Looking for a comprehensive landlord checklist? In this article you’ll find detailed to-do lists that will help you be a well-prepared landlord, one that meets legal requirements and also gives tenants good support.
I’ve divided the checklist into five parts. Part 1 covers a short list of tasks to cement your status as a landlord in the UK, then Part 2 focuses on preparing your property from a safety perspective.
Next, in Part 3 you’ll find a checklist covering the tenancy agreement and Part 4 covers your ongoing responsibilities as a landlord while you’re receiving the rental income. Part 5 details what to do at the end of the tenancy.
Around one in five properties (19%) in the UK have tenancy agreements according to government statistics, accounting for 4.4m households. While without doubt it’s a popular arrangement for property owners, there’s plenty for landlords to think about before letting out their properties to tenants for the first time.
This checklist will help prepare any landlord for their responsibilities, limiting the number of surprises in store for conscientious property owners!
Contents:
#1 Before letting out your property
To begin your journey as a new landlord, there are a few administrative tasks to take care of before preparing your property for tenants.
If you took out a mortgage and have been living in the property up until now, it likely won’t be a buy-to-let one, so you’ll need to contact your provider about changing its conditions. It’s worth checking your insurance cover too or taking out a new policy for landlords.
For an apartment, your leasehold agreement may include terms relating to letting the property out. If the property is a shared ownership property, subletting is often not allowed.
Letting a property will provide income that the government will tax through self-assessment – although it may also incur tax at source if you’re using the non-resident landlord scheme.
And you could consider joining a landlord accreditation scheme, signalling to your tenants that you meet a set of independent professional standards.
Here is the start of your landlord responsibilities checklist:
Landlord checklist – Part 1
- Get permission from your mortgage lender
- Seek the freeholder’s consent to sublet if you are a leaseholder, if required
- Check if your insurance policy provides the right level of cover or take out landlords’ insurance
- Get a property licence if needed, in particular for houses in multiple occupation – for more information, read my guide answering this common question, do I need a HMO licence for 3 tenants?
- Apply for a selective property licence, required by councils in London
- Register as a landlord for self assessment to pay property income tax
- Look into joining a landlord accreditation scheme
#2 Preparing to rent out your property
When preparing your property for tenants, some of the most critical aspects to cover involve checking the gas, electrics and other utilities.
But you’ll also need to make sure that the property goes through comprehensive checks for safety.
In this section, I add to the checklist by sharing government guidance from its ‘how to let’ advice.
It includes several vital health and safety executive (HSE) guidelines to ensure you’re doing everything possible to keep your tenants safe.
Landlord checklist – Part 2
- Install then check the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms before every tenancy
- Get a valid gas safety certificate
- Have a valid electrical installation conditions report
- Provide an energy performance certificate – find out how to improve the EPC rating in your property
- Assess the risk from exposure to Legionella as per HSE requirements
- Clean the property
- Check that the property and installations are in good condition and working correctly
- Check that products, fixtures and fittings you’re providing tenants with are safe and that there haven’t been any recalls
- Check that any furniture has the necessary fire safety labels and is fire resistant, as per The Office for Product Safety and Standards
- Address any potential safety issues in the property following guidance from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents including looped blind cords
- Make sure the property is free of hazards and fit for habitation at the beginning of the tenancy, following Housing Health and Safety Rating System Guidance
#3 Setting up your tenancy agreement
Let’s say you’ve marketed the property, conducted some viewings with tenants and accepted an offer.
Great news! But there’s still some work to do before your tenants move in and you can start receiving rental income.
It’s time to vet your tenants, take the property off the market and then set up your tenancy agreement:
Landlord checklist – Part 3
- Carry out the right to rent check and other relevant tenant checks including referencing
- Provide your tenant with a written tenancy agreement including any break clauses
- Protect your tenant’s deposit in a deposit protection scheme, adhering to any relevant cap specified in the Tenant Fees Act 2019
- Provide tenants with the government ‘How to rent’ guide
- Share the EPC, gas safety certificate and electrical safety report with tenants
- Provide contact details for you or your agent, including a telephone number they can use in case of an emergency – under section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987
- Clean the property professionally
- Make sure tenants know how to use the boiler and any critical appliances
- Make an inventory of the contents you’re providing tenants with in the property
- Host a tenancy check-in
#4 During a tenancy
Let’s take a look at your ongoing checklist of landlord responsibilities while tenants are living in your property.
Now, many days or weeks may go by without you needing to do anything. But when your tenant needs support, you need to take action promptly.
And in the case of your tenants failing to fulfil their responsibilities, you may need to step in to protect your property too.
During a tenancy, landlords must prepare to do the following:
Landlord checklist – Part 4
- Keep in repair and proper working order all installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity, heating and sanitation
- Ensure the structure and exterior of the property remain in good condition
- Carry out repairs within a reasonable period once you become aware of issues
- Maintain any appliances and furniture you provide
- Arrange an annual gas safety check by a engineer on the Gas Safe register (unless the property only uses electricity)
- Arrange an electrical safety check by a qualified person every five years
- Chase any late rental payments or arrears
- Inspect the property at set intervals to check on its condition – tenants require at least 24 hours’ notice
#5 End of tenancy / preparing for new tenants
In this last section, I’ll cover what to think about when tenants move out.
Your tenants will want to know when the return of their security deposit will take place. But meanwhile, you need to make sure they’re leaving the property in the same condition as the start of their tenancy.
Then it’s important to review your property and its fittings for natural wear and tear over time – does it need any upgrades before the next tenant moves in?
Landlord checklist – Part 5
- Confirm the end of the tenancy, as per the notice period in your tenancy agreement
- Carry out an end of tenancy inspection, looking for damage and other potential deductions from the security deposit
- Take back all the keys
- Carry out an inventory check to make sure nothing is missing from the property
- Complete an end of tenancy check-out form including capturing any meter readings
- Return the security deposit minus any agreed deductions
- Check that the property is still in good condition and working correctly – natural wear and tear could include signs of damp as well as bulbs or batteries needing replacing
- Ensure the property is clean before the next tenant moves in
Final thoughts and choosing a letting agent
In summary, there are several key legal responsibilities to comply with as a landlord. Keep records to prove that you are following the necessary requirements, in case of any dispute in the future.
Complete a gas safety check every year. Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Provide an EPC. Book a professional to inspect and test the electrical installations in the property at least every five years.
Check tenants have the “right to rent” in the UK. Crucially, protect all tenancy deposits in a government-approved scheme.
If these checklists make it seem like being a landlord involves a lot of hard work… It’s true!
That’s why many landlords choose an estate agent to manage the property and tenancy agreement. It’s what experienced property managers are there for, to take care of the finer details so you don’t have to.
While you’ll want to cover Part 1 of this checklist yourself, I can help you with the rest. With over two decades of experience, property management is no trouble at all here at Fine Living.
Enjoy peace of mind as you receive the rent – Fine Living is part of the Propertymark Client Money Protection scheme. And of course, rest assured that Fine Living adheres to the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) as well as the Property Redress Scheme (PRS).
For more information about renting out a property, Fine Living is here for you! We have several useful guides on our blog including how to rent out your house or flat for the first time.
I hope you found this landlord checklist for renting a house or flat useful. If you have any queries or would like to get in touch, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
