Landlord New Tenancy Checklist 2026 — All Documents Required at Tenancy Start in England, Wales, Scotland and NI

England — complete document checklist (must be provided at or before tenancy start)

Every document required in England at the start of a new residential tenancy, with timings and consequences of non-compliance:

• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), and EICR: EPC: landlords must provide the prospective tenant with a valid EPC free of charge before they sign the tenancy agreement (or before they commit to taking the tenancy). The EPC must be valid (10-year validity) and the property must achieve at least an EPC E rating (or have a valid exemption registered on the PRS Exemptions Register — at gov.uk). Failure to provide a valid EPC before signing prevents the landlord from serving a valid Section 21 notice (this requirement continues post-RRA 2025 for possession proceedings under the new regime). Gas Safety Certificate (CP12): the annual gas safety check must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. New tenants: landlords must provide a copy of the current gas safety record to the tenant before they move in (i.e., before they occupy the premises). The copy must be of the record following the most recent annual inspection. Existing tenants: must receive a copy within 28 days of each annual inspection. Failure to provide the gas safety record to a new tenant before occupation is a criminal offence under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report): 5-yearly periodic inspection by a qualified electrician. New tenants (from 1 April 2021): must receive a copy of the current EICR before they move into the property. Existing tenants with a pre-existing EICR: must receive a copy within 28 days of the landlord receiving the EICR. Any remedial works required by the EICR must be completed within 28 days of the inspection (or shorter if specified in the report). Local authorities can issue financial penalties up to £30,000 for failure to comply with EICR obligations.
• How to Rent guide, written tenancy agreement, deposit protection and Prescribed Information: How to Rent guide (England only): a current copy of the government's 'How to Rent: the checklist for renting in England' must be provided to the tenant when the tenancy starts (or renewed if a new edition is issued at the time of a tenancy renewal). The version provided must be the current edition at the date of the tenancy — check gov.uk for the current version before each new tenancy. Failure to serve the correct edition is a breach of the pre-tenancy obligations; post-RRA 2025 (from 1 May 2026), the How to Rent guide obligation continues but the link to Section 21 validity is removed (since Section 21 is abolished). Written tenancy agreement: from 1 May 2026, all new English tenancies must be in writing (RRA 2025 requirement). The written agreement should specify: the parties; the property address; the rent amount and frequency; the tenancy start date; any special clauses. For tenancies pre-RRA 2025, a written agreement has been best practice but not strictly required by statute. Deposit protection: if a deposit is taken, it must be placed in one of three government-approved tenancy deposit schemes — DPS; TDS; MyDeposits — within 30 days of receipt. This 30-day deadline is statutory and strict — the courts have no power to extend it. Within the 30-day window, the landlord must also serve the Prescribed Information — comprising: the deposit amount; the scheme name and contact details; the scheme's dispute resolution procedure; the landlord/agent's name and address; the tenant's name; the address of the let property; the prescribed scheme leaflet (for custodial or insured scheme as applicable). Failure to protect the deposit or serve Prescribed Information within 30 days means: the landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice at any time during the tenancy (pre-RRA 2025) and must pay the tenant compensation of 1-3× the deposit amount. Post-RRA 2025, Section 21 is abolished but the protection obligation and compensation penalty remain.
• Right to rent checks, smoke and CO alarms, and Section 48 notice: Right to rent checks (England only): before granting a tenancy, the landlord (or agent) must check that the adult occupants have the right to rent residential property in England. Timing: must be carried out before the tenancy begins. Method: either check original documents in person (and retain a copy) or use the Home Office online right to rent service (for biometric residence permit holders; settled/pre-settled status holders; certain visa holders). Documents: a list of acceptable documents is published on gov.uk — including passports; BRP/BRC cards; CoA (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies); Share Code (for online verification). Landlord must retain copies of documents checked for the duration of the tenancy and at least 1 year after the tenancy ends. Penalty for non-compliance: civil penalty up to £20,000 per adult occupant (first-time breach where no knowledge); criminal penalty (up to 5 years' imprisonment) for knowingly renting to a person without right to rent. Right to rent checks do not apply in Wales, Scotland, or NI. Smoke and CO alarms: smoke alarm required on every storey of the property that contains any living accommodation (must be in working order at the start of the tenancy). CO alarm required in any room used as living accommodation that contains a fixed combustion appliance (other than a gas cooker) — this includes gas boilers in living rooms; log burners; open fires; gas fires; oil boilers. From 1 October 2022, CO alarms are also required in any room with any gas appliance. Check alarms are working on the first day of each new tenancy. Section 48 notice (s.48 LTA 1987): landlords must notify tenants in writing of an address in England or Wales at which the tenant can serve notices on the landlord. This can be in the tenancy agreement itself or in a separate notice. If no valid s.48 notice has been served, any rent that would otherwise be lawfully due is treated as not due — rent does not legally accrue until the s.48 notice is served. This is a commonly overlooked obligation, especially by landlords who live or operate outside England and Wales.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — start-of-tenancy document requirements

