For landlords

Can I let my property without a letting agent in England?

Guide · about 14 min read · Covers the law as at 23 October 2026 · Reviewed on 23 October 2026

Yes. No law in England requires a landlord to use a letting agent, and many private landlords let and look after their own homes. What changes when there is no agent is who does the work. The legal duties of letting are written as the landlord's own: stating the rent in every written advert, the Right to Rent check, protecting the deposit within 30 days, giving the tenant a written statement of terms, the gas, electrical and alarm rules, repairs, and following the section 13 process for any rent increase. If you let the property yourself, each of those is yours to carry out.

This guide covers letting a property in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland work differently. It is general information about letting, not legal advice.

It is about the usual private letting: an assured tenancy of a home you do not live in yourself, let as the tenant's main home. GOV.UK's guide to tenancy types lists what falls outside that, including where you live in the property, holiday lets, and rents above £100,000 or below £250 a year (£1,000 in London). Some of the rules below apply differently, or not at all, to those arrangements, so check which type you have first.

Is it legal to let my property without an agent?

Yes. There is no licence or qualification a landlord needs before letting their own home without an agent, beyond any council licensing that applies to particular properties, which our guide to whether you need a licence to rent out a property explains. The GOV.UK guide Renting out your property speaks to the landlord directly. It lists keeping the property safe, gas and electrical safety, an Energy Performance Certificate, deposit protection and the Right to Rent check as things a landlord must do. A landlord can hand much of that work to an agent by agreement. The duties themselves are written as yours.

The tenancy you grant is shaped by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, whose main tenancy reforms took effect in England on 1 May 2026. Most new private tenancies are now assured periodic tenancies with no fixed term. Section 21 no-fault notices can no longer be served in England. Those rules are the same whether you let through an agent or on your own.

This is a different question from what you need to prepare before any letting. Our guide to what you need to do to let a property in England is the setup checklist. This one is about what you take on personally when nobody else is doing it for you.

What does a self-managing landlord take on?

For an assured tenancy, the table sets out the main tasks, where the duty comes from, and what it means when you let the property yourself. It is a summary, so the law it points to is what counts.

Task	Where the duty comes from	When you let it yourself
Advertising	Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 56 and Part 1, Chapter 3; Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2012, regulation 11	Your written adverts state one specific rent and, in commercial media, the EPC rating, you do not invite or accept higher offers, and you do not discriminate against people because they have children or receive benefits.
Right to Rent check	Immigration Act 2014, sections 22 and 25	You check every adult who will live there before the tenancy, keep a record, and follow the GOV.UK guidance on timing and any follow-up check.
Deposit protection	Housing Act 2004, section 213	You protect the deposit in an authorised scheme and give the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it.
Written statement of terms	Housing Act 1988, section 16D, and SI 2026/324	You give the tenant the written statement before the tenancy is entered into.
Gas safety	Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36	You arrange a check every 12 months and give a new tenant the record before they move in.
Electrical safety	Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3	You keep a current report, inspected at least every five years, and give a new tenant a copy before they move in.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms	Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, regulation 4	You fit the required alarms and check they work on the day a new tenancy begins.
Repairs	Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11	Your tenant reports to you, and you arrange the work.
Rent increases	Housing Act 1988, section 13	You serve the prescribed notice at least two months ahead, no new rent takes effect in the first 52 weeks of the tenancy, and increases are at least 52 weeks apart.
Private Rented Sector Database	Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 2, Chapter 3	No duty to register was in force on 23 October 2026.
Landlord redress scheme	Renters' Rights Act 2025, sections 64 to 73	No duty to join was in force on 23 October 2026.

How do I advertise my property without an agent?

You state the rent. Section 56 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has been in force since 1 May 2026. It says a relevant person must not advertise or offer a letting in writing unless the rent is a specific amount and the advert or offer states it. A relevant person is the prospective landlord, or anyone acting on their behalf. When you let it yourself, that person is you.

The same section bans rental bidding. You must not invite or encourage anyone to offer more than the stated rent. You must not accept such an offer either. One thing is left out: a sign at the property that only says it is to let does not need to state the rent. Every other written advert, listing or offer does.

