How often does a gas safety check need doing?

Every 12 months, on every rental property with gas appliances, by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy of the record given to the tenant. On our published schedule a gas safety certificate costs £80 plus VAT for the boiler, plus £5 per extra appliance, and renewals are tracked automatically on Livdin managed properties.

What EPC rating does a rental property need in 2026?

A minimum of E before the property can be let, unless a valid exemption is registered. The certificate itself lasts ten years, so check the rating as well as the expiry date. Rules can change, and Livdin confirms the current requirement before every letting.

What happens if a deposit is not protected within 30 days?

A court can order you to pay the tenant up to three times the deposit, and an unprotected deposit weakens your position if you ever need possession. Protect it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it and serve the prescribed information. Livdin registers deposits with the DPS on every managed tenancy.

Do I need a licence to be a landlord in Huddersfield?

Not for a standard single let. Kirklees runs mandatory HMO licensing only, with no additional or selective schemes as of mid 2026, so a licence is needed only for larger HMOs housing five or more people from two or more households. Rules change, so we check with the council on every property we take on.

What did the Renters' Rights Act change for landlords?

Since 1 May 2026 every tenancy is a periodic assured tenancy, Section 21 has gone, and rent rises run through a Section 13 notice once a year. Rental bidding is banned, upfront rent is capped at one month, and pet requests cannot be unreasonably refused. Possession now depends on evidence and clean paperwork.

Compliance

What are the legal requirements for landlords in 2026?

Last updated 4 July 2026 · Reviewed by Nick Thorpe, founder

The short answer

In 2026 an English landlord needs an annual gas safety check, an EICR at least every five years, an EPC rated E or above, the deposit protected within 30 days, the current How to Rent guide served, any council licence in place, and compliance with the Renters' Rights Act, which took effect on 1 May 2026.

Landlord compliance in England is a fixed list of certificates, documents and registrations, each on its own renewal clock. Miss one and you risk a fine, and since the Renters’ Rights Act you also weaken your route to possession, because possession cases are now won on paperwork. This page puts the whole list in one place.

The full checklist, with renewal intervals

Eight items keep a rental property legal in England in 2026. This is the master list; the rest of the page is detail.

Requirement	How often	The rule
Gas safety certificate (CP12)	Every 12 months	Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
EICR (electrical safety report)	At least every 5 years	Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
EPC rated E or above	Certificate lasts 10 years	Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015
Smoke alarm on every storey, CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (gas cookers excluded)	Working at the start of every tenancy	Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, amended 2022
Deposit protected in an approved scheme	Within 30 days of receiving it	Housing Act 2004
How to Rent guide served	Latest version at the start of each new tenancy	Deregulation Act 2015
Right to rent checks	Before the tenancy starts	Immigration Act 2014
Licence where required (HMO or local scheme)	Check before every letting; licences last up to 5 years	Housing Act 2004

Rules change, and several Renters’ Rights Act provisions are still being switched on, so treat this as the position as of July 2026. We confirm the current requirements on every property we take on.

How often do the safety certificates need renewing?

Gas is annual, the EICR runs up to five years and the EPC lasts ten, so the three certificates sit on three different clocks, which is exactly how organised landlords still end up with one out of date. The gas safety check must be done every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer on every property with gas appliances, and the tenant gets a copy of the record. The EICR is due at least every five years, or sooner if the report says so. The EPC is valid for ten years, but the property must be rated E or above to let unless a valid exemption is registered. On our published schedule a gas certificate is £80 for the boiler, an EICR £200 and an EPC £125, all plus VAT; the full fee schedule is public.

What paperwork does every new tenancy need?

Four things, all at the very start of the tenancy.

Protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it and serve the prescribed information. We use the DPS.
Serve the current version of the government’s How to Rent guide.
Complete right to rent checks on every adult who will live in the property.
Give the tenant copies of the gas safety certificate, EICR and EPC.

Get the deposit step wrong and a court can order you to pay the tenant up to three times the deposit.

Do I need a licence?

Only for larger HMOs or in areas with a local scheme, but you must check every time, because letting a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence. The England baseline is mandatory HMO licensing for properties housing five or more people from two or more households. Locally the picture varies. Kirklees runs mandatory licensing only, with no additional or selective schemes as of mid 2026. Leeds expanded selective licensing on 9 February 2026 to around 12,500 properties, with a licence at £1,100 (online application) whatever the size; unlicensed letting in a designated area risks prosecution with an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £40,000. Barnsley runs mandatory licensing only. Check with the council before you buy and again before you let.

What does the Renters’ Rights Act add?

Since 1 May 2026 every tenancy is a periodic assured tenancy, Section 21 has gone and possession runs through the revised Section 8 grounds. Rent increases happen once a year through a Section 13 notice with two months’ notice, and tenants can challenge them at tribunal. Rental bidding is banned, so you advertise an asking rent and cannot accept more. Upfront rent is capped at one month. Pets can be requested and not unreasonably refused, and you cannot require pet insurance as a condition; the deposit and inventory are your protection there. Blanket bans on benefits claimants or families with children are gone. Still to come: the landlord database, the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman and the extension of the Decent Homes Standard. The practical effect is simple: evidence wins possession cases now, so the checklist above is also your possession file. Our working guide to the Renters’ Rights Act covers the grounds and notice periods in full.

Who keeps track of all this?

On a managed property, your agent should, in writing, with dates. Gas, EICR, EPC, deposit registration and right to rent are handled as standard on every Livdin managed let, tracked against renewal dates with documents visible in the owner portal 24/7; see property management for how that works. If you self-manage, diarise every renewal the day the certificate arrives. And because it bears repeating: rules change, this page reflects July 2026, and we confirm the current requirements on every property we look after. Not sure where you stand? Tell us the address or call 01484 981717 and we will run the checklist with you.

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