Landlord responsibilities
Contents
If you're letting (or thinking of letting), you must be aware of your rights, responsibilities and legal obligations to tenants.
The law protects tenants; in particular, there are laws and procedures that govern:
- Rental deposits – see Registering the deposit
- Health and safety, including gas, electrical and fire safety – see Overview of landlord obligations
- Your obligation to keep the property in repair – see Overview of landlord obligations and Housing standards
- Your obligation to properly process and protect the tenant's personal information under data protection laws – see Tenants' personal information
- Steps to follow if the tenant falls into rent arrears – see Rent arrears
- Fees that can be charged to tenants - see Fees ban
For tenancies in England see the government guide: Landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities in the private rented sector
Do you have the right to let the property?
Before you can start letting, you must first check that you have the right to let the property. You may need to get consent to let from third parties.
Mortgage lenders
If you have a mortgage, you must get your mortgage lender's agreement to let the property before you do so.
Freeholder
Some properties have a lease as the document of title (for example, flats/apartments, maisonettes, and many residential properties built pre-2000 in Northern Ireland). For leasehold properties, you should check the terms of the lease to see whether it gives permission to letting. If necessary, you'll need to get permission from the freeholder (or management company) before you may do so.
In Northern Ireland, if you are the first purchaser of a new house then there may be conditions in your contract for sale that prohibit you from renting the property, either for a designated period of time or permanently.
Buildings insurer
You should check with your insurer whether your buildings insurance policy will provide cover if the property is let; if it doesn't, you may need to extend the cover.