The Landlord Compliance Pack: Every Deadline in One Place

Twenty-three guides on this site each answer one question well. This page is different — it pulls the recurring deadlines, the new-tenancy steps and the templates you actually reach for into one place, so you're not hunting through separate articles when a certificate's about to lapse or a new tenant is moving in. Print it (there's a clean print layout — use your browser's Print → Save as PDF), pin it, or bookmark it.

The annual compliance calendar

Recurring obligations, however far into a tenancy you are. Set a calendar reminder for each — missing one is what breaks a possession claim later, not usually the certificate itself.

• Every 12 months: gas safety check (if any gas appliance) by a Gas Safe engineer — copy to tenant within 28 days, before move-in for new tenants. See gas & electrical certificates.
• Every 5 years (or on any C1/C2 remedial deadline): EICR electrical inspection. Remedial C1/C2 items must be fixed within 28 days of the report, or sooner if it says so.
• Every 10 years (or when it expires): EPC renewal — check the current minimum band before re-letting; standards have tightened before and are expected to again. See EPC requirements.
• Annually, on your own schedule: rent review — once-a-year limit applies under the Renters' Rights Act. Don't skip a year; it's gone for good. See raising rent legally.
• Every tenancy, at least once: smoke alarm test on every storey, CO alarm test in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance — test and record at the start of every tenancy, not just when installed.
• Whenever anything changes: licensing — check your council's selective/additional licensing map annually; schemes get added without much notice.

The new-tenancy checklist, in order

1. Right to rent check — every adult occupier, before they move in, evidence kept.
2. Referencing — affordability, credit check, previous landlord reference, guarantor if needed.
3. Gas safety certificate, EPC and the current How to Rent guide — all handed over before or at move-in.
4. Tenancy agreement signed — check it against the void-clause list in that guide.
5. Deposit protected in a government scheme within 30 days, prescribed information served on every named tenant.
6. Photographed inventory — the single most dispute-winning document you'll create. Date-stamped photos of every room, meter readings, existing damage noted.
7. Smoke/CO alarms tested in front of the tenant, noted on the inventory.
8. Confirm landlord insurance is active for this specific letting (not a lapsed policy from the last tenant).

Templates — copy, adapt, send

Repair acknowledgement (send the day you get a report)

Hi [tenant name], thanks for letting me know about [issue] — I've received this today, [date]. I'll [arrange access / instruct a contractor] and aim to have someone out by [date]. I'll confirm the appointment time once booked.

Access request (24 hours' notice, in writing)

Hi [tenant name], I'd like to arrange access to the property for [reason — e.g. the annual gas safety check] on [date] between [time window]. Please let me know if this doesn't work and I'll find an alternative slot. As a reminder, this is the notice required under your tenancy agreement.

Rent increase notice (Section 13, once a year)

Dear [tenant name], in line with the tenancy agreement and current legislation, I'm giving notice that the rent will increase from £[current] to £[new] per month, effective from [date — at least the statutory notice period ahead]. This reflects [comparable local rents / a specific reason]. Happy to discuss if you have any questions.

Full context on wording, evidence and the tribunal-challenge process: raising rent legally.

End-of-tenancy deposit deduction notice

Hi [tenant name], following the check-out on [date], I'm proposing the following deductions from your deposit: [item — amount, with reference to the check-in inventory]. Total proposed deduction: £[amount], to be returned via [scheme]'s standard process. Please let me know within [X days] if you'd like to discuss any of these before I confirm with [scheme name].

Fast links to the full guides behind each item

Full legal obligations overview · Renters' Rights Act checklist · Tax on rental income · Repair responsibilities · Damp and mould rules

This is general information about the law in England, not personalised legal advice — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules, and landlord law changes regularly (some areas covered here are under active reform). For anything that affects a real tenancy, check GOV.UK for the current position or speak to a solicitor or a body like the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).