There are a considerable number of legal and regulatory requirements placed on landlords when letting property. Those requirements extend to ensuring that you furnish tenants with relevant information concerning the property and their tenancy. The following is a list of documents that, by law, should accompany any new tenancy.

A gas safety certificate

If the property has a gas supply and uses gas appliances then there is a requirement to provide the tenant with a copy of a gas safety certificate at the start of the tenancy and ensure that the certificate is renewed every twelve months. Penalties for failure to provide a current gas safety certificate can range from a fine to imprisonment.

Details of the deposit protection scheme used

If the property is let on an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) then as a landlord, there is a legal requirement to hold any deposit in one of the Government approved tenancy deposit schemes. There are three such schemes in operation being; The Deposit Protection Service (DPS), the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and MyDeposits. Tenants need to be provided with details of the scheme within 30 days of paying the deposit. At the end of the rental period, deposits should be returned to tenants within 10 days.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

An energy performance certificate (EPC) is required to market a property for rent and should be provided to the tenant. The EPC provides information on the energy efficiency of the property and what the estimated energy costs are likely to be. EPC ratings are classified as A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Any property that has a rating of F and G cannot legally be let.

How to rent checklist

The “how to rent checklist” is issued by the Government and provides detailed information on the process of renting in the Private Rental Sector. A copy of the document can be found here;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent

Contact details

A landlord is legally obliged to provide a tenant with their contact details including their name and address and contact number.

In addition to the above minimum legal requirements, best practice suggests that there is a host of other documents and information that a tenant should be provided with at the start of the tenancy including;

• Details of what to do in an emergency including an emergency that occurs out of hours.
• Any “block rules” where the rented property is a leasehold in a block of flats
• Operating manuals for appliances provided with the property
• Fire safety procedures
• Details of tenant obligations and what is expected of them
• Information as to where water isolators, gas mains and electrical mains can be located and turned off.
• A current electrical safety certificate.
• An inventory and schedule of condition for the property.
• Privacy notice in line with GDPR compliance
• Portable appliance test reports for any appliances

For further information on best practices, see Aspire Residential blog at:

https://www.aspireresidential.co.uk/news/landlords/31-letting-residential-property-best-practices

^{Important note for landlords – The above blog is provided for information purposes and guidance only and does not represent the full extent of legal obligations and duties placed on landlords. Landlords should seek appropriate advice and, where necessary, legal advice before renting property in the Private Rented Sector. The use of information provided in this blog is subject to the terms and conditions of use of our website.}