The checklist
| What | When | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Gas safety check | Every 12 months | Copy to existing tenants within 28 days, new tenants before they move in. Guide |
| Electrical safety (EICR) | At least every 5 years | Copy to existing tenants within 28 days; remedial work within 28 days. Guide |
| Energy Performance Certificate | Rating E or above now | Or a registered exemption. Band C planned from 1 Oct 2030. Guide |
| Smoke alarms | Always | At least one on every storey with a room used as living accommodation. Repair or replace when told one is faulty. |
| Carbon monoxide alarms | Always | In every room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers). |
| Deposit protection | Within 30 days of taking it | Put it in a government-approved scheme and give the tenant the required information within 30 days. |
| Right to rent checks | Before each new tenancy | Check every tenant aged 18 or over. Fines up to £20,000 per tenant. |
| PRS database registration | By your region’s deadline | Then update anything that changes or expires within 28 days. Check your deadline |
| Rent increases | At most once a year | Use the section 13 process (Form 4A) with at least 2 months’ notice. Guide |
Each item name links to its official source.
Tenancy rules since the Renters’ Rights Act
- All tenancies are assured periodic tenancies, with no end date.
- You can’t ask for or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed.
- You can’t discriminate against tenants on benefits or with children.
- You must publish an asking rent and can’t accept offers above it.
- Tenants can ask to keep a pet, and you can only refuse for a valid reason.
More on the Renters’ Rights Act.
Still to come
- A Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman to resolve tenants’ complaints about landlords.
- The Decent Homes Standard applied to private rented homes.
- Awaab’s Law for private tenancies: timescales to investigate and fix serious hazards. What’s proposed.
- The EPC band C standard from 1 October 2030.
Licensing
Some councils run selective or additional licensing schemes, and larger HMOs need a licence. Check with the council for each property. Any licence also goes on your PRS database record.