For landlords

What do I need to do to let my property in England?

Guide · about 7 min read · Covers the law as at October 2026 · Last checked on 5 October 2026

To let a property in England, the home must meet legal safety standards, the tenancy deposit must be protected, and the tenant must be given the right paperwork before they move in. The tenancy itself will usually be a periodic assured tenancy with no fixed term. Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the law has changed how private tenancies start and end, so the duties that sit with a landlord have changed with it. These are legal requirements, not just good practice.

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

None of it is out of reach. It is a defined list of duties, and working through it one item at a time is how most landlords let lawfully. This guide covers the steps that come up when you start a letting, but it is not the whole of a landlord's legal duties. You also have ongoing responsibilities that sit alongside these, including keeping the property in repair and fit to live in, meeting the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules, and, for some homes, licensing for houses in multiple occupation or under a council scheme. These are core legal duties, not optional extras. Some tenancies and licences also sit outside the usual rules. Check the current GOV.UK guidance for your own property, and take advice if anything is unclear.

What safety certificates do I need before letting?

Your property has to meet several safety duties before a tenant moves in. If there is a gas appliance, a Gas Safe registered engineer must carry out a gas safety check every year, and you must give the tenant a copy of the gas safety record, normally before they move in and within 28 days of each check. The electrical installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every five years, and the tenant must be given a copy of the report, known as an EICR. The property also needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate, and as a general rule it must be at least band E to be let, unless one of the limited exemptions applies and is registered. Our guide to what documents landlords need before letting a property goes through each one.

Do I have to protect the tenant's deposit?

Yes, if you take a tenancy deposit. It must be protected in one of the three government-approved schemes within 30 days of receiving it, and the prescribed information, which explains how the deposit is held, must be given to the tenant in the same 30 days. The deposit is capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks' rent at or above that. Our guide to how deposit protection works in England sets out the schemes and the deadlines in full.

What is Right to Rent, and whose job is it?

Right to Rent is a landlord's own legal duty in England to check that every adult who will live in the property has the right to rent here, before the tenancy begins. The duty to carry out the check and keep a record of it is the landlord's, not the tenant's. The check is done by following the GOV.UK guidance, which sets out the routes, and for many people it works through a share code the tenant provides. It applies to every adult occupier, whatever their nationality, including British citizens. It is a Home Office process, and the current GOV.UK guidance is what to follow for each person's situation.

What must I give the tenant in writing?

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, a landlord letting a property on a new tenancy must give the tenant a written statement of terms before the tenancy begins. The statement has to set out the terms and information specified in regulations made in 2026, which cover a fixed list of matters such as the names, the property, the rent, repair responsibilities and whether pets are allowed. The point of it is that both sides are clear on the terms from the start, so it is worth preparing before a tenant moves in rather than afterwards. A separate government information sheet about the new rules was a transitional step for tenancies that already existed before 1 May 2026, rather than something a new letting needs.

What kind of tenancy will it be?

Since 1 May 2026, most new private tenancies in England are periodic assured tenancies, which have no fixed term. The tenancy rolls on from one rent period to the next rather than running to a set end date. It continues until the tenant ends it with the right notice, or the landlord ends it using a ground for possession under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988. Section 21 "no-fault" notices can no longer be served in England. For most private assured tenancies, rent can generally be increased only once a year through the statutory process, and the tenant can challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal. Our guide to periodic tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 explains how this works day to day.

How do I keep on top of all the dates and documents?

With a tenancy that rolls on, there is no longer a fixed renewal date to act as a natural prompt. The duties were always ongoing, but the safety certificate dates, the deposit deadline and the paperwork no longer cluster around one point in the year, so each one has to be tracked on its own. A gas record runs for a year and an EICR for up to five, so the dates fall at different points and no single moment prompts you to check them. Keeping each one somewhere you will see it coming is the simplest way to stay on top of them.

Keeping your letting records in one place

VEYLO X is a neutral platform and a record-keeping tool. It is being built so that landlords will be able to keep their certificates, dates and documents together in one place, with a reminder before each date they add falls due. It keeps records; it does not give legal advice, decide any outcome, or check or confirm anything, and it takes no part in whether a letting goes ahead. Meeting your own legal duties stays with you. VEYLO X is not open yet.

Common questions

What do I need to do to let my property in England?

To let a property in England, the home must meet the gas, electrical and EPC safety rules, the tenancy deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme, and you must carry out the Right to Rent check and give the tenant a written statement of terms before they move in. Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the tenancy will usually be a periodic assured tenancy with no fixed term. This is general information about letting in England, not legal advice.

What safety certificates does a landlord need in England?

If there is a gas appliance, a Gas Safe registered engineer must carry out a gas safety check every year and the tenant must be given the gas safety record. The electrical installation must be inspected at least every five years and the tenant given the report, known as an EICR. The property also needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate, and as a general rule it must be at least band E to be let, unless one of the limited exemptions applies and is registered.

Do I have to protect my tenant's deposit in England?

Yes, if you take a tenancy deposit. It must be protected in one of the three government-approved schemes within 30 days, and the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same window. The deposit is capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks' rent at or above that. Not protecting a deposit on time can carry a financial penalty and can affect how a tenancy is ended, so check the current GOV.UK guidance.

Can a landlord still use a Section 21 notice in England?

No. Section 21 "no-fault" notices can no longer be served in England since 1 May 2026. To seek possession, a landlord now has to rely on a ground under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, such as selling the property, moving in a family member, or serious rent arrears, and serve the correct notice with the evidence that ground requires. This is general information, so check the current GOV.UK guidance and consider professional advice before acting.

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 in England, not legal advice. It reflects the position in England as at October 2026, when the main Renters' Rights Act 2025 tenancy provisions were already in force, having taken effect on 1 May 2026. It is not a complete list of a landlord's duties, and the law can change, so check the current GOV.UK guidance and consider professional advice for your own situation, particularly on anything to do with ending a tenancy.