Landlord Law Essentials

Landlord Law Essentials Part 12 - Summary and Checklist

This final section is essentially a checklist summarising what we have discussed in earlier sections.

However, it does include a few things that have not been mentioned before. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, but it contains most of what you will need to do.

Before the tenancy
When the tenant first goes in
After the tenancy has started
When the tenants leave
And finally

Essential Paperwork:

Before the tenancy

You will need to have the following:

The tenant information form (discussed in part 4)
An energy performance certificate (EPC). This must be made available free of charge to prospective tenants at the earliest opportunity, and no later than when you provide written property information following an enquiry or when they view the property, whichever happens first. It is a legal requirement and you can be fined if you fail to comply. The certificate needs to be provided by an accredited domestic energy assessor.
A gas safety certificate (where there are gas appliances or flues for which you are responsible), which also needs to be given to tenants before they move in, and
An Electrical condition report – as discussed in Part 8
Proof that you have completed a right to rent check against ALL proposed occupiers of the property aged 18 or over. As discussed in Part 4. The fines are horrendous, so don’t risk this.
A Data Information Notice – we have not covered data protection in detail in this course, but as a landlord you are a ‘data controller’ under the data protection legislation and need to notify tenants how you will be using their data. You should also, incidentally (save in a few very exceptional circumstances), be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. We have a Data Information Notice which landlords can use on Landlord Law.
An HMO or selective license if one is required – we discuss HMOs in part 9. If your property requires a licence, it is important that you get one before renting to tenants as otherwise this may entitle your tenants or (if the rent is being paid by benefit, the Local Authority) to apply for a Rent Repayment Order.

You should also protect your property from being fraudulently sold or mortgaged (e.g. by criminal tenants) by registering a separate contact address at the Land Registry. So if they try to register themselves as owners, the Land Registry notice about this is sent to you, not to the rented property! This is VERY IMPORTANT.

Find out more here.

Before letting, you also need to

Make sure that the property is in a proper condition (discussed in Part 8).
Obtain proper insurance (see the free guide here).
If you are going to use a letting agent (discussed in Part 3), now is the time to sign up with one.
If you are self-managing, you should decide which tenancy deposit company you will be using (if you are going to take a deposit) (discussed in Part 6)
Prepare your tenancy agreement and other forms

Needless to say, you should always check your tenants very carefully before they are allowed into occupation. As discussed in Part 4.

Find further details in our Property Checklist.

When the tenant first goes in

You will need the following

A tenancy agreement – we discussed this in part 5. For a new assured tenancy in England, the required written information must be given before the tenancy is agreed or the agreement is signed. It can be included in the tenancy agreement. Check it very carefully before giving it to the tenants to sign.
A form of guarantee if you are using one (this should be signed before the tenancy agreement if so)
A standing order form (for payment of rent) or a suitable account/app to use for payment of rent
If rent is payable weekly in England, you will need to give the tenants a rent book or similar document containing the required information
An Inventory / schedule of condition, which should ideally be checked with the tenants and signed by them as agreed at the start of the tenancy.
The tenancy deposit prescribed information form – this is discussed in part 6. Remember, this MUST be served within 30 days of receipt of the deposit money.
The gas safety certificate – referred to above and discussed in part 8. Make sure you give it to your tenants BEFORE they move in and keep a record so you can prove this. Get the tenants to sign a receipt.
An electrical certificate – again, see part 8.
It is a good idea to take meter readings, and get the tenants to sign a letter or form confirming these as correct and also authorising you to provide these details to the utility companies. We have a notification form which can be used for this, linked from the forms section on Landlord Law.
You must check that all required smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working on the first day of the tenancy. It is a good idea to do this in the tenants’ presence and get them to sign a form confirming this (we have one for Landlord Law members).
Manuals and instructions for appliances in the property.
Some landlords provide a welcome pack to new tenants, which includes not only the forms and notices discussed here, the appliance manuals and information about the property, but also your emergency contact details, washing instructions for fabrics such as curtains and soft furnishings, information about local amenities, the nearest health centre and train station etc, and any other information which might be useful. Your tenants will appreciate this and it will help foster a good landlord / tenant relationship.

Warning – DO NOT let the tenant into possession until they have signed the tenancy agreement. Ideally, the tenants should not be allowed in either, until after they have checked the inventory and an agreed version has been signed by them as correct. However, this is not always possible.

