It is a legal requirement that a rental property must have a valid EPC in place prior to marketing for tenants. An EPC is valid for ten years and must have a minimum rating of at least 'E' or above. On 20 September 2023, the Prime Minister announced that further EPC requirements of properties achieving at least a 'C' rating by 2025 have been abandoned.  

It is a legal requirement that you must ensure the electric installation is inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years. An Electrical Safety Standards Inspection Report (EICR) must be supplied to new tenants before they move in or to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection and test.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is advisable every twelve months. However, it is not a legal requirement. 

It is a legal requirement to provide a working smoke alarm on each storey of a rental property and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance (eg. a wood burning stove or coal fire).

You must also make sure that furniture and furnishings are compliant with the current Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations. All soft furnishings must display a fire safety label that confirms that the item is compliant. 

It is a legal requirement that deposits against a tenancy and are limited to no more than five weeks' rent. The landlord or the agent must protect the deposit in a government scheme within 30 days of receipt and provide the prescribed information to the tenant about it. If we collect a tenants deposit on your behalf we will lodge it with The Deposit Protection Service and issue the prescribed information to the tenants.

It is a legal requirement to check that all tenants or lodgers aged 18 and over can legally rent a residential property. The checks must be carried out in a non-discriminatory way. Those with an unlimited right to rent in the UK are British and Irish citizens and people who have the right of abode in the UK or who have been granted settlement or have settled status (including via the European Settlement Scheme (EUSS)).

Any property let to three or more people from more than one household is categorised as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). As such the landlord must be licenced by the local authority in which the property is located. This is a legal requirement and known as mandatory licencing.

Regardless of its HMO status, if your rental property is in a selective landlord licensing area then you will need to be apply to be have a licence for each rental unit within a licenced area. The licence should be applied sought from relevant local authority. Current licence areas within England are relatively few but their number is increasing all the time. As your agent we will advise you whether you should be licenced. 

It is a mandatory requirement for landlords and/or agents to provide tenants with a copy of the latest 'How to Rent Guide' published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The guide should be provided to tenants at the start of their tenancy or at renewal if the guide has been updated since the previous one was given.