Landlord quiz

At the start of a tenancy, landlords in England are legally required to provide tenants with all of the above documents. 

They also need to provide a Tenancy Agreement which is a written contract outlining rent, duration, responsibilities, and terms of the rental, a valid Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) renewed every five years and confirmation that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have been tested and are working on move-in day.

E is the current legal minimum EPC rating required to let a property in England.

Landlords must obtain Consent to Let from their mortgage lender if the property is on a residential mortgage. Failing to do so may breach mortgage terms and lead to serious consequences.

Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, the maximum deposit is 5 weeks’ rent if the annual rent is less than £50,000

6 weeks' rent is allowed if the annual rent is £50,000 or more.

Landlords must protect the deposit in a government approved Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDP) within 30 days of receiving it.

Deposits can only be used for repairs after the tenancy ends and only if justified.

The landlord may have to pay the tenant 1 to 3 times the deposit amount and cannot serve a valid Section 21 eviction notice until the issue is resolved.

Landlords are not legally required to provide cleaning services. This is optional and usually only offered in serviced accommodations.

Landlords in England are legally required to carry out electrical safety inspections every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as mandated by the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, and conduct Right to Rent checks under the Immigration Act 2014 to verify tenants’ legal status.

Landlords must carry out a Gas Safety Check every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer, as required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

Landlords must install smoke alarms on every storey of the property used as living accommodation, as required by the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

The law does not specify the type of alarm. Both battery powered and mains-powered alarms are acceptable, as long as they meet British Standards.

Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, landlords must install carbon monoxide alarms in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler or wood-burning stove - excluding gas cookers

Landlords must check the immigration status of all adult tenants before granting a tenancy, as required by the Immigration Act 2014. Acceptable documents include passports, biometric residence permits, or verified digital status. These checks are mandatory for all landlords in England, regardless of the tenant’s nationality.

If a landlord rents a property to someone who does not have the legal right to rent in the UK, they can face serious consequences under the Immigration Act 2014. These include civil penalties of up to £10,000 for a first offence and £20,000 for repeat offences, and potentially criminal charges if the landlord knew or should have known the tenant was ineligible. This could lead to an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison. 

Landlords in England must give tenants at least 24 hours’ written notice before entering the property for inspections, repairs, or checks, as required under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The notice should include the date, time, and reason for entry, and the tenant’s consent is generally required unless it’s an emergency (e.g. fire or gas leak). Entering without proper notice or consent may be considered trespassing or harassment.