Landlord Checklist for Renting a House in Peterborough
By Wayne Beecham | Created on 20th July 2026
There is a lot to organise when renting a property to new tenants, which will be particularly challenging if you are a first time landlord. And it’s for this reason that preparing a landlord checklist for renting a house is crucial.
That way, you will ensure not only that you literally tick all the boxes but that you also remain on the right side of the law.
Different local authorities have different licensing requirements too, so landlords in areas like Northamptonshire and Rushden need to check the relevant local authority requirements to comply with the rules.
Forget to attend to some of these tasks and you could face a hefty fine and even a ban from renting out properties.
Here’s what you should include in your landlord checklist.
Do all of the following, and you can relax – both you and your new tenants will be able to enjoy their tenancy without any stress or niggles.
Is This Your First Time Renting Out a Property?
If you are a first time landlord there will be lots of responsibilities to quickly get up to speed with. Many new landlords are surprised by the amount of tasks involved and how many legal obligations exist. Some first time landlords also overlook how much they need to budget for costs related to compliance.
There are over 170 pieces of landlord legislation to comply with and this can feel overwhelming. The new rules introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 have recently added further complexities for landlords.
Working with a letting agent in Peterborough will lighten the compliance burdens and provide you with expert guidance on landlord responsibilities.
Checklist for landlords
1. Is your property eligible to rent?
If your flat is a leasehold property, check with the freeholder that they’re fine for you to rent it out.
Contact your mortgage lender (if you have one) and ask if you can rent out your property on your current contract. Some lenders may allow you to initially, then later ask you to switch to a buy to let mortgage. Others may want you to take out a landlord mortgage right away. Indeed, it’s one of the first things you should consider in a property inspection checklist for landlords.
2. Housing Licences
Depending on what type of property you plan on renting out, you may have to get a licence from your local authority.
Since 2024, Peterborough City Council has operated a selective licensing scheme for designated areas in Peterborough. The wards that require a selective licence are detailed on the council’s website.
HMOs
Large HMO’s always need a licence, which can take some time to organise and prepare. Even if you have a small HMO, you may still require a licence for certain cities and towns.
Additional Licensing
Additional licensing schemes are in place in certain areas, which require HMOs when three or more unrelated people are living in the same property and sharing facilities. You should check the local authority requirements for HMO licences to see if one is required for smaller HMOs.
Selective Licensing
Some areas have selective licensing schemes, for example, areas where there are issues with poor housing conditions, crime levels and high levels of tenant turnover. If you are looking to buy a property in an area with selective licensing, there are conditions that you will need to meet to help ensure minimum housing standards are maintained.
3. Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An Energy Performance Certificate is mandatory for every rented property in England and Wales. It indicates how energy-efficient the property is and is necessary for every landlord inspection checklist. Tenants must be advised of this before renting; once they move in, they should be given a copy of the EPC as confirmation.
A new rating model called the Home Energy Model is due to come into force from March 2027. The new system has been designed to provide more accurate assessments of energy performance.
In 2026, all tenancies must have an E or above rating; otherwise, you may be liable for a fine. However, there are government plans to raise the minimum rating to C in 2030 although these plans are still at consultancy phase.
4. Gas Safety Checks
A qualified engineer must perform an annual gas safety check, ensuring your property is gas safe. Tenants should be provided with a copy of the gas safety certificate (known as a CP12 certificate) and all relevant documents within 28 days of the inspection. Failure to provide this can lead to a hefty fine.
Gas safety checks are required for all gas appliances such as boilers, gas fires and gas cookers, as well as pipework and flues.
5. Electrical Safety Checks
Equally, electrical safety checks must be carried out by a qualified professional, with the resulting documents passed on to tenants within 28 days. This is known as an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which is required for all tenancies in England and must be carried out at least every five years.
Portable Appliance Testing
Unlike the EICR, portable appliance testing isn’t a legal requirement, but it does make sense to have it done. No landlord wants their tenants to suffer an electric shock at the hands of a dodgy kettle or toaster.
7. Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Smoke alarms are essential, and in England, there must be one on every floor of a rental property where there are tenants. Carbon Monoxide alarms are also legally required in any room with a combustion appliance such as a gas heater (excluding gas cookers). This also includes gas boilers, not just solid-fuel appliances, following an amendment to legislation in 2022.
The carbon monoxide alarms must also follow UK-specific regulations such as the British Standard EN 50291, so check the specifications before installing any carbon monoxide detectors. Remember to regularly check these are in working order – certainly between tenancies. Always highlight when checks on the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms have been tested on the inventory.
8. Fire Safety & Furniture Checks
Any rental property safety inspection checklist should always note the Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations. Landlords must ensure that any furniture and furnishings they supply are fire safe. This applies to sofas, beds, mattresses and textiles and ensures they all comply with fire safety standards.
Check that these items come with the fire safety symbol on the label and meet safety regulations before purchasing them to ensure compliance. If you’re looking for even more specific advice, you can read this article on the government website.
9. Providing the How To Rent Guide
Prior to the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, landlords were required to provide tenants with a copy of the government’s How to Rent guide.
From 1 May 2026, this requirement was removed because it was designed around shorthold tenancies, fixed-term contracts and Section 21 evictions which no longer exist under the new rules.
Under the new landscape, landlords now provide this information for tenancies through a written statement of terms within the tenancy agreement.
There was a deadline of 31 May 2026 for landlords to provide an information sheet covering the terms for existing tenancies.
10. Paying Tax On Rental Income
Landlords who profit from their rental tenancy have to declare this via HMRC. New landlords nearly always use a Self-Assessment tax return for this purpose. The standard tax-free allowance is £12,570, although anyone earning over £100,000 has a reduced allowance determined by the exact income.
Not getting your tax assessment in before the deadline can result in a fine, so you will always want to note the date for submission on your renting out a house checklist.
For landlords with multiple rental properties, using an accountant can be beneficial to handle the tax obligations.
11. Carry Out Right To Rent Checks
Another legal obligation in England is for landlords to check that their tenants are eligible to live in the country. Right to rent checks involve checking their passport and residency papers. Renting to a tenant who is not eligible to stay carries a £3,000 penalty, so don’t forget to add it to your list.
12. Reference Your Tenants
For your own peace of mind, tenant referencing is a must. You can acquire information on their employment status, a reference from a current or past landlord (if any) and a copy of bank statements to check their financial status.
13. Provide a Written Tenancy Agreement
A tenancy agreement seals the rental contract terms between you and the tenant. Under the new rules set out in the Renter’s Rights Act, all tenancies must now be periodic.
The tenancy agreement should include details of the rent payment agreement, showing the cost and when payments are due. Landlords should also include the deposit amount and scheme, tenant obligations for maintenance and who is responsible for paying bills.
It should also contain clauses outlining required notice periods for termination on behalf of both parties.
14. Handling Pet Requests
One of the major changes included in the Renters’ Rights Act was to strengthen tenants’ rights to keep pets. Landlords are no longer allowed to apply blanket bans on pets and cannot unreasonably refuse a pet request.
Tenants have the right to request a pet by submitting the request in writing and landlords have 28 days to respond. Landlords are only allowed to refuse a pet request if there are reasonable grounds, such as the property size not being suitable for the specific pet.
15. Get Landlord Insurance
This doesn’t necessarily have to be on your checklist (unless your lender demands it). Still, getting landlord’s home insurance to cover the ‘unforeseen incidents’ such as flooding, damage and void periods (with Rent Guarantee schemes) is always a good idea.
16. Protect Your Tenants’ Deposits (TDP schemes)
Placing your tenant’s deposit in a government-approved Security Deposit scheme is legally required. Your tenant should be told where you have put the money within 30 days of moving in. If you want to find out more, then take a look at our dedicated article on the tenancy deposit scheme rules.
There are three specific government-backed deposit protection scheme providers to choose from:
(Important: if you live in Northern Ireland or Scotland there are different schemes you’ll need to use)
There are several advantages linked to tenancy deposit protection schemes. Most importantly, they offer a clear process for dealing with disputes or potential deductions if you have trouble with tenants. For this reason, it is well worth using one of the schemes.
