As a landlord, ensuring that your rental properties meet all safety and legal requirements is essential. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you stay compliant with key regulations:
Gas Safety Check: Ensure a gas safety check is carried out every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This includes:
Gas Safety Certificate: After the inspection, a Gas Safety Certificate (also known as a CP12) must be provided to tenants within 28 days of the inspection. Keep a copy for your records.
Installation of Gas Appliances: Ensure that all gas appliances and installations meet legal safety standards and are properly maintained.
Periodic Inspection: An EICR must be carried out every 5 years by a qualified, registered electrician to assess the safety of the property’s electrical system.
Report Issuance: Once the EICR is complete, a report must be provided to tenants. If any issues are identified, they must be rectified within a reasonable timeframe, generally within 28 days for serious issues.
Record Keeping: Keep the EICR report in your records and be prepared to provide it to local authorities upon request.
Valid EPC: A valid EPC must be in place for all rental properties, with a rating of at least an "E" under the current regulations (as of 2025).
Issuing the EPC: The EPC must be provided to the tenant before they sign a tenancy agreement.
Renewal: EPCs are valid for 10 years. Be sure to renew or update the certificate if necessary, especially if major energy improvements are made to the property.
Installation: Smoke detectors must be installed on every floor of the rental property (including basements and attics). They should be:
Compliance Check: Ensure smoke detectors are in working order at the beginning of each tenancy. Document checks and maintenance.
Landlord’s Responsibility: You are required to ensure that detectors are in place and functional at all times, but tenants are responsible for testing them monthly.
Installation: Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed in rooms where solid fuel-burning appliances (such as wood burners or open fires) are present.
Test and Maintain: Ensure alarms are tested regularly and maintained throughout the tenancy. Like smoke detectors, tenants should be encouraged to check the functionality of the alarms periodically.
Compliance Check: Carbon monoxide alarms should be in place and working before the start of a new tenancy.
