The legal bits - What do I need to do to remain compliant?

You are required by law to have a valid Energy Performance Certificate in place to sell or let your residential property. Your property must be rated 'E' or above to have a legal tenancy agreement in place. This will last for 10 years and must be updated during a tenancy if it expires. 

You are obliged to prove that the electric circuit within your rented property is safe and to a decent standard. This is a requirement of a tenancy. This should be renewed every five years. We can arrange this for you, with our tried, tested and insured contractors. 

If you have any gas appliances within your rented property including a boiler, they must be tested annually, this is a legal requirement. 

It is also best practice for oil fired central heating to be checked and tested annually. 

We can arrange this for you, with our tried, tested and insured contractors. 

Although a report or certificate is not a legal requirement, as a landlord you must be shown to be mitigating any risk to your tenants. It is best practice to supply your tenants with a risk assessment. We can carry this out for you. 

You will see more about the pending legislative changes on our dedicated page, if you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

There are specific clauses which must be included within a tenancy agreement. We are well versed in the technicalities and what the new laws may require and can tailor an agreement to suit the needs of you as Landlord and your tenants. 

Deposits can be a minefield, especially for older deposits and non regulated schemes. We can provide a knowledgeable service as part of our property management. 

These are vital documents, although not a legal requirement. You will need an inventory and proof of ongoing inspections should you run into a dilapidation claim at the end of a tenancy. We can provide a variety of Inventory Services, please visit our dedicated page. 

Referencing your tenants is most definitely more than common sense for multiple reasons. 

You as a landlord are required to make sure all adults living within a property you own are legally allowed to rent (Right to Rent). This can be another area which a lot of landlords fall foul of. The fines are catastrophic and failure to comply can lead to prison sentences. 

You will also want to make sure that you do not have criminals living in your property and that your tenants are able to pay the rent for the term of the tenancy and thereafter if they remain in the property. 

There is a piece of new legislation also requiring all Landlord's to pass Sanctions checks, we are able to provide this service for  you. 

Any insurance or mortgages you hold on the property, may be void if you do not carry out adequate checks on the people residing in your asset. 

This is a Government Guide which MUST be served to your tenants along with all the above compliance. Failure to do so, will mean any serving of notices now under the current law, or thereafter will not stand up in a possession hearing. We are familiar with serving all legal necessities as part of our property management service. 

There are various permissions and licenses which must be sought to rent property. Some examples are;

Mortgage lender permissions

Insurance permissions

HMO Licences

Selective Licensing in some councils

We are familiar with the various laws in each county and have experience in applying for such licences on behalf of landlords

We have some experience in block management and the risk assessments which go along with these types of properties. Feel free to contact us for more information.