Home › Articles › Rental property compliance checklist
Rental Property Compliance Checklist: What Every Let Needs
Updated 29 July 2026
Whether you own one flat or a growing portfolio, every rental property has to clear the same set of legal duties — and each one carries its own renewal date. This is a per-property compliance checklist you can run against any rental to confirm it's fully legal to let in England. For the deeper, stage-by-stage version, see our complete UK Landlord Compliance Checklist.
Run this against every property you let
- Gas Safety Record (CP12) — in date? Renewed every 12 months by a Gas Safe engineer. Full CP12 guide →
- EICR — valid (within 5 years) and any faults fixed? EICR guide →
- EPC — at least band E (planning for C by 2030) and given to the tenant?
- Smoke & CO alarms — one smoke alarm per storey, CO alarm by every combustion appliance, tested at tenancy start?
- Deposit — protected in an approved scheme within 30 days, prescribed information served?
- Right to Rent — checked for every adult occupier, with dated evidence?
- Documents served — current "How to Rent" guide, EPC and gas record, in a written agreement, with proof of service?
- Licensing — does this property need an HMO or a selective licence in its council area? HMO checklist →
The portfolio problem: one property is easy to track in your head; ten is not. Compliance failures are almost never a landlord ignoring the rules — they're a renewal date that slipped on one property while attention was on another.
Keep it compliant, property by property
Compliance is a rolling cycle of renewals — gas yearly, EICR five-yearly, EPC ten-yearly — plus prompt repairs and hazard response. Running the checklist once isn't enough; the value is in never missing the next date on any property. That's exactly what JRM Compliance does: it holds every certificate against its property, scores each one's compliance, and reminds you at 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before anything lapses.
Frequently asked questions
What does a rental property need to be legally compliant in the UK?
In England, each rental typically needs a valid Gas Safety Record (CP12) renewed annually if there are gas appliances, an EICR renewed at least every 5 years, a valid EPC of at least band E, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a protected deposit with prescribed information served, completed Right to Rent checks, and any HMO or selective licence its council requires.
How do I keep track of compliance across several rental properties?
Track each certificate against the property it belongs to, with its renewal date, and set reminders well before expiry. Software like JRM Compliance stores every document by property, shows a live compliance status for each, and automatically reminds you at 90/60/30/7/1 days before anything lapses — far more reliable than a spreadsheet across a portfolio.
What happens if a rental property isn't compliant?
Penalties range from civil fines (up to £30,000 for electrical breaches) to criminal prosecution and unlimited fines for gas safety failures, plus rent repayment orders and loss of the ability to regain possession. Getting compliance right protects both your tenants and your ability to let legally.
Read the full UK Landlord Compliance Checklist → · See pricing → · Ask us a question →
General guidance for landlords in England, not legal advice. Costs are indicative and vary by property, region and provider. Always check the current position on GOV.UK or with a qualified adviser before acting.