A plain-language reference for landlords in the Midlands on the main compliance checks for a rental property, and where property inventories fit in.
An Energy Performance Certificate rates a property's energy efficiency from A to G. You need a valid EPC before you market a property for rent, and the rules set a minimum rating for rented homes. Read the EPC changes landlords need to know about to stay current.
Where a property has gas appliances or pipework, a Gas Safe registered engineer must check them every 12 months. Give the tenant a copy of the gas safety record before they move in, and keep a copy yourself with the rest of the paperwork.
The electrical installation must be inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person. The written report goes to the tenant and to the local authority if it is requested. File it with your other records so you can show the property was checked.
Landlords should assess the risk of Legionella in the property's water system and take practical steps to control it, such as keeping water moving and stored at safe temperatures. Here is what a legionella risk assessment involves.
A written inventory records the condition of the property and its contents at the start of a tenancy, so both sides can agree on what has changed by the end of it. For an independent record of condition, see my inventory clerk in Birmingham.
Keeping these checks and records together in one place makes check-in and check-out simpler for everyone involved.