The Landlord

Guide to Lettings
All you need to know about letting your property
What do you know about
being a landlord?

And what don’t you know?

What things must you legally give to your

tenant?

How much should your tenant's deposit be

and where is it kept?

What’s the difference between a Section 21

and Section 8 notice and why does it matter?

When you stop to think about it, there’s a

lot for one landlord to remember.

The good news is, you don’t need to know everything.

Nobody expects you to recite the The Tenant Fees Act or
memorise your 24 digits EPC reference number.

There are, however, certain things every good landlord

needs to know – and you should know them too.

To help you on your way, we’ve put together The Landlord

Guide to Lettings.

Think of this as one-stop-shop for all your essential

landlord info – everything from how to prep your property
for the market, to how often your electrics need checking.
It’s all right here.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

Contents

 Securing your tenant

Holding deposits 9
Reference checks 9
4
Guarantors 9
4
Right to Rent checks 9
4
4
4
Before move-in
4 Prescribed information 10
4 Tenancy agreement 10
Fixed terms 10
Inventory and check-in 11
5 Lodging a tenancy deposit 11
5
5 During tenancy
5 Collecting the rent 12
5
Mid-term inspections 12
24 hours’ notice 12
Emergency repairs 12
6
6
Ending the tenancy
6
Notice periods 13
6
Eviction notices 13
Section 8 13
Section 21 13
7
Check-out inspections 14
7
If your tenant doesn't leave 14
7
Unpaid rent 14
7

8
8

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

Preparing to let
Before letting out your property, there are several things you need to do.

Legal certificates and

inspections
Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)
LEGALLY REQUIRED EVERY 12 MONTHS
Did you know?
If your property has a gas supply, you must have an annual
You can save 15% on all
Gas Safety Inspection and provide your tenant with a copy of the
certificates and
Gas Safety Certificate.
inspections here.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

LEGALLY REQUIRED EVERY 10 YEARS

All rental properties must have a minimum Energy Performance Rating

of ‘E’ or above. The EPC is part of the decision-making process for tenants
and must be accessible before or during the property viewing.

Electrical Installation Three questions

Condition Report (EICR)
LEGALLY REQUIRED EVERY 5 YEARS
Landlords in England must legally ensure electrics in their
property are safe by carrying out an Electrical Installation
Condition Report.
This has been a legal requirement in Scotland since 2015.
In England, EICRs became mandatory on 1 April 2021.
to ask
Are your smoke alarms working?
All rental properties must have fitted,
working and tested smoke detectors
on all floors before a tenancy begins.
Rooms that use solid fuels (such as
a log burner) must have a carbon
monoxide (CO) detector installed.

Portable Appliance Test (PAT) Is your furniture fireproof?

RECOMMENDED EVERY 12 MONTHS Any furniture provided by the

It is good practice to have all stand-alone electrical
appliances that you provide tested for faults by a qualified
electrician. This is not a legal requirement, but is
recommended.
landlord must be fire-resistant, display
the correct labels and meet the
requirements of the Furniture and
Furnishing (Fire Safety) Regulations
1988.

Is your water safe?

Save yourself some time (and money) by booking
your EICR and PAT in the same visit.
The government recommends that all
landlords ensure their water is safe
with a Legionella Risk Assessment,
carried out by a competent person.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

 PREPARING TO LET

Consent, licences & tax

Consent to Let
If your mortgage is not a buy-to-Let, you may require
consent to let from your mortgage lender to rent out your
property.

House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

Licence
You may require an HMO licence if at least three tenants
are living in your property, forming more than one
household and sharing toilet, bathroom and kitchen
facilities.

You can check if you need an HMO licence by contacting

your local council.

Selective and additional licences

Some areas of the UK require landlords to hold a specific licence to let
their property. Check with your local council to see whether this applies to
you.

Self-assessment tax returns

As a landlord, you must submit an annual self-assessment tax return to
declare your income to HMRC. If you are a landlord living overseas, you
need to submit a NRL1i form and have a UK-based address.

UK-based address
Your must have a UK-based address so that your tenant can serve you
notice.

Keep track of everything with our free Landlord Checklist

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

 PREPARING TO LET

Insurance and Protection

Buildings and contents insurance

Most mortgages require landlords to purchase Buildings and Contents
Insurance. This provides cover for events like flooding or fires, as well as
public liability. Not sorted yours yet? Contact us and we’ll help you out.

Home emergency cover

It’s a good idea to cover emergencies at your property - such as a burst
pipe or pest infestation - especially if you don’t live nearby.

Legal expenses cover

Tenancy disputes aren’t too common, but they sure are costly when they
do happen. Legal Expenses Cover takes care of your legal fees.

Rent protection
For total peace of mind, Rent Protection
ensures your rent is paid every single
month.

