Permission
The first thing to check is, if you have a mortgage, your mortgage lender will give you permission to let. The next thing is to check if your area requires landlords to be licensed.
Condition
You then need to make the property you intend to let is suitable for the purpose. This can be done by using the government’s Housing Health and Safety Rating System and the Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018.
This multi-level legislation covers repair obligations and the safety of tenants while in a property from the beginning to the end of a tenancy. To be compliant a property must be “free of serious hazards”.
Gas Safety
The Gas Safety (installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require that landlords need to carry out annual safety checks of gas appliances. These must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The report produced is known as a CP12 or gas safety check.
Electrical Safety
Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulation 2020 state that a landlord must have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested every five years and must use a “qualified and competent” engineer to do so. It also states that a landlord has 28 days to effect repairs.
Energy Efficiency
Every property must have an Energy Performance Certificate before it can be marketed for let. This must meet the minimum standard of an E rating, except in some circumstances where a property is exempt (often older stone-built properties or listed buildings).
Fire Safety
Landlords need to ensure they have a minimum of one smoke alarm on each floor of the property and a carbon monoxide detector in rooms with a solid fuel burning appliance.
Were fire doors are required they must be self-closing.
The Furniture and Furnishing (Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988 require a landlord who furnishes a rented property to comply by ensuring; every piece of furniture and furnishing within residential properties must adhere strictly to the fire safety standards as outlined in the Act. This includes, but is not limited to, beds, sofas, curtains, and carpets.
Water Safety
Landlords are required to carry out a Legionella risk assessment for the Legionella bacteria and thereafter maintain control measures to minimise risk.
Most rented premises will be low risk and as long as landlords are reasonably knowledgeable and competent they can do their own checks and produce a risk assessment.
Insurance
You will also need to have landlord specific insurance for Buildings Insurance and, if you furnish a property Home & Contents Insurance. Most residential policies will not cover you whilst you have a tenant in residence.
Once you have all the above in place you are good to go on letting out your property. There is more legislation covering tenancy agreements, right to rent, deposit protection and much more which you’ll find in our The Letting Process document.
