Becoming a landlord involves much more than finding a tenant and collecting rent. Before a rental property can be advertised or occupied, landlords must make sure that it meets a range of legal, safety and administrative requirements.
Some of these obligations involve formal certificates, such as an Energy Performance Certificate, Gas Safety Record and Electrical Installation Condition Report. Others involve licences, risk assessments, prescribed information or written records rather than certificates.
This distinction matters. New landlords often search for a single list of “landlord certificates”, only to discover that rental property compliance is spread across several different areas of law.
This guide explains what certificates landlords need in England, why each document matters, how long it remains valid and when it must be given to tenants. It also covers important documents that are not technically certificates but should still form part of every landlord compliance file.
The rules described below mainly apply to private residential landlords in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate different tenancy, registration and licensing systems, so landlords outside England should check the rules for the relevant nation.
What Certificates Does a Landlord Need in England?
For a typical privately rented home, the main landlord safety certificates and compliance documents are:
· A valid Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC
· A current Landlord Gas Safety Record where gas is installed
· A satisfactory Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR
· Evidence that smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements have been met
· A Legionella risk assessment
· A property licence where mandatory, additional or selective licensing applies
· Tenancy deposit protection information
· Written information setting out the terms of the tenancy
· Right to Rent check records
Not every item on this list is legally described as a certificate. However, each may be important when demonstrating that the property has been lawfully and safely let.
1. Energy Performance Certificate
An Energy Performance Certificate measures the energy efficiency of a property and gives it a rating from A to G. An A-rated property is among the most energy-efficient, while a G-rated property is among the least efficient.
The EPC includes information about estimated energy consumption, typical energy costs and possible improvements, such as insulation, heating upgrades or better glazing.
A landlord must normally arrange an EPC before marketing a property for rent. The certificate must be produced by an accredited domestic energy assessor, and the EPC rating should appear in property advertisements. A valid EPC is normally valid for ten years.
What EPC rating does a rental property need?
Under the current Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, most private rented homes in England and Wales must have an EPC rating of E or above.
A property rated F or G generally cannot be newly let or continue to be let unless the landlord improves the property to at least an E rating or registers a valid exemption. Under the present rules, landlords may be required to spend up to £3,500 including VAT on qualifying energy-efficiency improvements before using the relevant cost-cap exemption.
Some buildings are exempt from the normal EPC requirements, including certain listed buildings, temporary structures and some residential buildings intended to be used for less than four months a year. Landlords should not simply assume that an exemption applies. Where an exemption is needed under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, it may have to be registered formally.
When should the EPC be provided?
Prospective tenants should be able to see the EPC before deciding to rent the property. It should be made available free of charge and early enough for the tenant to consider the property’s likely energy performance before entering into the tenancy.
Landlords should keep a digital copy in their compliance file and provide a copy to the tenant before the tenancy begins.
Future EPC requirements
The government has confirmed a policy objective requiring domestic private rented properties to reach EPC C or an equivalent reformed standard by 1 October 2030, unless a valid exemption applies. The future framework includes a proposed cost cap of £10,000 per property. New landlords buying older or inefficient homes should therefore consider likely improvement costs rather than focusing only on the current EPC E minimum.
2. Landlord Gas Safety Record
Where a rental property contains gas appliances, fittings or flues provided by the landlord, an annual gas safety check must be completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
The document produced after the inspection is formally known as a Landlord Gas Safety Record, although it is frequently called a Gas Safety Certificate or CP12 certificate.
The inspection normally covers landlord-supplied gas appliances and their flues, such as:
· Gas boilers
· Gas fires
· Gas hobs
· Gas ovens
· Associated flues and ventilation arrangements
Landlords are also responsible for maintaining gas pipework, appliances and flues in a safe condition. A gas safety inspection should not be treated as a substitute for necessary repairs or routine maintenance.
How often is a gas safety check required?
The check must be carried out every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Landlords may arrange the inspection during the two months before the existing deadline and retain the original renewal date. This allows landlords to organise access in advance without gradually shortening the annual inspection cycle.
When must tenants receive the gas safety record?
A new tenant must receive a copy of the current gas safety record before moving into the property.
Existing tenants must receive a copy within 28 days of the annual check. Landlords must keep gas safety records for at least two years, although additional records may need to be retained when using the flexible renewal arrangements.
The record should identify the appliances and flues checked, the inspection date, the property address, the engineer’s name and Gas Safe registration number, any safety defects found and any remedial action taken.
A landlord should never allow an appliance identified as unsafe to remain in use.
3. Electrical Installation Condition Report
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, commonly known as an EICR, assesses the safety of the fixed electrical installation in a rented property.
The inspection covers fixed electrical components such as:
· Wiring
· Sockets
· Light fittings
· Consumer units or fuse boxes
· Earthing and bonding
· Permanently connected equipment
· Electrical circuits serving showers, extractors or other fixed equipment
Private landlords in England must have the electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at least every five years. The report may require another inspection sooner, so landlords should follow the date stated on the EICR rather than automatically assuming that every report lasts exactly five years.
When must an EICR be provided?
