Back to Basics

This is a brief non-comprehensive list of essential landlord requirements when letting property. They apply to ALL types of tenancy unless otherwise stated.

Gas Safety Check

An annual gas safety certificate is required by a gas safe register plumber. A newly installed boiler only requires a certificate within 12 months of the install.

Choose the correct tenancy agreement

Is the tenancy to be an assured shorthold tenancy? The vast majority will be, however, there are a number of tenancies that cannot be AST. These include: Company lets, tenancies where rent is in excess of £25k per annum (£100k from 1 October 2010), lodgers, holiday lets, resident landlords (where landlord lives in one of several converted flats and lets the other flat(s)).

Exclusive possession

It’s important to remember that when you grant a tenancy, you are giving the tenant “exclusive possession”. Exclusive possession is the ability on the part of a tenant to exclude all persons, including the landlord, from possession. [Street v. Mountford [1985] 2 W.L.R. 877]. Although there are certain rights of entry available to a landlord and if a tenant refuses access, they may be liable for certain damages caused (for example if there is a leak and the tenant won’t allow you entry to repair), ultimately, the tenant is entitled to refuse access (by refusing access, this will often be a breach of the tenancy).

Name and address of landlord

A name and address of the landlord in England or Wales must be provided. This can be done by notice or be contained in

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