Landlord Compliance Checklist UK 2026 (Free Printable PDF)

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As of 2026, for a rented home in England, a landlord needs: a gas safety check every 12 months (if there's gas), an electrical inspection every 5 years, a valid EPC rated E or above, the deposit protected within 30 days, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and a right to rent check on adult tenants. Our free checklist covers all of it.

Download the free checklist (PDF)

Aimed at landlords in England with a small portfolio. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules in places, noted below. This is general information, not legal advice.

The checklist

1. Gas safety (if the property has gas appliances)

  • Gas Safe registered engineer checks every appliance and flue at least every 12 months.
  • Book from two months before the deadline to keep your original renewal date.
  • Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days; give new tenants a copy before they move in.
  • Keep records until two further checks have been done.
  • Details: gas safety certificate for landlords.

2. Electrical safety (England)

  • Fixed electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at least every 5 years (EICR).
  • Current report before a new tenancy begins.
  • Fix C1, C2 (and, under the current rules, FI) items within 28 days or sooner if the report says.
  • Copy to tenants within 28 days; to the council within 7 days of a written request.
  • Details: EICR for landlords.

3. Energy Performance Certificate (England and Wales)

  • Valid EPC (they last 10 years) shown to prospective tenants.
  • Rating E or better, or a registered exemption. You don't need to spend more than £3,500 including VAT.
  • Details: EPC rules for landlords.

4. Tenancy deposit (England and Wales)

  • Protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it.
  • Prescribed information given to the tenant (and anyone who paid for them) within the same 30 days.
  • Keep the scheme reference and proof of when you sent the information.
  • Details: deposit protection for landlords.

5. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

  • A smoke alarm on each storey of the property.
  • Carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel appliance such as a wood burner. In England, since 1 October 2022 this extends to any room used as living accommodation with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excluded), per HSE.
  • Test they work at the start of each tenancy.

6. Right to rent (England)

  • Before a new tenancy starts, check all adult tenants (18 and over), even if they aren't named on the agreement. Check everyone, not just people you think aren't British.
  • There are exceptions, such as social housing, care homes, student accommodation and leases of 7 years or more.
  • Check the current GOV.UK guidance before each new letting, because the rules are updated.

7. Records you want at your fingertips

  • Gas safety record, EICR and any remedial-work confirmation, EPC, deposit certificate and prescribed information.
  • Date and method of each notice or document you gave the tenant.
  • Repairs reported, what was done and when.
  • Written record of any access attempts if a tenant blocks a check.

How to use this

Put each property's dates on one sheet: gas deadline, EICR next-inspection date, EPC expiry, deposit protected date. Set a reminder two months before each gas deadline and three months before an EICR is due.

The problem is rarely that these rules are secret. It is seeing them all at once for each property. If you'd rather not run it from a spreadsheet, Gaffy keeps each property's certificates and repairs in one place. It's free for the first month, with no card.

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Related guides

Compliance checklist FAQs

What certificates does a landlord need in England?

A gas safety record each year if there's gas, an electrical inspection report at least every 5 years, and a valid Energy Performance Certificate rated E or above. You also need the deposit protected in a scheme and the prescribed information given.

How often do landlords need to renew each certificate?

Gas safety every 12 months, electrical inspection (EICR) at least every 5 years, and an EPC every 10 years. Deposit protection is a one-off within 30 days of receiving the deposit, repeated for each new tenancy.

Do landlords need smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?

Yes. A smoke alarm on each storey, and carbon monoxide alarms where the rules require them, which in England includes rooms with solid fuel appliances and, since 1 October 2022, other fixed combustion appliances (gas cookers excluded).

What do I give a new tenant at the start of a tenancy?

The latest gas safety record and EICR before they move in, the EPC, and the deposit scheme's prescribed information within 30 days of taking the deposit. Keep proof of when and how each was provided.

Sources

All fetched and read on 9 Oct 2026.

General information, not legal advice. Last checked 9 October 2026.