Pre-tenancy

How to let

GOV.UK How to let (opens new window) provides a guide to help you understand what responsibilities you have as a landlord and how to create a positive relationship with your tenant. 

Topics include: 

• Assured shorthold tenancy
• Before letting your property
• Getting your property ready
• Setting up your tenancy
• During a tenancy
• At the end of a tenancy
• If things go wrong
• Further sources of information

Moving in checklist

For each new tenancy the landlord has a responsibility to: 

• provide your tenant with a written tenancy agreement - GOV.UK Tenancy agreements: a guide for landlords (England and Wales) (opens new window)
• carry out right to rent checks - GOV.UK check tenants right to rent (opens new window)
• not take a tenancy deposit above the relevant cap for that tenancy 
• protect your tenant's deposit in a deposit protection scheme - GOV.UK, Tenancy deposit scheme (opens new window)
• provide your tenant with a copy of the How to rent: the checklist for renting in England (opens new window)
• provide your tenant with a copy of the property's energy performance certificate at the earliest opportunity
• provide your tenant with a copy of the gas safety certificate before they move in
• provide a copy of the electrical installation safety report
• provide the tenant with the landlords name and an address (in England or Wales) where they can serve notices to you

Moving in checklist (Word doc, 117 KB) provides a useful checklist to complete at the start of a new tenancy.

Property inventories

A condition of a landlord licence is to complete a detailed property inventory at the start of each new tenancy. An inventory records and details a property's contents and condition. It makes all parties aware of how the property should be looked after and returned at the end of the tenancy. 

A check out inventory is done at the end of the tenancy. This can be compared to the check in property inventory to see if anything has changed or been damaged.

In the unlikely event a dispute does occur, a signed inventory (by both landlord and tenant) is a key piece of evidence for resolving issues and making any deposit deductions.

Inventory templates and more guidance are available from My Deposits (opens new window).  

'How to Rent' booklet

Landlords in England are required to provide to their tenants, the government booklet How to rent: the checklist for renting in England (opens new window), at the start of each new tenancy.

The provision of this document is a condition of a landlord licence.

Landlords will be restricted from serving a section 21 notice of possession under The Housing Act 1985 (opens new window) if the correct version of the How to rent: the checklist for renting in England (opens new window) booklet has not been provided at the correct time.

For more information visit GOV.UK Understanding the possession action process: A guide for private landlords in England (opens new window)

We recommend that tenants sign to confirm they've received the 'How to rent' booklet, and included in the check-in inventory.

The gas safety certificate Gas Safe Register (opens new window) and energy performance certificate EPC Register (opens new window) should be provided at the same time. These are required to enable the future use of a section 21 notice of possession.