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Rental Property Compliance Checklist: What Every Let Needs
Updated 10 August 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.
Build a compliance record for each property
The reason a checklist works better per property than as one long master list is that every certificate belongs to a specific address and renews on its own date. A CP12 on Flat 2 tells you nothing about Flat 5. The most reliable way to stay legal across more than one let is to keep a short standing record for each property and update it as certificates renew:
| Item | What to record per property | Renews |
|---|---|---|
| Gas (CP12) | Engineer, Gas Safe number, issue date, next-due date, copy of the record | Every 12 months |
| EICR | Contractor, issue date, outcome (satisfactory), any C1/C2 remedial work and its sign-off | Up to 5 years |
| EPC | Rating, expiry date, whether a copy was given to the tenant | Every 10 years |
| Alarms | Number and location of smoke/CO alarms, date tested at tenancy start | Each new tenancy |
| Deposit | Scheme, protection date, date prescribed information served | Per tenancy |
| Right to Rent | Date checked, evidence held, any follow-up date for time-limited status | Per occupier |
| Licence | Licence type (HMO/selective), reference, expiry, conditions | Per council scheme |
Kept per property, this record answers the only question that matters at any moment: is this specific let legal today, and what renews next? Our full UK Landlord Compliance Checklist explains the legal detail behind each of these items; this page is about running them repeatably across a portfolio.
Auditing a portfolio you already own
If you've been letting for a while without a system, don't try to fix everything at once. Work through your properties in risk order: gas first (annual, criminal liability, easiest to let slip), then electrical (five-yearly, £30,000 penalty), then EPC, then the paperwork trail. For each property, find the last certificate, note its expiry, and flag anything already out of date or due within 90 days. Two or three properties can be held in your head; beyond that, an audit almost always turns up at least one date that has quietly passed.
Buying a tenanted property: what to check
When you take on a property with sitting tenants, the compliance clock doesn't reset — you inherit it. Before completion, ask for the current Gas Safety Record, the EICR and any remedial sign-off, the EPC, evidence the deposit is protected and prescribed information was served, the signed tenancy agreement, and any licence. If a deposit wasn't protected by the previous owner, or the prescribed information was never served, that liability can transfer to you and can block a future possession claim — so treat it as due diligence, not an afterthought.
Don't forget the void period
An empty property between tenancies is the natural moment to reset compliance: renew anything expiring soon while there's no one to disrupt, re-test alarms, address any EICR remedials, and refresh the EPC if it's near expiry. Going into a new tenancy with everything freshly in date is far easier than chasing access once a tenant has moved in.
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 — so a slipped date on one property in ten can't go unnoticed. If you manage lets for clients, our letting agent compliance software does the same across every managed property.
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.
Do I need to repeat compliance checks between tenancies?
Some items reset with each new tenancy and some run on a fixed cycle. Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at the start of every tenancy and protect any new deposit within 30 days. The Gas Safety Record still renews annually and the EICR every five years regardless of tenancy changes — but a void period between tenants is the ideal time to renew anything close to expiry while the property is empty.
I've bought a rental property with tenants — am I liable for the previous landlord's compliance?
Largely yes. When you buy a tenanted property you inherit its compliance position, including gaps. If the previous owner failed to protect the deposit or serve prescribed information, that can transfer to you and may block a future possession claim. Before completing, obtain the current gas, electrical and energy certificates, proof of deposit protection, the tenancy agreement and any licence — and put right anything missing.
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.