As a Landlord, it is important to ensure you are up to date on all the important safety and legal regulations required to rent out your property.
We have included some helpful information for you below which gives you some insight on what is required to rent out your property.
We can offer all of those listed below, at fantastic prices - just ask us!
Should you have any questions then please do not hesitate to ask us.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 state that Landlords must ensure that all gas appliances, fittings and flues are safe for the tenant's use and that installation, maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a technician registered with the Gas Safety Register (which superseded CORGI on 1st April 2009).
The Landlord must keep a record of the safety checks for two years. They must issue a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being completed and issue a copy to any new tenants before they move in.
A Gas Safety Certificate is valid for one year and must be renewed annually. This can be renewed up to two month's prior to expiry. Cost is only £54!
As of the 1st April 2021, it is now mandatory to have a valid electrical condition report in place. These normally last for a period of five years, and will assess the whole installation for safety. Cost is only £130!
All electrical certification should be carried out by an electrician who is registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installers and Contractors (NICEIC). There are two types of electrical certificate:
With effect from 1st October 2008, all new tenancies require an Energy Performance Certificate. The purpose of these is to determine and illustrate how energy efficient homes are on a scale of A-E. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A. The certificate uses the same scale to define the impact a home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
On 1st April 2018, it became a legal requirement for all energy performance certificates to have a minimum rating of E.
The certificate is valid for 10 years and includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save money and help the environment. Cost is only £69!
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended in 1989 and 1993) sets minimum fire resistance standards for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings and other products containing upholstery that remain in a dwelling during the course of a tenancy.
These include any of the following which contain upholstery:
The Regulations do not apply to:
For items that do apply, a suitable label must be attached to the furniture in a prominent position so that the label will be clearly visible to a potential purchaser of the furniture and the wording on both sides can be read with reasonable ease.
If the landlord wishes to rent their property to multiple occupants, it may mean that a licence is required before the property can be legally rented. Houses in Multiple Occupation are also referred to as “HMOs” and the purpose of the licensing scheme is to improve management and safety standards in this area of the rental sector.
It is now a mandatory duty for:
For further information on houses in multiple occupation and how this may affect you as a landlord, please speak to one of our representatives.
The scheme requires UK letting agents to deduct basic rate tax from any rent they collect for non resident landlords. If non resident landlords don't have UK letting agents acting for them, it is their responsibility to inform the Inland Revenue of rental income received and to pay any tax due. Non resident landlords can apply at any time for approval to receive rent with no tax deducted. Please note we do not currently subscribe with a client money protection scheme.
If your intention is to reside abroad then we can arrange for annual rental accounts to be prepared by a local firm of chartered accountants and be submitted to the Inland Revenue at the end of each tax year. Details available on request.
Under the provisions of the Housing Act 2004 every landlord or letting agent that takes a deposit for an Assured Short-hold Tenancy in England and Wales must join a government appoved Tenancy Deposit Scheme (new regs came into effect from April 6, 2007). The purpose of this regulation is to ensure good practice. The secondary purpose is to try and keep disputes between landlords and tenants out of the courts by encouraging Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Custodial Scheme
Insurance Backed Scheme