As mentioned above, no one should be allowed into occupation until you have completed satisfactory right-to-rent checks on all adult occupiers, and the tenants have passed your referencing.

Landlord Law members will find further details in our Property Checklists.

After the tenancy has started

Perhaps one of the most important things is to respect the tenant’s right to ‘quiet enjoyment’ and not intrude on them unnecessarily.

However, you will need to do the following:

Carry out regular inspections (ideally quarterly, not less than six monthly). You will need to give at least 24 hours written notice to the tenants first.
Gas safety checks must be carried out annually, and a copy of the record given to existing tenants within 28 days of the check.
Electrical installations must be inspected and tested at least once every five years, or sooner if the report requires it. A copy of the report must be given to existing tenants within 28 days. Discussed in Part 8.
If you wish to increase the rent, you must use the section 13 procedure discussed in Part 7. Rent cannot be increased in the first year or more than once a year, and at least two months’ notice is required. – discussed in Part 7.
If you rent to someone with a limited right to rent, and a follow-up right to rent check is required, you must carry it out before your statutory excuse expires, following the Home Office guidance. If they no longer have any right to rent, you must report them to the Home Office (at the time of writing, it is not necessary to evict them).
If you do not already hold an HMO or selective license, you should check with the Local Authority at least every 6 months to make sure no new schemes have been set up which will require you to be licensed.
Be sure to keep detailed records and all paperwork just in case you need it later.
Ensure that your tenants are dealing with rubbish properly (Landlord Law members will find out more in our Dealing with Waste Kit).

Problems that could arise include:

Tenants falling into arrears of rent – discussed in Parts 7 and 10
The need for repair works. See part 8.
Access refused for inspections and other necessary visits. The Landlord Law Property Access Kit has guidance for this situation.
One of the joint tenants wants to leave early. Discussed in the Landlord Law Dealing with Changing Tenants kit.
The tenant dies. The Landlord Law Dealing with Death Kit sets out what you need to do.

Landlord Law members will find further guidance in our Property Checklists.

When the tenants leave

Remember that since 1 May 2026, it is up to the tenants when the tenancy ends. They can serve a two month tenants Notice to Quit at any time. Once they have given notice, you need to do the following:

Have a check out meeting, preferably with your inventory clerk, when the property can be checked against the original inventory and any damage agreed.
Ensure all keys are returned, otherwise the security of the property will be compromised
Get meter readings and get the tenants to sign a form or letter confirming these as agreed and authorising you to provide this information to the utility companies – again there is a standard notification form for Landlord Law members.
Obtain a forwarding address from the tenants. This is very important as you will need to be able to contact them if a problem arises.
Deal with the return of the deposit to your tenants, or the retention of money against damage, as appropriate. If there are problems, your deposit company website will have extensive guidance plus they all have a telephone helpline.
If the tenants leave rubbish behind, remember that there are strict rules for dealing with this and that, as you are not a resident at the property, you will be governed by the rules for commercial waste. The Landlord Law Dealing with Waste kit explains this.
If there is a long void period before new tenants go in, check your insurance cover.

Landlord Law members will find further guidance in our Property Checklists. This would also be a good time to carry out a Property Audit.

More training?

You can never really do too much training, particularly now when we have new housing legislation on the statute book. So now you have finished this course – why not try something else?

Find out what other Landlord Law training we have for you.

And Finally

I hope this guide has been helpful to you and has introduced you to the rules governing the management of rented property.

Now the first part of the Renters Rights Act has come into force, the rules are stricter, and you are more likely to be subject to Local Authority enforcement action if you make a mistake.

It is essential that landlords are aware of the rules they need to comply with and that they comply with them. If you are fully compliant, then you will have nothing to fear from the authorities.

For more information about all your legal rights and obligations and the paperwork to help you, Landlord Law is there for you.

I am also around in the forum to give advice and guidance to members should they need it.

Tessa Shepperson
May 2026

The Landlord Law Service

Landlord Law was set up over 20 years ago to help self-managing landlords comply with all the rules and regulations which apply.

Many landlords have been members for many years and have used the service to support them and achieve compliance. For example, see the comments on our TrustPilot page.

You can find out more about our service via this page and the various pages linked from it.

There is an index to this course, but it is only visible to logged-in Landlord Law members.

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About the issues raised in this article:

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