Landlord guides for England

Plain-English guides to the rules landlords in England have to follow, grouped by topic. Each one cites GOV.UK or legislation.gov.uk and shows the date it was last checked.

Safety certificates

• Gas safety certificates Annual checks, the 28-day rule and renewing 2 months early.
• EICR electrical safety The 5-year rule and every 28-day deadline.
• Smoke and CO alarm rules Which rooms need alarms, start-of-tenancy checks and penalties.
• Legionella risk assessment What HSE requires, and why no certificate is needed.

Energy

• EPC minimum rating (MEES) The E rating rule, £3,500 cap and exemptions.
• PRS Exemptions Register Registering an EPC exemption and the evidence for each one.

Tenancy and deposits

• Tenancy deposit protection The 30-day rule, prescribed information and 1-3x penalties.
• Deposit cap The 5 or 6 weeks' rent limit, with a calculator.
• Right to Rent checks Who to check, share codes, follow-up checks and fines.
• Tenant pet requests The 28-day rule, reasonable refusals and deposits.

Rent and possession

• Raising the rent: section 13 Form 4A, two months' notice, once a year, plus a start-date calculator.
• Section 8: getting your property back Selling, moving in, rent arrears and the 12-month re-let ban.
• Section 8 notice periods Earliest court date for every ground, with a calculator.

Tax

• Making Tax Digital for landlords Thresholds, quarterly deadlines and calendar downloads.
• MTD with a spreadsheet Bridging software and HMRC's no-copy-and-paste rule.

Renters' Rights Act

• Renters' Rights Act checklist What changed on 1 May 2026, and what to check today.

Registration and licensing

• Registering on the PRS database Deadlines by region, the £65 fee and every document you'll need.
• Do I need to register? Four questions: assured, regulated, lodgers, holiday and empty lets.
• HMO and selective licensing Does your property need a licence, and what the database asks.

Need an answer for your own dates? Use the free tools. Letting in a council that runs extra schemes? See property licensing.

General information, not legal or tax advice.