Certifications
Certification For Domestic Residential Tenancy
Please note the regulations are different for HMO landlords.
Gas Safe Certificate CP12
By law a Gas safe registered engineer must be carried out annually a gas safe check on all gas appliances.
EICR – Electrical Condition Inspection Report
From 1st April 2021 a tenanted property requires that electrical fixed wires are tested and reported.
The EICR is a legal document showing you are complying with IET Wiring Regulations.
This should be carried out every 5 years or at change of tenancy.
PAT – Portable Appliance Testing
As a private landlord, it is your responsibility to ensure all electrical appliances are safe at the start of every tenancy, not just the fixed wiring. Currently there is no legal obligation for private landlords to carry out PAT testing on electrical appliances in their properties.
EPC – Energy Performance Certificate
As of the 21st May 2010, if you decide to place your property on the market for sale or rent in the UK you will need to purchase an EPC. This includes both residential and commercial properties. Since April 2018 it is also a legal requirement for the EPC rating to be a minimum of an ‘E’ rating in order for that property to be let to a tenant.
Required every 10 years.
Legionella Testing
Landlords must assess the potential risk of Legionella bacteria in their rental property, however, a Legionnaires’ testing certificate is not currently legally required.
INVENTORY
No Inventory = No Evidence
If you do not have an inventory, you will not have evidence to offer your deposit protection scheme in the event of a dispute. Inventories are critical for the adjudication process and make the resolution much easier and quicker.
An inventory report is defined as the “Production of the schedule of condition”, in reality this is a detailed description of the condition of each room and its fixtures and content, as well as extensive photos.
Inventory should be carried out before any tenants move into your property. At check-in, your tenants should use the inventory to go around the property and note any changes to the report so that both parties are in agreement at the start of the tenancy.
Check In / Check Out and Periodic Inspection Reports
A check-in is the handover of the property to the new tenants at the beginning of the tenancy. A clerk will meet the new tenant(s), and handover the keys and any additional information regarding the property.
A review of the state of condition, compared to any initial inventory.
A good check-out report will still be evidence of the condition the property was left in and also if the tenant broke any clauses in the tenancy agreement i.e. not allowed to keep pets. Whilst without an ingoing inventory it will be harder to prove evidence for deposit deductions, a check out report without an ingoing inventory is still better than no check out done at all.
Throughout the tenancy, periodic inspections are invaluable to identify any damage that does not correspond to the inventory report at an earlier stage than check out
It’s important to remember that your insurance could be invalid if you do not have the correct certifications.