Stating the rent is not the only advertising rule. Since 1 May 2026, the rental discrimination measures in Chapter 3 of Part 1 of the Act stop landlords, and anyone acting for them, treating people unfairly because they have children or receive benefits. GOV.UK's guidance on rental discrimination explains what that covers. Separately, regulation 11 of the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 requires the EPC rating to be stated in any advertisement in commercial media for a property that has a valid certificate. Under regulation 6, a valid certificate must also be made available free to a prospective tenant at the earliest opportunity, and at the latest when you first give them written information about the property or they view it, whichever is earlier. The tenant who takes the property must be given a copy.

The rental discrimination guidance also notes that the Equality Act 2010 applies separately, and some conduct can breach both. Those rules apply to a landlord letting their own home in the same way, whether or not an agent is involved.

Is the Right to Rent check my responsibility if I have no agent?

Yes. The legal responsibility for it is yours unless a business has agreed in writing to take it on. Section 22 of the Immigration Act 2014 says a landlord must not authorise an adult to occupy premises under a residential tenancy agreement if that adult is disqualified by their immigration status. The check applies to every adult who will live in the property, British citizens included.

Section 25 sets out when an agent is responsible instead. The agent must act in the course of a business, and must have agreed in writing with the landlord to carry out the check. Section 25 is about who is responsible, not about who handles the paperwork. Without that written arrangement, the responsibility for the check stays with the landlord, even if someone else helps with it. The GOV.UK guidance on checking a tenant's right to rent sets out how to do it, and for many people it works through a share code the tenant gives you. It is a Home Office process, and the current GOV.UK guidance is what to follow.

The same guidance sets out the timing rules, including when the check has to be done for a tenant whose permission to stay in the UK is time-limited, and when a follow-up check is needed. It also says how long to keep copies of the documents, and to follow data protection law in doing so. In practice that means having a lawful reason to hold the information, collecting only what the check needs, keeping it secure, telling tenants how it is used, and deleting it when it is no longer needed. The Information Commissioner's Office advice for small organisations covers each of those.

How do I protect the deposit if I take it myself?

Through an authorised scheme, within 30 days. Section 213 of the Housing Act 2004 says a tenancy deposit for an assured tenancy must be dealt with under an authorised scheme from the time it is received. You must meet the scheme's initial requirements within 30 days of receiving the deposit. You must also give the tenant, and any relevant person, the prescribed information within the same 30 days.

GOV.UK lists three government-approved deposit schemes in England. When you take the deposit yourself, the 30 days begin on the day the money reaches you. Our guide to how deposit protection works in England explains the schemes in more detail.

What paperwork must I give the tenant before the tenancy starts?

A written statement of terms, and the safety records. Section 12 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserted section 16D into the Housing Act 1988. It requires the landlord to give the tenant a written statement of the terms and information set out in regulations. For a new tenancy, it must be given before the tenancy is entered into.

The list of what goes in it is in the Schedule to SI 2026/324, in force since 1 May 2026. It includes the names of the landlord and tenant, an address in England and Wales where the tenant can serve notices on you, the address of the property, the rent and when it is due, and the amount of any deposit. It also includes a statement that any new rent increase has to be proposed by a notice under section 13. Without an agent, that address for notices is usually your own, so give one where post will reach you.

The same regulations name the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026. That sheet was for tenancies that already existed on 1 May 2026 and were wholly or partly in writing, and landlords had to give it within one month, by 31 May 2026. A new letting needs the written statement instead.

The safety rules sit alongside it. Under regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, each gas appliance and flue must be checked at least every 12 months, and a new tenant must be given the latest record before they move in. Under regulation 3 of the Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, the electrical installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the last report says so. A new tenant must be given a copy of the most recent report before they move in. If a report calls for further investigative or remedial work, that work must be done within 28 days, or within any shorter period the report gives. GOV.UK's electrical safety guidance says a fresh inspection is not needed for each new tenancy where the last one was under five years ago and called for no further work. The Energy Performance Certificate must already have been made available while you were advertising, as described above, and the tenant who takes the property must be given a copy. Under regulation 4 of the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, there must be a smoke alarm on each storey with a room used as living accommodation. There must also be a carbon monoxide alarm in any such room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. The alarms must be checked on the day a new tenancy begins.

Who deals with repairs and rent increases when there is no agent?

You do. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 implies a duty on the landlord to keep the structure and exterior in repair, including drains, gutters and external pipes. It also covers keeping the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and hot water in repair and proper working order. Without an agent, your tenant reports problems to you and you arrange the work. GOV.UK says a landlord must give the tenant at least 24 hours' notice to enter for repairs, although immediate access may be possible in an emergency. Our guide to landlord repair responsibilities in England goes further.

