Landlord Compliance: The Stuff That Catches People Out

If your property has gas appliances, a boiler, or gas supply, you need an annual Gas Safety Certificate. No exceptions.

What you need to know:

• Must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer

• Required every 12 months

• A copy must be given to tenants within 28 days of the check (or before they move in)

• Keep records for at least two years

Miss this one, and you're looking at fines up to £6,000, or even imprisonment in serious cases.

Official guidance: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations - HSE

Electrical safety is non-negotiable. An EICR checks the fixed electrical installations in your property—wiring, sockets, consumer units, and more.

What you need to know:

• Required every five years (or at change of tenancy if more than five years have passed)

• Must be carried out by a qualified electrician

• Tenants must receive a copy within 28 days

• Any issues flagged as C1 or C2 must be fixed within 28 days

Failing to comply can result in fines up to £30,000.

Official guidance: Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector - GOV.UK

Your property needs an EPC rating of at least E to be legally let. It's valid for 10 years, but you need to provide it to prospective tenants before they view the property.

What you need to know:

• Minimum rating: E (unless you have a valid exemption)

• Valid for 10 years

• Must be shown to tenants at the earliest opportunity

• Exemptions exist for certain property types, but must be registered

Letting a property below an E rating without exemption can lead to fines up to £5,000.

Official guidance: Energy Performance Certificates for the construction, sale and let of buildings - GOV.UK

If you take a deposit, it must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days. And you must provide your tenants with the prescribed information about where and how it's protected.

What you need to know:

• Three approved schemes: DPS, MyDeposits, TDS

• Protect within 30 days of receiving the deposit

• Provide prescribed information within 30 days

• Failure to comply means you can't serve a Section 21 notice—and tenants can claim up to three times the deposit value

This is one of the most commonly missed requirements, and it has serious consequences.

Official guidance: Deposit Protection Service (DPS)

Before anyone moves in, you're legally required to check they have the right to rent in the UK. This applies to all adult tenants.

What you need to know:

• Check original documents (passport, visa, biometric residence permit, etc.)

• Take copies and record the date of the check

• Repeat checks if a tenant's visa has a time limit

• Failure to comply can result in fines up to £3,000 per tenant (or unlimited fines and imprisonment for repeat offenders)

It's straightforward, but it must be done properly and documented.

Official guidance: Right to Rent document checks: a user guide - GOV.UK

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms aren't just good practice—they're a legal requirement. And it's not enough to fit them once and forget about them.

What you need to know:

• At least one smoke alarm must be installed on every storey of the property where there's a room used as living accommodation

• A carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers)

• All alarms must be tested on the day the tenancy begins

• Alarms must be in proper working order at the start of each new tenancy