Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 commencement
Transition readiness pack

England � Landlord Compliance � Safety Certificates

Landlord Certificate Checklist UK 2026, Every Certificate You Need

Checklist of every certificate UK landlords must hold in 2026: CP12 (annual), EICR (5-year), EPC (10-year), PAT testing, fire risk assessment, and legionella assessment.

8 min readUpdated 13 May 2026Last reviewed: 19 August 2026landlord certificatesgas safetyeicrepc
Written and reviewed by· Founder, LetSafe UKLast reviewed: 19 August 2026
CertificateFrequencyGive to Tenant?Penalty
Gas Safety Record (CP12)AnnualYes, before move-inCriminal offence
EICREvery 5 yearsYes, before move-inUp to �30,000
EPCEvery 10 yearsYes, before commitmentUp to �5,000
PAT testingRecommended 1�2 yearsNo (keep records)Civil liability
Fire Risk Assessment (HMOs)Annual reviewNo (keep records)Prosecution
Legionella Risk AssessmentOn change of tenancyNo (keep records)Civil liability

Gas Safety Record (CP12), the most time-critical

Annual renewal by a Gas Safe registered engineer. The certificate must be given to the tenant before move-in and within 28 days of each annual renewal. Failure is a criminal offence, set a recurring calendar reminder 6�8 weeks before the renewal date to book the engineer. Keep records for 2 years.

EICR, every 5 years

Electrical Installation Condition Report by a qualified electrician. Must achieve a 'Satisfactory' rating. Any Code 1 or Code 2 observations must be remedied within 28 days. Give a copy to the tenant before move-in and to any local authority on request. Penalty: up to �30,000. For larger portfolios, stagger EICR renewals across the year to avoid cost spikes.

EPC, every 10 years

Energy Performance Certificate by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor. Minimum rating E, F and G rated properties cannot be legally let. Give to prospective tenants before they commit to the tenancy. A C-rating minimum is proposed for new tenancies from 2028. Register exempt properties on the PRS Exemptions Register.

Documents that must be given to tenants

  • Gas Safety Record (CP12), before move-in
  • EICR, before move-in
  • EPC, at the earliest opportunity
  • Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, at the start of the tenancy (the old How to Rent guide was withdrawn in June 2026)
  • Deposit prescribed information, within 30 days of receiving the deposit
  • Signed tenancy agreement
Landlord Compliance Pack

Our Landlord Compliance Document Pack includes a pre-tenancy document receipt form and deposit prescribed information template. Available in the shop.

Primary sources

This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.

Templates recommended in this guide

Put this guide into practice, get the Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement from the LetSafe shop, the regulation-current pack that matches this guide.

TenancyLS-E-001

Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement

The new default English tenancy from 1 May 2026. Periodic from day one, with the prescribed written statement of terms built in. Ships with the Form 4A rent-increase notice template and an Information Sheet delivery acknowledgement form so a buying landlord has every Phase-1 compliance document in one pack.

£29
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BundleLS-E-100

New Landlord Starter Pack

Everything a first-time landlord needs to grant a compliant tenancy in England from 1 May 2026, now including the Guarantor Agreement for student and young-professional lets.

Bundle · Save £104.97
£49£153.97
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ComplianceLS-E-020

Landlord Annual Compliance Checklist

Annual walk-through of every compliance touchpoint: gas, electrical, EPC, smoke/CO, Right-to-Rent, deposit, licensing, database registration.

£19
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Found a gap or disagree with something?

Reply to any LetSafe email or write to Richard@letsafeuk.co.uk. We rewrite guides when we get something wrong, the sooner we hear, the sooner we fix it.

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