Our Complete
rental plan includes:
• Home Emergency Cover
• £100k of legal expenses cover
• Complete Rent Protection up to £2,500
per month
Find out more here.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

Preparing your advert
Finding a tenant is tricky. But get your advert right and you're half way there.

Where to Rental price

advertise Figuring out your monthly rent can be
> tricky - but it’s essential to get it right.
To get your property snapped up quickly,
get your ad on the major property portals You should consider things like seasonal
like Rightmove and Zoopla. market changes and local demand.

Not sure what your rent should be? Book

a call with us to receive your FREE
property valuation.

Descriptions

>
This is your chance to really sing
your property’s praises. A compelling
description can be the deciding factor for > Photos and
your tenant - so go to town!
floor plans
Photos are the first thing a prospective
>

tenant sees, so you need to get them

right. Ideally, you should:
Two questions to ask

Will you be letting your property • Take picture in landscape format

furnished or unfurnished? • Use natural daylight (and open your

curtains!)
Is your property suitable for pets? • Clean, declutter and remove personal
items
Being flexible with these things will attract • Include all living, bedroom, bathroom
more tenants. and external areas

If photography's not your thing, you can

always hire a professional. You should
Things to include:
also include a floor plan – this helps
• Key features (garage, parking, outdoor space) tenants to visualise the space and layout,
• Rooms and dimensions (living areas,
avoiding surprises and wasted viewings.
bedrooms and bathrooms)
To really bring your property to life,
• Style and character (original fireplaces, high
consider adding a virtual tour.
ceilings, bay windows)
• Local amenities (schools, shopping, food,
transport links)
• Energy saving features (double glazing,
insulation, heating systems)
The Landlord Guide to Lettings
Enquiries and viewings
With a great ad in place, enquiries won't be far behind. So what's next?

Enquiries
The first phone call is an opportunity to find out if the
tenant is a right fit for your property - otherwise, you’ll be
wasting time later on.

We ask tenants the right questions and make sure they

meet your criteria before forwarding their details on to
you.

Viewings
Organising your viewings for the same day across a few
hours (depending on the amount of interest you get) will
make things much easier.

When showing a tenant around, it’s important to make a

good impression by:

• Being there when they arrive

• Making sure the property is clean and tidy
• Answering any questions they have
• Having your Gas Safety, EICR and EPC certificate on hand if
requested COVID-19 SAFETY:
Virtual tours are a
COVID-safe alternative to
in-person viewings.

Ask and answer questions

The viewing is a great chance to get to know your tenant a bit more - but it’s
also their chance to talk to you.

Make sure your questions don’t turn into an interrogation; start with how
soon they're looking to move, how long they want to rent for and who
they're moving with.

At the end of the viewing, ask the tenant for feedback. This will help to
understand and address any concerns they may have.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

Securing your tenant
Found a tenant? Great! Still a few checks to make before contracts are signed.

Holding deposit
To secure the tenant, we ask for a holding deposit of one week’s rent that
will be deducted from the tenant’s first month’s rent. If the tenant
withdraws or fails referencing, they risk losing this deposit.

Reference checks What about the

Tenant Fee Ban?
Before proceeding, we perform reference checks on every tenant to
Holding deposits are not
ensure they can afford the property and have no outstanding debts.
included in the Tenant Fee
This includes:
Ban. Reference checks,
however, must be paid for
• A six-year credit check
by the landlord - never the
• A previous landlord reference
tenant.
• An employment/income reference

Guarantors
The income requirement for a rental property is 30 times the monthly
rental amount. If your tenant doesn’t earn this much or has a bad credit
history, they can pass referencing by providing a guarantor that will
agree to pay the rent if the tenant can't.

Right to Rent checks Did you know?

There are over 125 laws
Tenants are legally required to show they have the right to rent in specific to the Private
the UK. You must see their official documents before handing over Rental Sector (PRS).
the keys. If your tenant does not have the right the rent and you
haven't requested a copy of their valid documents, you could be
fined up to £3,000.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

Before move-in
Ready to hand over the keys? Not yet. Don’t miss these important steps.

Prescribed information
Before move-in, the tenant must be given:

• The government’s How to Rent guide

• A valid copy of the Gas Safety Certificate
• A valid copy of the Energy Performance Certificate
• A valid copy of the Electrical Installation Condition Report

If you don’t provide these documents, you can’t issue a Section 21 notice.

Tenancy agreement Professional tailored

tenancy agreements are
included in all our rental
Every tenancy must have a legal contract. It should include the tenancy
plans. We even send
length, rent payments and any additional clauses, then be signed by
them digitally to save you
the tenant(s) and landlord.
time (and paper).

Fixed terms
A “fixed term” refers to the dates set out in your contract. For example, if
the tenancy begins on 1 January 2021 and ends on 31 December 2021 – the
length of time between these dates is the “fixed term”.