The equivalent checklist for Scotland (PRT), Wales (RHWA 2016 Occupation Contracts) and Northern Ireland:

• Scotland — PRT start-of-tenancy requirements: Scottish Landlord Registration: the landlord must be registered with the relevant local authority (via register.landlord.gov.scot) before advertising or letting any residential property. Registration of the property as well as the landlord is required. Unregistered landlords cannot lawfully let property. PRT written tenancy agreement: all Private Residential Tenancy agreements must be in writing. The Scottish Government recommends using the Model Private Residential Tenancy Agreement published on gov.scot. At tenancy start, landlords must also provide the Easy Read Notes (Scottish Government plain-English guidance on PRT terms); this is a statutory requirement. Scottish Government PRT statutory notes: a set of mandatory statutory notes must accompany the written PRT agreement — available on gov.scot. Tenancy Deposit: if a deposit is taken, it must be placed in an approved Scottish tenancy deposit scheme (SafeDeposits Scotland; Letting Protection Service Scotland; mydeposits Scotland) within 30 working days of receipt (30 working days, not calendar days as in England). The tenant must be provided with evidence that the deposit has been protected and the relevant scheme's repayment procedures. EPC: provide before signing; minimum EPC D (Scottish minimum — more stringent than England's EPC E); register exemptions on the PRS Exemptions Register for Scotland. Gas Safety Certificate: provide before tenant moves in (Gas Safe registered engineer; annual inspection). EICR: 5-yearly; provide copy to tenant within 28 days of inspection or before tenancy begins. Repairing Standard: the property must meet the Repairing Standard from the first day of the tenancy — this is the Scottish minimum habitability and repair standard; failure to meet it entitles the tenant to apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Housing and Property Chamber). Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors: Scottish regulations (Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 as amended) require: at least one smoke alarm on each floor (in the room used most often for general daytime use); smoke alarm in the circulation space on each floor; heat alarm in the kitchen; CO detector in all rooms with a carbon-fuelled appliance. All alarms must be interlinked (hardwired or wireless) from 1 February 2022.
• Wales and Northern Ireland — start-of-tenancy requirements: Wales — Occupation Contracts (RHWA 2016 from 1 December 2022): written occupation contract: all Welsh residential tenancies granted on or after 1 December 2022 are Welsh Occupation Contracts; the agreement must be in writing. Written statement: the landlord must provide the contract-holder with a written statement of the occupation contract (the formal written contract itself) within 14 days of the occupation date — or before the occupation date if the contract-holder requests it. Failure to provide the written statement: the landlord cannot serve any notice during the period of default and for 6 months after the written statement is eventually provided. EPC: provide before signing; minimum EPC E. Gas Safety Certificate: provide copy before tenant moves in (annual; Gas Safe registered engineer). EICR: 5-yearly; provide before tenancy begins. Rent Smart Wales (RSW): the landlord must be registered with RSW (rentsmart.gov.wales); self-managing landlords must also hold an RSW landlord licence. Smoke/CO alarms: similar requirements to England apply in Wales. NI — Private Tenancies (NI) Order 2006: written agreement (or written notice of terms): landlords must provide a rent book or written statement of the main terms of the tenancy. EPC: must be provided before the property is advertised; copy provided to prospective tenant. NI Landlord Registration: mandatory before advertising or letting; register at landlordregistrationni.gov.uk. Smoke/CO alarms: smoke alarm required in each bedroom and in the living room and hallway (NI Fire and Rescue Service standards); CO alarm where applicable. Deposit: while there is no statutory deposit scheme requirement in NI, best practice is to use a recognised scheme (TDS; DPS) and to document deposit terms in the tenancy agreement.

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