Landlord Guide Checklist: Ready Your Property 🏡

When you are ready to rent out your property it is advised to ensure the property is in a good decorative order, this can be freshening up the paintwork or changing the flooring. Any outstanding maintenance issues or repairs should also be fixed. The better the condition of the property, the better the quality of the tenants interested in the property, it also helps to achieve the highest rent possible.

Under the regulations of Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1993 (The Regulations) all upholstered items, including beds and sofas must have resistant filling and passed a resistance test, cover fabrics and filling material must have passed a cigarette resistance test. Most items should have a compliance code on them or proof they have been fire-safety tested. As a general rule to follow, items bought before 1988 may need to be replaced. These regulations apply to pillows, beds, duvets, curtains, carpets, sofas, armchairs and nursery furniture but not antique furniture or that made before 1950.

As a landlord, you will be legally required to provide your tenant with an annual gas safety certificate. The service must be carried out by a contractor registered with Gas Safe, previously known as the Council for the Registration of Gas Installers (CORGI). The relevant law is The Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998. Landlords are also required to ensure that any gas boilers and other equipment are serviced once a year. Records must be kept of the condition of the equipment and gas safety checks.Landlords are also required to ensure that any gas boilers and other equipment are serviced once a year.

As of the 1st October 2008 Landlords are legally required to provide copies of an Energy Performance Certificate, these are included in the property advertisements on portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla. The EPC shows how energy efficient a rental property is on a scale of A-G, with A being the most efficient. The EPC is also an indicator for the impact the property has on the environment, the better-rated properties should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The EPC also includes recommendations about how a properties energy efficiency can be improved. EPC’s are valid for 10 years and can be obtained by a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) who is also a member of an accredited government approved scheme.

The relevant law regarding electrical safety for landlords is The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Smoke Detectors Act 1991, under this the electrical wiring in the home must be in safe and good working order, smoke alarms also need to be fitted and working. Any wiring over 15 years old is required to be inspected manually- this must be assessed by an accredited Electrician. We recommend that an Electrical Check is completed prior to the start of the tenancy.

Landlord Guide Checklist

Preparing your property for the market

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Landlord Guide Checklist

Preparing your property for the market

We work closely with you

What are people saying about us?