The landlord compliance checklist.

If the home has any gas supply or appliances, a Gas Safe registered engineer must inspect them every year and issue a CP12 record. The tenant needs a copy before they move in, and any new tenant within 28 days of the check.

A qualified electrician must inspect the installation at least every five years, or sooner if the report requires it. Faults rated C1 or C2 must be put right within 28 days, and the tenant given a copy of the report.

Fit a working smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance such as a boiler or wood burner. Test that each one works on the first day of the tenancy.

Assess the risk from legionella bacteria in the water system before the property is let. For most homes this is a short assessment you can carry out and record yourself, then review if the system or the use of the property changes.

A valid EPC must be in place before you market the home, and the rating must be at least an E to let it lawfully, unless a valid exemption is registered. The government has confirmed the minimum is set to rise to the equivalent of a C from October 2030, so it is worth planning any improvements ahead of time.

A home let to five or more people from two or more households is a licensable HMO and needs a mandatory licence. Many councils also license smaller shared homes under additional or selective schemes, so check with the local authority before you let.

Protect the deposit in one of the three government-approved schemes within 30 days of receiving it, and serve the prescribed information on the tenant. Get this wrong and a court can order you to repay the deposit along with a penalty of up to three times its value.

Check that every adult who will live in the property has the right to rent in England before the tenancy begins, keep dated copies of the evidence, and diarise a follow-up check for anyone whose permission is time-limited.

Give every new tenant the government's How to Rent guide at the start of the tenancy, and reissue the current version whenever it is updated. It is the tenant's plain-English checklist, and serving it correctly is the landlord's responsibility.

Fixed terms end and every tenancy runs from month to month. Tenants can leave with two months' notice, so a well-presented home and responsive management are what keep good tenants in place.

No-fault eviction ends. To regain possession you rely on a defined ground, such as selling, moving in yourself or serious arrears, each with its own notice period and evidence. Accurate records matter more than ever.

Rent increases move to once every twelve months, through a formal notice at the open-market level with two months' notice. A tenant can ask the tribunal to review the figure, so price against real local evidence.

The Decent Homes Standard and stricter rules on damp and mould extend to private renting. Landlords must join a national database and a new ombudsman, and tenants gain the right to request a pet that you cannot unreasonably refuse.