All domestic properties to let will require an EPC. We can organise this for you for a small charge. Once you have a certificate these are valid for 10 years. Please note if your property receives a rating of F or below improvements will need to be made before it can be let.
Where there is a gas supply to a property it is a legal requirement to obtain an annual gas safety certificate. We can organise this for you or you may prefer to organise this yourself.
You will need to ensure your property with an appropriate landlord's cover policy (this should cover buildings, your contents, liability and other aspects involved with letting).
All repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the landlord unless the damage has been caused by the tenant. Coles Group will cover all this in our Fully Managed package.
Landlords are liable to be taxed on income from a tenant/let. For advice for UK landlords please visit: www.hmrc.gov.uk.
It is a legal requirement that tenants deposit are registered into one of the approved tenancy deposit schemes. This is an independent third party so neither the landlord or the tenant can withhold the deposit unfairly. Coles Group is members of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS).
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Alarms (for England only)
Regulation has been introduced which requires all landlords – with properties in England - to have at least one smoke alarm on every storey of their properties - even where only a bathroom is located. And, if any room contains a solid fuel burning appliance, such as a wood burning stove, a coal fire, an open fire place or where biomass is used as fuel, a carbon monoxide alarm has to be present.
The alarms must be correctly checked on the first day of any new tenancy but it is then the responsibility of the tenant to regularly check the alarms are in working order - the Department for Community and Local Government recommend once a month and, if they are not working, report it as a maintenance issue.
Furniture & Furnishings Fire Safety
The Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amended) Regulations 1998 require that all upholstered furniture and furnishings in rented properties pass the “cigarette test”. If any property is found not to comply the landlord faces fines or imprisonment, or both. Any furniture or furnishings that do not comply with these regulations must be removed before the tenancy commences. Also, if any items are replaced during the tenancy, these too must adhere to the regulations.
You are required to ensure that any electrical devices within the property are safe for use. We recommend an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) so you can be sure you are compliant.
Introduced as part of the Housing Act 2004, the HHSRS allows local authorities to assess the condition of the property and any potential hazards. The aim is to maintain good standards in the private rented sector.
As a landlord you have a duty of care to your tenants to make sure your water supply is working properly to protect them from Legionella.
The checklist for renting in England (for England only)
A new tenant should always receive a Department of Local Government and Communities How to Rent Guide at the start of their tenancy from their lettings agent which gives practical advice about what to do before and during a let. A Guide which the tenant must confirm they have seen at the start of a new tenancy.
The Right to Rent scheme, which helps to make sure that people renting property in the UK have a legal right to be here, was rolled out across England in February 2016. These checks are all part if us referencing a tenant, if you carry out your own checks you will now need to make sure you get an acceptable proof of residency or risk a fine.
