Landlord legal requirements in St Albans

As a landlord there are many strict legal requirements and regulations that you must follow in order to ensure your property is up to current standards. It is important that you take these seriously as failure to comply can lead to large fines and even imprisonment!

Using a managing agent can help you to have peace of mind in this area as they will assist you to keep track of the ever changing requirements – and also ensure that your property has all the up to date paperwork it needs to be lettable, prior to a new let and during each tenancy.

With over 100 pieces of legislation to comply with, choosing our managed service means we will take full responsibility for the time-consuming burden of arranging, tracking, managing and keeping records of all of these required tasks and checks, so you don’t have to worry.

Below are some of the current legal requirements your property must adhere to before it can be let out;

Other Landlord Regulations

EPC

An Energy Performance Certificate is compulsory for any property that is bought sold or rented, and again a copy must be provided to the tenants at their move in.
The EPC provides an energy rating – from A to G (A being the most efficient and G the least) – along with information and recommended ways on how to improve this. It also shows the energy efficiency and environmental impact of the property.
Once a property has been inspected the corresponding certificate then lasts for 10 years.

Not sure if your property already has an up to date EPC? Why not check the national EPC register?

If you don’t yet have one, we can arrange our contractor to attend and carry out the required inspection. This is done at a standard charge based on the size and number of rooms at the property – please call the office for more information on

01727 884900

Registering a Deposit

For any tenancy that started after 6 April 2007 the deposit must be registered into a recognised tenancy deposit protection scheme (such as TDS or DPS). This allows any deposit disputes to be mediated fairly by a third party who is uninvolved in the tenancy and unbiased. The tenants must also be provided with the prescribed information about the chosen scheme within 30 days of the deposit being registered.

Again, this is something Belvoir St Albans can take care of for you. Unless you have chosen another scheme, your tenant’s deposit will be automatically registered with mydeposits.co.uk. Whether you have chosen a Managed or Let Only service, we will hold the deposit for you with DPS until the end of the tenancy.

‘Right to Rent’

From the 1st of February 2016 landlords and agents are now responsible for ensuring that any new tenants can prove they have the ‘right to rent’ in the UK. Original documents for any adult applying to rent a property in the UK, such as passports, ID cards and Visa stamps, must be seen and a copy retained for the full duration of the tenancy.

A tenancy agreement cannot be entered into without this proof.

The landlord or agent must also carry out ‘follow up checks’ if the tenant has a limited stay visa, to ensure that they continue to have the right to rent in the UK.

Prescribed Information to Tenants in England

The government has created and issued a ‘How to Rent’ guide for tenants. From the 1st October 2015 all tenants must have access to a copy of this before signing a new tenancy agreement. At Belvoir Leicester we ensure we have provided all new applicants and all re-signing tenants with an electronic copy (and a paper copy where requested) and have them sign documentation to confirm that this has been received.

Arrange a free market appraisal

If you’re a landlord, looking to let or you’re just interested in how much your property might be worth, the best way to get an accurate and detailed understanding is through a free one-to-one appraisal with one of our experienced local agents. Request an appraisal with us using the form below.

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