The checklist at a glance
These are the legal requirements for a typical private let in England. Some only apply if the property has gas, a fixed combustion appliance, a deposit or several households.
| Requirement | When it applies | How often | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas safety check and record (CP12) | Any gas appliance or flue you provide | Every 12 months | Unlimited fine or prison |
| Electrical safety report (EICR) | Every private let | At least every 5 years | £30,000 per breach |
| Energy performance certificate (EPC), band E or above | Every let | Every 10 years | £5,000 per property |
| Smoke alarm on every storey | Every let | Check on day one of each tenancy | £5,000 |
| Carbon monoxide alarm | Rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, except gas cookers | Check on day one of each tenancy | £5,000 |
| Deposit protection and prescribed information | If you take a deposit | Within 30 days of receiving it | 1 to 3 times the deposit |
| Right to Rent check | Every adult who will live there | Before the tenancy starts | £20,000 per occupier for a repeat breach |
| Written statement of terms | Tenancies starting from 1 May 2026 | Before the tenancy is agreed | £7,000 |
| HMO or selective licence | HMOs, and areas the council designates | Usually every 5 years | Unlimited fine, or up to 2 years' rent repaid |
| PRS database registration | Every landlord and every let property | When your region opens, then yearly | £7,000, up to £40,000 for repeat breaches |
Safety certificates and checks
- Gas safety: a Gas Safe registered engineer checks every gas appliance and flue you provide every 12 months. You can book it up to two months early and keep the same anniversary date.
- Electrical safety: a qualified electrician inspects and tests the fixed wiring at least every five years, or sooner if the report says so. Fix any C1, C2 or FI items within 28 days.
- Energy performance: you need a valid EPC to market or let the home, and it can't be rated F or G unless you have registered an exemption. The government plans to raise the minimum to band C from 1 October 2030.
- Alarms: fit a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a fixed combustion appliance such as a gas boiler or wood burner.
- Legionella: assess the risk from the water system and keep a note of it. There is no certificate and no fixed renewal date; review it if the system changes.
Portable appliance testing (PAT) isn't a legal requirement for a single let, but appliances you provide must be safe, and a PAT record is the usual way to show it. HMO licences often require it.
Documents to give your tenant
| Document | When |
|---|---|
| Written statement of terms | Before the tenancy is agreed, for tenancies from 1 May 2026 |
| Gas safety record | Before they move in, then within 28 days of each check |
| Electrical safety report (EICR) | Before they move in, then within 28 days of each inspection |
| Energy performance certificate | Before the tenancy starts |
| Deposit prescribed information | Within 30 days of receiving the deposit |
Keep a dated record of how and when you gave each one. A court needs to see the deposit paperwork before it will make a possession order, and councils can ask for any of it.
The How to Rent guide is no longer required. For tenancies that started before 1 May 2026, you had to give the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026; if you missed it, give it now.
Before a new tenancy starts
- Advertise a fixed asking rent and don't accept bids above it.
- Check the right to rent of every adult who will live there, and keep a copy of the check.
- Take no more than five weeks' rent as a deposit, or six weeks' if the annual rent is £50,000 or more, and protect it within 30 days.
- Give the written statement of terms before the tenancy is agreed.
- Make sure the gas record, EICR and EPC are in date and give the tenant copies.
- Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on the first day and keep a dated note or photo.
Licences and registration
A home let to five or more people from two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence. Many councils also license smaller HMOs, or every rented home in parts of their area, so check your council's website.
From 15 December 2026, every landlord must register themselves and each property on GOV.UK's Register your rental property service, region by region. It costs £65 per property per year, and every region must be registered by 14 November 2027.
See which of these apply to your property
Enter a postcode and LetRecord reads the EPC register and council data, then lists the duties that property has and its PRS registration window.
What changed in 2026
On 1 May 2026 the Renters' Rights Act turned assured shorthold tenancies into assured periodic tenancies and abolished Section 21. The written statement of terms replaced the How to Rent guide for new tenancies, and rent repayment orders can now cover up to two years' rent.
The safety certificate rules themselves didn't change, but they now matter more: they go in the written statement, they will be part of each property's PRS database entry, and councils have new powers to ask for them.
The detailed guides
- The Renters' Rights Act: what changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
- Gas safety certificates for landlords in England
- EICR for landlords: the five-year electrical safety check
- EPCs for rental property: the band E minimum and the band C plan for 2030
- Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules for landlords
- Tenancy deposit protection and prescribed information
- Right to Rent checks: a guide for landlords in England
- HMO licence for landlords in England: mandatory, additional and selective licensing
- PRS database registration: what landlords need to do, region by region
- How to increase the rent since 1 May 2026: Section 13 and Form 4A
- Section 8 and Form 3A: how landlords end a tenancy after 1 May 2026
How LetRecord helps
Add a property by postcode and LetRecord builds this checklist for it: only the duties that property has, with each due date worked out from the certificate or the tenancy start. Upload each certificate and it reminds you before anything runs out, in one email per property. Up to five properties are free.
Common questions
What certificates does a landlord need in England?
A gas safety record every 12 months if there is gas, an electrical installation condition report (EICR) at least every five years, and a valid energy performance certificate (EPC) rated E or above. You also need working smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms where required, and any HMO or selective licence that applies.
What documents must a landlord give a tenant?
For a tenancy starting from 1 May 2026: the written statement of terms before the tenancy is agreed, the gas safety record, the EICR and the EPC, and the deposit prescribed information within 30 days of taking the deposit. The How to Rent guide is no longer required.
Is a landlord legally required to do PAT testing?
Not for a single let. Appliances you provide must be safe, and PAT testing is a common way to show it. An HMO licence may require it.
Do landlords need a legionella certificate?
No. There is no certificate. You need to assess the risk from the water system, which for most homes is a short written check, and review it if the system changes.
Does a letting agent take over these duties?
An agent can arrange the checks and give tenants the documents, but most duties stay with you as the landlord, so check what your agreement covers and keep copies. For Right to Rent, an agent who agrees in writing to do the checks becomes liable instead.
Official sources
This guide explains the rules in general terms and is not legal advice.
Free PRS registration checklist
Not ready to sign up? Get the step-by-step checklist for registering on the private rented sector database, with the dates for every region.