Keeping a lettings portfolio compliant is one of the highest-stakes parts of running an agency. Missed certificates don't just create risk for your landlords — they can expose your agency to significant fines, invalidate Section 21 notices, and in the case of gas safety failures, put lives at risk.
This checklist covers every key compliance requirement for UK letting agents in 2026, with the relevant deadlines, penalties, and practical tips for staying on top of them.
Annual check required for every gas appliance and flue by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Certificate must be provided to the tenant within 28 days of issue, and before new tenants move in.
Fine: up to £6,000 per offence · Criminal prosecution possibleMinimum EPC rating of E required to legally let a property. Certificate valid for 10 years. Must be provided to prospective tenants before viewing or signing. New lettings from 2025 must meet EPC C under proposed legislation — check current status for your area.
Fine: up to £5,000 for non-complianceRequired every 5 years (or at change of tenancy) for all rental properties. Must be carried out by a qualified electrician. Copy to be provided to tenants within 28 days, and to local authority on request within 7 days.
Fine: up to £30,000At least one smoke alarm on each storey with a room used as living accommodation. CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (including gas boilers). Must be tested on move-in day and records kept.
Fine: up to £5,000 remedial notice fineMandatory for all new tenants in England. Check original documents (passport, biometric residence permit, etc.) before tenancy start. For time-limited permissions, follow-up checks required before their right to rent expires. Digital checks via IDVT are now accepted.
Civil penalty: up to £20,000 per tenant · Criminal prosecution for repeat offencesAll deposits must be protected in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS) within 30 days of receipt. Prescribed Information must be served to the tenant within 30 days. Failure invalidates Section 21 and can result in a 1–3x deposit penalty award.
Penalty: 1–3x deposit amount · Loss of Section 21Must be provided to all new tenants and on renewal if the guide has been updated since the last issue. Failure to serve the current version invalidates Section 21 notices.
Risk: Section 21 invalidatedLandlords have a duty to assess and control Legionella risk in rental properties. For most residential lettings a simple written risk assessment is sufficient — specialist testing is not usually required unless the system is complex.
Health & Safety at Work Act · Environmental liabilityMandatory HMO licence required for properties occupied by 5 or more people forming 2+ households, sharing facilities. Many councils operate additional and selective licensing schemes. Check your local authority for applicable requirements.
Fine: up to £30,000 · Rent Repayment Order possibleAll rented properties must meet the standard in the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Covers structural integrity, damp, ventilation, heating, sanitation, and freedom from serious hazards under HHSRS.
Tenant can seek damages and injunction through courtsManaging compliance manually — tracking expiry dates in spreadsheets, relying on memory — is high-risk. A single missed gas safety certificate is a criminal offence. Here are three practical approaches agencies use:
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