17. Compile An Inventory
While inventories are not a legal requirement, they are highly recommended to avoid disputes about property conditions at the end of tenancies.
An inventory is a record of the contents of your property and the condition they’re in. The main items to include in an inventory are:
Any soft furnishings
Bathrooms
Carpets
Doors
Kitchen cupboards
Outhouses (shed, garage, greenhouse)
Walls
When you record the condition of items before a tenant moves in, it is advisable to take photos and videos for evidence. The tenants should sign the inventory within a few days of moving in to verify that they agree. You can use this again at the end of the tenancy in case you need to make a claim on a tenant’s deposit. You can find out more about how to create an inventory in our inventory guide.
18. Regular Property Inspections
Regular property inspections let you keep on top of maintenance issues as you go along and help you build a positive relationship with tenants. That way, you won’t encounter any nasty surprises late into the tenancy. You must give tenants 24 hours’ written notice before carrying out an inspection, and it’s recommended you inspect your property each quarter.
19. Give Your Property The Right Exposure
An agent can help market your property with access to the two big portals – Rightmove and Zoopla. Certainly, this is the way most people looking for rented properties search these days. Ensure the photographs are good and the advert succinct but with all essential points noted.
19. Give Your Property The Right Exposure
An agent can help market your property with access to the two big portals – Rightmove and Zoopla. Certainly, this is the way most people looking for rented properties search these days. Ensure the photographs are good and the advert succinct but with all essential points noted.
20. Work Out Your Budget
An estate agent will also be able to give you a guide on the local market rent prices, but you can also check portals such as Zoopla to see what the typical rent amounts are for similar properties in the area.
To ensure that you can afford unexpected costs, you should also budget for maintenance and void periods. Typically, landlords budget around 1% of the property value for maintenance each year. You might also have periods where your property is empty, where you will need to pay council tax and utility bills, so it is a good idea to put a sum of cash aside to cover these costs.
Another financial responsibility you should budget for is rental income tax, so estimate how much you will need to pay in tax, to make sure that you have the money available when your tax is due. You may decide to use an accountant to calculate your rental income, in which case you’ll need to budget for accountancy fees too.
Find out more
Staying compliant as a landlord means keeping on top of evolving legislation such as the Renters’ Rights Act and upcoming EPC changes. If you’re looking to rent your property in areas of Peterborough such as Stamford and Kettering, we can help you to keep on the right side of the law. Talk to our letting agents today – we can give you help, advice and property management services to help you avoid fines and manage your tenancies easily in Peterborough and surrounding areas.
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Wayne Beecham
Wayne is East Midland’s answer to property management. His hard work and high standards of service have gained him a fierce reputation within the regional lettings market. He knows what it takes to own and manage a profitable portfolio himself, because he is not only a successful investor and landlord, but co-founder and “hands on” managing director of Progressive Lets.
The team is really professional and time conscious. Had a smooth move in as well.
Rita Davey
Very good communication and friendly service, long may it continue. Thank you guys at Proggesive Lets!
Michael Wadham
Very friendly and professional service by Joe Mulhearn throughout the rental application process.
prince sarfo
Lovely timely response and assistance.
Very good
Keep it up
Olamide Ige
Wow!!! Zoe is an amazing soul. Very helpful and accommodating. The sky is the limit for her!!! She did an amazing job.
To Zoe, God bless you more and more ❤️
Grzybobranie
Been renting with them for over 3 years now and overall had a good experience. Of course over that amount of time there were a few issues here and there, which is pretty normal, but whenever I needed help Kieron was always easy to deal with, helpful and quick to respond. Communication was always str...
Aghogho Braimah
Progressive Lets is a very good and professional lettings agency. As a it was my first time letting a property, the company particularly the property manager Tam, was very patient and kind best believe I had too many questions to ask. I highly recommend Progressive Lets to anyone looking to rent ...
Being a landlord can be confusing. There are over 170 Acts & Regulations to consider, so, how do you know if you are compliant? Download our Compliance Checklist Here
