Safe registered engineer must check each gas appliance and flue at least every 12 months.

Give existing tenants the gas safety record (CP12) within 28 days of the check. Give new tenants a copy before they move in. Failing this is a criminal offence.

A valid report, no more than 5 years old, must be in place, and new tenants get a copy before they move in.

A qualified person must inspect and test the electrics at least every 5 years (or sooner if the last report says so). Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of the inspection. If the report needs work, finish it within 28 days (or sooner if the report says so) and send written confirmation to the tenant and the council within 28 days of completion.

Give the tenant a valid EPC, free of charge.

It is needed unless you let individual rooms only. Where an EPC is required, the property must not be let below band E unless an exemption applies.

You need a smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker.

Check each alarm works on the day a new tenancy begins. If a tenant reports one is not working, repair or replace it as soon as reasonably practicable. If the council serves a remedial notice and you do not act on it, it can charge a penalty of up to £5,000.

Deposits must be protected in a government-approved scheme (DPS, mydeposits or TDS) within 30 days of receipt.

The prescribed information must be given within the same 30 days.

Before you enter the agreement, check the right to rent of every adult who will live there as their main home, whether or not they are named on it.

Someone with a time-limited right must be checked within the 28 days before the agreement. Keep a clear copy of the documents until at least one year after the tenancy ends. The civil penalty can be up to £20,000 for each breach, and letting to someone you know, or have reasonable cause to believe, is disqualified is a criminal offence.

An HMO occupied by five or more people in two or more households must have a licence from the council.

Councils can also run additional or selective licensing schemes with their own rules, so check with yours. Operating an HMO that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence: it can lead to a fine or a council penalty, and a Rent Repayment Order.

For every new tenancy from 1st May 2026, you must give the tenant a written statement of terms before the tenancy is entered into.

It must cover the 18 points set out in the regulations. If you do not, the council can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

If a tenancy began before 1st May 2026 and has written terms, every tenant named on it had to be given the government's Information Sheet by 31st May 2026.

Give it by hand, by post, or as a PDF attached to an email or text message; a link is not valid. If you have not given it yet, give it now: you could be fined up to £7,000.

Since 1st May 2026, rent can only be increased using the prescribed Form 4A (Section 13 notice), with at least two months' notice, and at most once a year.

If a tenant challenges it at the tribunal, the rent will not be set above the open market rent or above the rent you proposed. No other method is permitted.

From 1st May 2026 rental bidding is banned.

You must state a proposed rent when you advertise a property, and you must not invite or accept any offer above it. This applies to you and to anyone acting for you, including a letting agent, so check how your agent is marketing the property. Breaching the ban carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000. It is a civil matter, not a criminal offence: the council decides on the balance of probabilities whether a breach has taken place.

From 1st May 2026 it is unlawful to refuse to let to someone, or to treat them less favourably, because they receive benefits or because they have children.

This covers how you advertise as well as how you decide: 'No DSS', 'no benefits' and 'no children' wording in a listing is caught, and so is a term in the tenancy agreement or a blanket policy applied by your letting agent. You may still carry out ordinary, non-discriminatory affordability and referencing checks on every applicant alike.

Coming later and good practice

Not duties to tick off today

Awaab's Law has been in force for the social rented sector since 27th October 2025 (emergency hazards within 24 hours; damp and mould investigated within 10 working days).

These timeframes bind social landlords only. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 contains provisions to extend Awaab's Law to private landlords, but no date has been set, and private landlords are not yet legally bound by these timeframes. We will update this checklist when a date is confirmed.

Make sure your landlord buildings and contents insurance is in force and that your policy reflects that your tenancies are now periodic.

Check your insurer accepts the change in tenancy type.

Keep a complete paper trail: EPC, gas safety record, EICR, deposit protection, and any Section 8 notices and court letters.

For tenancies that began before 1st May 2026, keep the How to Rent guide you gave at the start and the Information Sheet you gave by 31st May 2026. For newer tenancies, keep the written statement of terms. Store them all securely.

This checklist is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult a qualified solicitor or housing law specialist for advice specific to your circumstances. Deadlines shown are based on information available at the time of writing and are subject to change, so always check against official GOV.UK guidance.

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