Landlord safety and legal duties for rented homes

Renting out residential property carries a stack of safety and legal duties. Many are devolved, so the exact rule depends on whether the property is in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland — each duty below states where it applies. Put the shared business duties in place first using Run a compliant real estate business, then work through the duties for your property.

For the tenancy reforms that affect landlords in England, read Renters' Rights Act: what landlords in England must do now.

Keep gas appliances safe (annual check)

Have every gas appliance and flue you provide checked for safety at least once every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and give the record to existing tenants within 28 days and to new tenants before they move in. This duty applies in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has equivalent gas safety rules.

Inspect the electrics (every 5 years)

In England, have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested at least every five years, obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), and give a copy to tenants within 28 days. Scotland requires periodic electrical inspection under the repairing standard; Wales requires it under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 fitness regulations.

Fit smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Provide a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (other than a gas cooker), and check they work at the start of each tenancy. These specific requirements are set by the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own alarm standards.

Keep the home fit to live in

A let home must be fit for human habitation at the start of and throughout the tenancy, and tenants can take you to court directly if it is not. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 applies in England, enforced alongside the HHSRS hazard regime under the Housing Act 2004; Wales applies an equivalent fitness duty under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.

For the full fitness standard — the HHSRS hazards, inspection access and tenant remedies — see rental property fitness standards.

Protect the tenancy deposit

If you take a deposit you must protect it in a government-approved scheme and give the tenant the prescribed information. The deadline is 30 days in England and Wales, 30 working days in Scotland and 28 days in Northern Ireland. If you do not, a court can order you to pay the tenant one to three times the deposit.

In England the duty covers private assured tenancies. Transitional rules apply to some tenancies that began before 1 May 2026. Since 1 May 2026 private assured tenancies are periodic, section 21 "no-fault" notices have been abolished, and you can only seek possession on the section 8 grounds. A court can make a possession order only if the deposit is protected and you gave the prescribed information, unless you have returned the deposit or the tenant's deposit claim has been decided, withdrawn or settled. The rule also does not apply to the anti-social behaviour grounds (grounds 7A and 14).

Register on the private rented sector database (England only)

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates a database of private landlords and the homes they let in England. Once the duty is in force you must not market or let a home unless you have an active landlord entry and an active entry for that home, and every written advert must show the identifiers the database gives you. Registration opens region by region, and you must renew your entries every year and keep them up to date. Wales and Scotland run their own landlord registration schemes.

Under the draft database regulations, you make the landlord and dwelling entries yourself, unless a person with legal authority to act for you does so, such as the donee of a power of attorney or a personal representative. A letting agent or property manager you appoint can provide or update only some of the information on your behalf. The duty to register stays with you as the landlord.

Meet the minimum energy rating (MEES)

In England and Wales it is unlawful to let a residential property with an EPC rating below E unless you have registered a valid exemption. A valid EPC must also be in place before you market the property — see the EPC duty. Scotland has no minimum EPC rating for lettings at present.

Licence a house in multiple occupation (HMO)

A house occupied by five or more people forming two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence from the local housing authority, and many councils run additional and selective licensing schemes too. Mandatory and additional licensing operate in England and Wales; Scotland licenses all HMOs under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006.

Carry out Right to Rent checks (England only)

In England you must check that every adult occupier has the right to rent before the tenancy starts; the duty can pass to a letting agent only by written agreement. The Right to Rent scheme has not been commenced in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, so it does not apply to property there.

If you are a social housing provider

A private provider of social housing — typically a housing association — may register with the Regulator of Social Housing in England and must then meet its economic and consumer standards, which were strengthened by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. Scotland and Wales have separate regulators — the Scottish Housing Regulator and the Welsh Government's registration of registered social landlords.

Confirm you are compliant

Work through the real estate compliance checklist to confirm every duty that applies to your property is in place.