Landlord FAQ: questions answered for UK landlords | August

Landlord FAQ: common questions answered for UK landlords

Written by the August editorial team. Last reviewed June 2026. Reflects the law in England as of 1 May 2026.

Self-managing a rental in the UK means handling compliance, finances, tenant relationships and a fast-changing legal landscape, often at once. This FAQ answers the questions UK landlords ask most, from setting rent to the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with answers grounded in the current legal position and links to our detailed guides on each topic.

How do I know if I'm charging the right rent?

The right rent sits where the local market meets your return requirements. Check what genuinely comparable properties, similar bedroom count, location, condition and features, are actually letting for on Rightmove and Zoopla, not just their asking prices; listings that let quickly have found their level. Gross yields typically run between 4% and 9%, higher in northern cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, lower in London and the South East, but net yield, after mortgage, maintenance, insurance, voids and your time, is the truer measure. The rental yield calculator runs the numbers before you commit, and our guide to setting the right rent covers the full method. Remember that from 1 May 2026 you can raise rent only once a year through the statutory Section 13 process, so getting the starting figure right matters more than before.

What compliance certificates do I need as a landlord?

Every residential landlord in England must hold and provide several key documents. A Gas Safety Certificate is required annually for any property with gas appliances, from a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy to the tenant before move-in and within 28 days of each annual check; failing to obtain or provide one is a criminal offence carrying an unlimited fine and potential imprisonment, and our gas safety guide covers the detail. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is required at least every five years under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, with any C1, C2 or FI findings remedied within 28 days and written confirmation provided. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is valid for ten years, with a minimum band E required to let now, rising under the Warm Homes Plan to band C for new tenancies first and all tenancies by 2030, see our EPC and MEES rules for the staging and costs. And a tenancy deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days with the prescribed information served; the cap is five weeks' rent, or six weeks where annual rent is £50,000 or more, and failure both blocks possession and exposes you to a penalty of one to three times the deposit. August's compliance checklist tracks every renewal date for you.

How do I handle rent arrears?

Act on day one. A short, friendly message about a missed payment resolves many cases, which are often banking errors or oversights rather than deliberate non-payment. If it persists beyond a week, send a formal written notice referencing the tenancy agreement and keep a record of every contact. Two months of arrears is the point to move to a formal footing, but note the thresholds under the Renters' Rights Act: the mandatory Ground 8 now requires at least three months' arrears at both the date of service and the hearing (with four weeks' notice), while the new Ground 8A covers persistent arrears, where the tenant has been at least two months in arrears on three or more occasions in the previous three years. Possession runs only through Section 8 now that Section 21 is abolished, and our guide to Section 8 notices sets out the grounds and the process. Where a tenant faces genuine hardship, a structured payment plan alongside current rent often beats possession proceedings, which carry court costs and a void.

How often should I inspect a rental property?

Most landlords inspect every three to six months, with the first around the three-month mark once tenants have settled. You must give at least 24 hours' written notice and have a legitimate reason such as assessing condition. Seasonal timing helps: a winter visit catches damp, mould and heating problems, while summer suits external areas and gardens. Photograph systematically and store the reports, since the inspection record is important evidence in any end-of-tenancy deposit dispute.

Should I allow pets?

The market has shifted, and so has the law. With around 17 million pet-owning households and a shortage of pet-friendly rentals, blanket bans shrink your applicant pool and lengthen voids, and pet-owning tenants tend to stay longer. Under the Renters' Rights Act a tenant can request to keep a pet and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse, so a case-by-case approach is now also the legally sound one: ask for a pet reference, document condition thoroughly at check-in, and note that you can require the tenant to hold pet damage insurance (or meet its reasonable cost). Deposits stay capped at five weeks' rent (six weeks at £50,000+ annual rent) regardless of pets, and you cannot take a separate pet deposit.

What are the biggest mistakes new landlords make?

The most consistently damaging errors are few but expensive. Inadequate tenant screening, accepting the first applicant to fill a void without full referencing (employment, credit, previous-landlord reference), is the single most common source of arrears and disputes. Compliance gaps, a missed gas renewal, a deposit not protected within 30 days, or skipped Right to Rent checks, all carry significant penalties, and ignorance is not a defence. Under-resourced budgeting catches out landlords who plan only for the mortgage; set aside at least one month's void a year and reserve 10 to 15% of rent for maintenance. Deferred maintenance turns minor repairs into structural ones and is a false economy. And poor records leave you exposed in disputes and possession proceedings, as well as making an accurate tax return harder, comprehensive documentation is the cheapest insurance a landlord has.

Do I need landlord insurance?

Standard buildings insurance is for owner-occupied homes and does not cover tenancy risks, so landlord insurance, building on buildings cover, is effectively essential. It adds public liability cover if a tenant or visitor is injured, malicious damage cover, loss-of-rent cover if the property becomes uninhabitable after an insured event, and legal expenses for possession proceedings. The public liability element matters most: an injury caused by a hazard you failed to remedy, a broken stair, an unserviced boiler, can lead to a six-figure claim, which is why comprehensive policies carry £1 to £2 million of cover. Rent guarantee insurance, covering lost rent (typically up to twelve months) if tenants stop paying, is a separate, increasingly common policy, and our rent guarantee insurance guide explains how it differs from a guaranteed-rent scheme.

How can technology reduce my workload?

The most time-consuming parts of self-managing, chasing rent, tracking compliance deadlines, logging maintenance and managing documents, are all automatable. Modern landlord software connects to your bank to match rent payments automatically, reads certificate expiry dates and schedules renewal reminders, logs maintenance reports with photographs, and keeps every document in one searchable place. August tracks compliance, rent, maintenance and documents in one place, built for self-managing landlords, and landlords using it report saving five to ten hours a month with fewer missed deadlines. If you are running more than one property on spreadsheets, the overhead compounds with each let; you can start managing your portfolio for free and see how much can be automated.

Frequently asked questions

Has the Renters' Rights Act changed what I need to do as a landlord?

Yes, substantially. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. The headline changes for self-managers are the abolition of Section 21 no-fault eviction; the conversion of all fixed-term assured tenancies to periodic tenancies; a raised Ground 8 threshold (three months' arrears at service and hearing); the new Ground 8A for persistent arrears; rent increases limited to once a year via Section 13; a ban on rental bidding; and restrictions on upfront rent. You also had to serve the government Information Sheet on existing tenants by 31 May 2026, and all landlords must register on the new Private Rented Sector Database and join the Landlord Ombudsman redress scheme as those come into force. The Renters' Rights Act hub has the full breakdown.

How quickly must I respond to maintenance requests?

Emergencies, no heating in winter, no hot water, gas leaks, electrical faults, serious water ingress, need same-day or next-day action; non-urgent repairs should be done within a reasonable time, usually two to four weeks depending on the issue. Awaab's Law, which sets fixed timescales for damp, mould and emergency hazards, applies to social housing now and is expected to extend to the private rented sector in later phases, so treat its timescales as the direction of travel. Keep a written record of every reported issue and your response; our guide to how long you have to do repairs explains the framework.

Can I charge more rent to cover a pet?

Deposits stay capped at five weeks' rent (six weeks where annual rent is £50,000 or more) whether or not the tenant has a pet, and you cannot take a separate pet deposit. You can require the tenant to hold pet damage insurance or meet its reasonable cost. Some landlords agree a small addition to the headline rent, but this needs the tenant's agreement and should be documented in the tenancy agreement from the outset.

This article reflects UK law in England as of 1 May 2026. It is a guide and not legal or professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.