A copy must be given:
· To an existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection
· To a new tenant before the tenant occupies the property
· To a prospective tenant within 28 days of a request
· To the local council within seven days of a request
The landlord must retain the report until the next inspection is due or completed and provide it to the electrician conducting the next inspection.
What happens if the EICR is unsatisfactory?
Electrical defects are commonly recorded using classification codes.
A C1 code means that danger is present and there is a risk of injury. A C2 code means that a condition is potentially dangerous. “FI” means that further investigation is required without delay. These findings normally make the EICR unsatisfactory.
A C3 code means that an improvement is recommended but is not generally required for the report to be satisfactory.
Where remedial or investigative work is required, the landlord must normally complete it within 28 days, or sooner where the report specifies a shorter period. Written confirmation that the work has been completed must then be provided to the tenant and local council within 28 days.
Local councils can impose significant financial penalties for non-compliance. As of May 2026, penalties for specified electrical safety breaches can reach £40,000.
4. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance
There is no single national “fire safety certificate” required for every ordinary single-family rental property. However, landlords must comply with specific alarm and fire safety duties.
In England, landlords must ensure that:
· At least one smoke alarm is installed on every storey containing living accommodation
· A carbon monoxide alarm is installed in every room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance, excluding gas cookers
· Required alarms are working at the start of each new tenancy
· Faulty alarms are repaired or replaced once the landlord has been informed and the fault has been identified
A fixed combustion appliance may include a gas or oil boiler, coal fire, wood-burning stove or biomass appliance. The carbon monoxide alarm requirement is therefore not limited to rooms containing solid-fuel appliances.
Landlords should record the alarm test on the inventory or check-in report and ask the tenant to acknowledge it. The record is not a statutory certificate, but it can provide useful evidence that the alarms were working when the tenancy began.
After move-in, tenants should test alarms regularly and report faults. The landlord remains responsible for arranging repairs or replacements once notified.
5. Fire Safety and Furniture Compliance
Landlords must keep escape routes accessible and ensure that furniture and furnishings they supply comply with applicable fire safety rules.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations apply to many upholstered items supplied with rented accommodation, including sofas, armchairs and certain upholstered beds or headboards. Landlords should retain permanent fire-safety labels, purchase receipts and product information wherever possible.
The regulations were amended in 2025, with changes taking effect on 30 October 2025, so landlords purchasing new furniture should ensure that suppliers are following the updated rules.
Fire safety requirements are usually more extensive for HMOs, converted buildings and blocks with communal areas. Depending on the property, landlords may need a formal fire risk assessment, suitable fire doors, emergency lighting, an appropriate alarm system, fire-resistant escape routes or additional safety equipment.
The exact standard may depend on the property layout, number of occupiers, local licensing conditions and whether the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order applies to common areas.
6. Legionella Risk Assessment
Landlords have a duty to assess and control the risk of tenants being exposed to Legionella bacteria through hot and cold water systems.
This does not mean that every landlord must purchase an expensive Legionella certificate or arrange laboratory water testing. The Health and Safety Executive states that a simple and proportionate risk assessment is usually sufficient for an ordinary domestic property where the water system presents a low risk.
The assessment should consider matters such as:
· Whether water is stored in tanks
· Whether any outlets or pipework are rarely used
· Whether water temperatures are properly controlled
· Whether the property has been vacant
· Whether showerheads require cleaning
· Whether redundant pipework could allow water to stagnate
Before a new tenancy, it is sensible to flush the water system, inspect stored-water tanks, clean showerheads and ensure that hot and cold water systems operate correctly.
A landlord does not normally have to provide the tenant with a formal Legionella certificate. However, the landlord should retain a dated written assessment and give the tenant any relevant instructions, such as regularly cleaning showerheads or reporting problems with hot-water temperatures.
7. HMO, Additional and Selective Property Licences
A property licence is not a safety certificate, but it may be one of the most important legal documents a landlord needs.
A property is normally considered an HMO where at least three tenants from more than one household share facilities such as a kitchen, bathroom or toilet.
Mandatory HMO licensing generally applies where:
· Five or more people occupy the property
· They form more than one household
· They share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities
· At least one occupier pays rent
Landlords must contact the local council to check whether a licence is required.
Councils may also operate:
· Additional HMO licensing for smaller shared properties
· Selective licensing covering most or all privately rented properties in a designated area
This means that a one-bedroom flat rented to a single household could still require a selective licence in some parts of London or other English cities.
Licensing rules vary significantly between councils and can change over time. New landlords should check the exact property address with the relevant council before advertising or signing a tenancy.
8. Tenancy Deposit Protection Information
Where a qualifying tenancy deposit is taken, the landlord or letting agent must place it in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receiving it.
The tenant must also receive the required prescribed information within the same 30-day period. This includes details of:
· The amount of the deposit
· The property address
· The deposit protection scheme
· The scheme’s dispute resolution service
· The landlord or agent’s contact details
· The circumstances in which deductions may be made
· How the tenant can recover the deposit
· What happens if the landlord cannot be contacted
· How disputes will be handled
The approved schemes in England and Wales are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.
