Find out more about the documentation we require from landlords working with us.
If you would like to work with us, we want to protect you and the tenant by making sure that the property is safe and compliant. The following information lays out the landlord responsibilities in letting a property, and links to legislation and guidance for further detailed information.
Our local teams can give advice and signpost you to relevant organisations to help.
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Property licensing varies in council areas across the UK. To find the licencing requirements for the property you plan to let, please check with the local authority. You can find which local authority to contact using the postcode of the property you plan to let on the Gov.uk website.
If you have a property in a selective licensing area, you are required to get a "landlord license" from the local council before being permitted to let the property.
If you want to rent out your property as a house in multiple occupation in you may need to obtain a license from the council.
Find out more about licensing in:
Sometimes, buy-to-let mortgages are used to fund the purchase of the property which is intended to be let. If you wish to let a property with an existing owner-occupier mortgage, you must seek consent to let from your mortgage lender and insurance provider.
An EPC is a compulsory review of how energy efficient a property is. It is a legal requirement for landlords to have a valid EPC in place with a minimum band E rating before the property is advertised for let.
See the minimum energy efficiency standard guidance for landlords.
A compulsory test proving that gas appliances and supply points in the property are safe. GSCs must be renewed every 12 months by a registered engineer who will check the flue and appliance. Remember to give your tenants / contract holder a copy of the new GSC within 28 days of the check
Find out more about landlord safety responsibilities.
An EICR assesses the safety of the existing electrical installation within a property and describes its condition. The assessment will cover consumer units (fuse boards), protective bonding, lighting, switches, sockets etc.
Landlords are required to ensure that all a EICR is completed for all rental properties at least every 5 years and a copy is supplied to the tenant/contract holder.
Find out more about the requirements in:
The Portable Appliance Test (PAT) ensures all portable electrical appliances in your property are tested and approved as safe to use.
This includes items such as fridge, toaster, washing machine, cooker. If you are supplying any portable electrical items at the property, it is recommended that these items are PAT tested.
In Scotland, PAT testing of these items is a legal requirement.
All rental properties must have a smoke alarm fitted on each floor. The must also be a carbon monoxide detector in all rooms where there is a gas appliance.
Find out more about the requirements in:
A form of pneumonia that is caused by inhalation of droplets of water containing the Legionella bacteria.
While uncommon, it is the responsibility of all landlords to assess their properties for risk.
A very simple initial assessment will show if water systems in your properties are at risk. Most normal domestic systems are considered low-risk due to the regular usage and flow of water, limiting standing water.
You must place your tenants’ deposit in a tenancy deposit protection (TDP) scheme if you rent out your home on an assured shorthold tenancy that started after 6 April 2007.
These government-backed schemes ensure your tenants will get their deposit back if they:
You (or your letting agent) must put your tenants’ deposit in the scheme within 30 days of getting it and supply details to the tenant / contract holder.
Find out more about the requirements in:
Upon starting a new tenancy, you must provide the tenant / contract holder with:
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We can provide landlords advice and support on all of the above, but we can’t help a tenant move in until they are in place.
Rental properties must be clean when a tenant moves in, and a check-in records the state of the property at the time.
This makes both the move-in and move-out process run smoothly and minimises disagreements and delays when claiming for cleaning or damages at the end of a tenancy.
We advise a professional clean before the move-in date and an independent inventory at check-in to record the exact condition of all spaces inside and outside the property.
In England, it is a legal requirement to thoroughly check a tenant's right to rent a property in the UK.
All clients put forward by Crisis will have the right to rent in the UK.
Find out more about checking your tenant's right to rent
Get in touch with your local Crisis team to find out more about the specific support we can offer you.
0121 348 7950
020 8965 2561
0151 218 7020
0191 222 0622
01865 263900
reception.oxford@crisis.org.uk
0131 2097700
01792 674900