Landlord legal requirements are extremely broad – get expert help here

As landlords ourselves, we know it is a fact that the majority of landlords do not use letting agents: startling (to us) but true. At the same time, it’s pretty understandable – we read the same social media posts and the same landlord press as every other landlord and recognise the low esteem that too many agents are held in. We don’t kid ourselves that every agent is a genuine expert and that all service is as good as it should be.

However, with 160+ pieces of legislation affecting the renting of properties, we firmly believe that landlords should put as much as possible of the task of being compliant in the hands of the expert guides to landlord regulations at Northwood Leicester.

Could you use a FREE Rental MOT?

Twenty Questions Landlords Should Ask

To illustrate why, here’s just twenty initial questions any landlord could ask any member of the Northwood Leicester team: we guarantee a comprehensive, clear and well-informed answer (and if a landlord reading this does not think of these questions or does not already know the answer to them, then it says they need Northwood Leicester’s help):

“What are the essential legal requirements for a tenancy agreement in the UK?”
“Explain the process of conducting Right to Rent checks on prospective tenants.”
“What are the safety regulations that landlords must adhere to for gas appliances in rental properties?”
“How can landlords ensure their rental properties meet the minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES)?”
“What are the responsibilities of a landlord regarding fire safety in rented properties?”
“Explain the process of protecting a tenant’s deposit in a government-approved scheme.”
“What are the key steps to take when conducting property inspections in compliance with the law?”
“How can landlords ensure they comply with the Selective Licensing regulations?”
“What are the rules and regulations around providing a ‘How to Rent’ guide to tenants?”
“Explain the eviction process and the legal grounds for eviction in the UK.”
“What are the specific responsibilities of a landlord under the Tenant Fees Act 2019?”
“How can landlords ensure compliance with the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020?”
“What are the legal requirements for carrying out repairs and maintenance in rental properties?”
“Explain the rules regarding the protection of a tenant’s personal data under GDPR.”
“What is the process of conducting a ‘Right of Entry’ as a landlord for necessary inspections or repairs?”
“What should a landlord do to ensure compliance with the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015?”
“Explain the rules around serving a Section 21 or Section 8 notice to terminate a tenancy.”
“What are the rules and regulations regarding rent increases in the UK?”
“How can landlords ensure they comply with the Deregulation Act 2015 regarding deposits and prescribed information?”
“Explain the legal responsibilities of a landlord concerning tenant harassment and discrimination.”

This is just a start point for the level of detailed understanding of landlord legal requirements in order to be a part of the Northwood Leicester team: we could have chosen fifty questions and the principle would be the same.

Landlord regulations are at the heart of our business

To rationalise this so that our clients can see why this matters to us so much more than other agents, let’s explain how our Guaranteed Rent Scheme works. No Northwood landlord is obligated to use it, we apply the same rigour on Full Management or Tenant Find only.

With this product we are the landlord as far as the occupant of the property is concerned, the tenant. And if that tenant doesn’t pay, then we have to know the arrears processes that apply as we are going to be losing money, just the same as any other landlord. Or if the property has to be compliant with (for instance) Carbon Monoxide detector legislation, it is us that have to install devices in every property. And if a tenancy requires all the myriad of new documentation for a renewal and for all of this to be evidenced with a signature, it is us that have to get this right otherwise we might fail at Court to get a Section 21 Notice through.

So, you see, real expertise because we know what landlords face, and we do this every day on hundreds of properties.

MOT Your Rental

A great way to check your own compliance standing is to do a RENTAL MOT. You can either do this yourself and use the process to check if your documents are correct and your practises legal, or you can have us do it with you – in effect, an audit. Either option is entirely FREE. You’ll get a score and a list of your answers, which is a great way to start ensuring compliance the easy way.

Book your MOT

Then, if something emerges as an issue, we can often fix it with a few tips for you to follow, or if it’s a substantial problem and means we need to be deeply involved, we could take over management of the property and sort it, at your request. Or for a range of reasonable fees we can act on your instructions once a problem is analysed.

Whatever way forward is required, we have the many years of experience and expertise to resolve lettings compliance in a friendly and authoritative manner. Barely any month goes by when we don’t encounter a landlord who has either made a seemingly small slip, or been led into dangerous territory by a poor agent, and for whom our experience is a lifeline: don’t endanger your rental or your property investment with sub-standard advice – use our RENTAL MOT for free now.