When a fixed term is coming to an end, you can renew onto another fixed
term or let the tenancy roll on to a periodic tenancy.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

 BEFORE MOVE-IN

Inventory
and check-in
An inventory and schedule of condition is a record of
your property’s current state (and everything in it).

Your inventory is an extremely important tenancy

document. If you have to claim for damages, your
inventory is essential supporting evidence.

Lodging your
tenancy deposit
Your tenant's deposit can be no more than five weeks’ rent. If the annual
rent is above £50,000 a year, it's capped at six weeks’ rent.

The deposit must be lodged with a government-backed deposit protection

scheme within 30 days of being received. You must give your tenant the
details of where their deposit is kept within this same 30-day period.

If you don’t secure your tenant’s deposit correctly, they can take you to
court for up to three times their deposit amount.
We partner with the
Deposit Protection Service
(DPS) to safely store all
tenancy deposits for our
landlords.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

 DURING TENANCY
During tenancy
A few things to keep track of throughout the tenancy.

Collecting the rent

Establishing a safe and secure way to receive your rent every month is
crucial. Things can get difficult if your tenant is consistently late or fails
to pay.

We save our landlords the hassle by including rent collection in all our
rental plans. On our Complete plan, we guarantee your rent in full
every single month.

Mid-term inspections
It’s good practice to carry out a mid-term inspection - you guessed
it – midway through your tenancy. This gives you the
chance make sure everything is being well looked after.

24 hours’ notice
Your tenant has the right to “quiet enjoyment” of their home. This means
you must give them at least 24 hours’ written notice before visiting for
any reason.

Emergency repairs Get 24/7 Home

emergency cover with
If there’s an emergency that falls under your responsibility - like a burst our Complete Plan.
pipe or a broken boiler - you should get it sorted as soon as you can.

Sometimes, this isn’t always possible. An emergency might happen whilst

you’re out of town and it can be hard to find engineers at late notice -
especially in the winter. Home Emergency Cover solves this issue by
giving your tenant quick access to qualified technicians and giving you
one less thing to worry about.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

Ending the tenancy Renewals, evictions and check-out

Tenant notice periods

If your tenant wants to leave the property when their fixed term ends, they
do not need to provide notice, but they usually do. If the contract is not
renewed at the end of the fixed term, the tenancy automatically becomes a
statutory periodic. This means tenants will have to give one month's notice.

Free tenancy renewals

are included in our
Complete plan.

Eviction notices
If you (the landlord) wish to end a tenancy, you must issue a Section 8 or
Section 21 notice.

Section 8
LettingaProperty.com
A Section 8 notice is used when a tenant breaks the terms of the
issue eviction notices
tenancy - such as not paying the rent or neglecting the property.
for all lettings plan

The notice period a landlord must give under a Section 8 notice landlords.

depends upon the grounds it’s given on.

Section 21
A Section 21 is for ‘no-fault possession’, meaning there doesn’t have to be
a specific ‘ground’ or reason for eviction. A landlord may want to issue a
Section 21 notice if they want to sell their property or move into it
themselves. You must give two month’s notice for a Section 21. IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Notice periods have been
You can’t serve a Section 21 notice if: extended to 6 months
until 31st May 2021 due to
• The fixed term of the tenancy hasn’t ended (unless you have a break
clause) COVID-19.

• The property is an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)

• The council have issued a notice of emergency works or improvements in
the last six months
• You haven’t used a deposit protection scheme to store the tenant’s
deposit
• Prescribed information (How to Rent guide, EPC or Gas Safety certificates)
haven’t been issued
• There are outstanding payments banned under the Tenant Fees Act 2019
that have not been refunded
• The property requires a selective licence but does not have one

The Landlord Guide to Lettings

 ENDING A TENANCY

If your tenant doesn’t leave

If your tenant stays after the eviction notice expires, you must apply for a
court order. If the tenant still stays put, you can request bailiffs to remove
them.

Check-out inspections
Conducting a check-out inspection shortly before the tenant moves out
allows you to check the property's condition, compared to when the
tenancy began.

If you have a deposit dispute with your tenant, a check-out report (along
with an inventory and check-in) will help you claim for any damages.

We’ll help you with the

Unpaid rent legal proceedings and
cover up to £100k of
legal costs in all three
If you are evicting your tenant because they haven’t paid you rent - it
of our plans.
can be months before the court order them to pay it back. Even then, it
can be a struggle to recuperate your losses quickly.

LettingaProperty.com's Rent Protection will cover your rent payments

if your tenant doesn’t pay. On our Complete plan, we’ll pay your rent
every month regardless of whether your tenant pays or not.

Ready to get started?

Book a call with us today to discuss our fixed-fee lettings plans.

The Landlord Guide to Lettings