Landlords should keep the deposit certificate, prescribed information, scheme terms and evidence showing when and how the documents were provided.
Deposit compliance is especially important because a court may refuse to make a possession order where the landlord has failed to protect the deposit correctly, comply with the scheme or give the tenant the required information.
9. Written Tenancy Information After 1 May 2026
Older landlord guides often state that landlords must provide the government’s How to Rent guide. That information is now outdated.
The How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026 following the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. It is generally retained only for certain possession proceedings where a valid Section 21 notice was served before 1 May 2026.
For tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026, landlords must provide specified written information about the key terms of the tenancy before signing or otherwise agreeing the tenancy.
The information can be included in a written tenancy agreement or supplied separately. Failure to provide it can result in a penalty of up to £7,000.
The required information includes matters such as the landlord’s identity and address, rent, payment dates, deposit arrangements, repair responsibilities, bills payable by the tenant and the procedure for ending the tenancy.
For many existing written tenancies created before 1 May 2026, landlords were required to provide the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 to every named tenant by 31 May 2026. The exact PDF had to be supplied as an attachment or printed copy, rather than merely sending a web link.
10. Right to Rent Check Records
Before a new tenancy begins, landlords in England must check that every adult occupier has the legal right to rent.
The check applies even where an adult occupier is not named on the tenancy agreement or where the tenancy is not in writing. Landlords must check all adult occupiers consistently and must not make assumptions based on nationality, ethnicity, name or accent.
Depending on the tenant’s status, the check may involve:
· An online Home Office share-code check
· A valid digital identity check
· A manual document check
· A Landlord Checking Service request
The landlord should retain dated evidence of the check. Where a tenant has a time-limited right to rent, a follow-up check may be necessary.
Right to Rent evidence is not a property certificate, but it should be stored securely with the tenancy compliance documents.
Are PAT Certificates Legally Required?
Portable Appliance Testing, or PAT testing, is not a blanket national certification requirement for every private landlord in England under the EICR regulations.
The EICR primarily covers the fixed electrical installation. However, landlords must ensure that electrical appliances supplied with the tenancy, such as kettles, washing machines, microwaves and refrigerators, are safe.
Regular visual inspections and proportionate PAT testing are sensible ways to demonstrate compliance. PAT testing may also be required by an HMO licence, local council condition, insurer or managing agent.
Other Useful Documents That Are Not Always Mandatory Certificates
A well-managed landlord compliance file may also contain:
· Boiler service records
· PAT testing records
· An inventory and schedule of condition
· Alarm testing records
· Appliance manuals
· Furniture fire-safety labels
· Repair and maintenance invoices
· Building insurance and landlord insurance documents
· Mortgage lender or freeholder consent to let
· Proof of deposit protection
· Right to Rent records
· Records showing that documents were emailed or handed to tenants
Landlord insurance is not generally a universal statutory requirement, but it may be required by a mortgage lender, freeholder or insurance condition. Standard owner-occupier home insurance may not cover a property after it is rented out.
New Landlord Pre-Tenancy Checklist
Before advertising the property:
1. Check whether an EPC is required and confirm that it is valid.
2. Make sure the current EPC rating meets the minimum standard.
3. Check the council’s HMO, additional and selective licensing schemes.
4. Obtain permission from the mortgage lender, insurer or freeholder where required.
5. Inspect the property for health and safety hazards.
Before the tenant moves in:
1. Complete the annual gas safety inspection where gas is installed.
2. Obtain a satisfactory EICR.
3. Complete all electrical remedial work.
4. Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
5. Complete a Legionella risk assessment.
6. Check that supplied furniture and appliances are safe.
7. Complete Right to Rent checks.
8. Provide the EPC, gas safety record and EICR.
9. Provide the required written tenancy information before agreeing the tenancy.
10. Prepare an inventory showing the property’s condition and alarm tests.
After receiving the deposit:
1. Protect it in an approved scheme within 30 days.
2. Give the tenant the prescribed information within 30 days.
3. Retain proof of service.
During the tenancy:
1. Renew the gas safety check annually.
2. Renew the EICR by the date stated in the report.
3. Respond promptly to alarm faults and safety concerns.
4. Maintain gas, electrical, heating and water systems.
5. Monitor licence renewal dates.
6. Keep accurate records of inspections, repairs and tenant communications.
Final Thoughts
The three documents most commonly described as essential landlord certificates are the EPC, Landlord Gas Safety Record and EICR. However, legal compliance does not stop there.
A responsible new landlord must also consider alarm regulations, fire safety, Legionella risks, local property licensing, deposit protection, Right to Rent checks and the written tenancy information introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act.
The easiest approach is to create a digital compliance folder for each property and use a renewal calendar for every inspection, certificate and licence. Documents should be obtained before they are needed, not after a tenant has moved in or a council has requested them.
Rental property rules continue to change, and local licensing requirements can differ even between neighbouring boroughs. Landlords should therefore check current government guidance and the relevant local council’s conditions before marketing a property or creating a new tenancy.
This article provides general information for landlords in England and should not be treated as individual legal advice.