Rent increases follow section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. You serve a notice in the prescribed form proposing the new rent. It cannot take effect sooner than two months after you serve it. It also cannot take effect earlier than 52 weeks after the first period of the tenancy began, so there is no increase under section 13 in the first year of a new tenancy. After an increase, the next one cannot take effect for at least 52 weeks, or 53 weeks in the case described in section 13(3B). The tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal before the new rent takes effect. Our guide to how a landlord can increase rent under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 covers the timings.

Do I have to register on the Private Rented Sector Database or join a landlord Ombudsman yet?

Not as at 23 October 2026. The Private Rented Sector Database is set up by Part 2, Chapter 3 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. On that date, legislation.gov.uk showed its sections either not in force or in force only for the purpose of making regulations. No duty to register was in force. The government said on 9 September 2026, in a GOV.UK announcement, that the registration service would roll out region by region from December. Our guide to what the Private Rented Sector Database is sets out the published regional dates.

The landlord redress scheme, often called the landlord Ombudsman, is in sections 64 to 73 of the same Act. Section 64 lets the government make regulations requiring a landlord to be a member of a scheme. The Private Landlord Redress Schemes (Approval and Designation) Regulations 2026, made on 16 September 2026, set the conditions a scheme must meet to be approved. They do not require any landlord to join. No regulation requiring membership had been made by 23 October 2026. Both of these apply to landlords whether or not they use an agent.

Do the rules for letting agents apply to me as a private landlord?

The agent membership rules are written for agents. Article 3 of the Redress Schemes for Lettings Agency Work and Property Management Work Order 2014 requires a person who engages in lettings agency work to belong to an approved or government redress scheme. Section 83 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 defines that work as things done in the course of a business on instructions from a prospective landlord or tenant. Regulation 3 of the Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents Regulations 2019 requires a property agent who holds client money to be a member of an approved scheme.

Both duties are aimed at people doing letting or management work for someone else. On the wording of those definitions, a landlord letting their own home is not doing work on another person's instructions. That does not lift any of the landlord duties above. It also means the compulsory agent schemes described here are aimed at agents, not at a letting you manage yourself.

Can I list my property myself without an agency account?

Yes. Listing and advertising a home yourself is lawful, and the advertising rules above apply to you in the same way. VEYLO X is a software platform for renting and letting in England. Private landlords can list a property on it without an agency account. The landlord writes the tenancy record, VEYLO X keeps it, and the renter sees the same one. VEYLO X does not carry out the Right to Rent check, does not protect deposits, does not give legal advice and does not decide any outcome. The duties in this guide stay with you as the landlord.

Common questions

The short answers, in one place.

Is it legal to let my property in England without a letting agent?

Yes. No law in England requires a landlord to use a letting agent. The legal duties of letting, such as stating the rent in adverts, the Right to Rent check, protecting the deposit, giving the written statement of terms, the safety checks and repairs, are written as the landlord's own. A landlord can hand some of the work to an agent by agreement, but if you let the property yourself, each of those duties is yours to carry out. This is general information, not legal advice.

Can someone else take on responsibility for the Right to Rent check?

Only in a defined case. Under section 25 of the Immigration Act 2014, an agent is responsible for the check instead of the landlord only if the agent acts in the course of a business and has agreed in writing with the landlord to carry out the check. Without that arrangement, responsibility for the check stays with the landlord, even if someone else helps with it. It applies to every adult who will live in the property, British citizens included, and the GOV.UK guidance sets out how to do it.

Do private landlords have to join a redress scheme in England?

Not yet, as at 23 October 2026. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 lets the government make regulations requiring landlords to join a landlord redress scheme, but no regulations imposing that requirement had been made by that date. The rules that require membership of a redress scheme today are written for people doing lettings agency or property management work, under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 and an Order made in 2014. Check GOV.UK for the current position.

Do I have to register on the Private Rented Sector Database before I let my property?

Not as at 23 October 2026. The database is set up by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, but the provisions that would require a landlord to register had not been brought into force on that date. The government said on 9 September 2026 that the registration service would roll out region by region from December. Check GOV.UK before you advertise, because the position is expected to change.

Sources

The primary sources behind this guide. Where the law and a summary disagree, the law is what counts.

This article is general information about letting, not legal advice. It states the position in England as at 23 October 2026. Commencement dates and regulations change, so check GOV.UK for the current position, and consider taking professional advice on your own letting.

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