Even though you are renting out your house to a tenant, there are certain things you need to ensure are in good shape always. These include the overall structure and exterior of your property. The landlord checklist for renting a house helps ensure everything is in place both on the part of the tenant as well as the landlord. House inspection is part of the landlord checklist even while the building is occupied by a tenant. What do you need to the checklist, how do you checklist while a tenant occupies your building? This article provides guidelines and other relevant information pertaining a landlord checklist as well as its template.
Landlord Checklist
Putting up your property for rent without a due checklist will land you into more trouble than the rent you will receive from your tenants. Therefore, you need to exercise patience and carry out the entire process. Using a checklist will also ensure you do not miss any vital steps that require certification. For instance, failure to get EPC on a property has grave consequences. You may also be accountable when your tenant does not have a right to rent.
There are responsibilities you need to carry out on the house before renting to tenants. They are things that need to be in place. This means you have two primary responsibilities. The first to your property and the second to the tenant.
Putting Up Your Property For Rent
Testing the house for security and safety is one of your responsibility as a landlord. The following are checks that must be certified before renting your property. Having decided to put
1. Apply For Energy Performance Certificate
Before putting up your property for rent, you must get an assessor to assess the energy rate of your building. Before you receive the EPC, your building must rate an E out of the A-G rating. It is also important you give a copy of this to your this.
2. Double-check for fire safety.
Measures must be put in place to guard against fire outbreaks. Every landlord must double-check for fire safety. This means the law mandates you to inspect the property for safety precautions. You can add extra care by installing a smoke alarm and also placing a fire extinguisher within the property.
3. Test For Electrical Safety
Regular electrical inspections and maintenance need to be carried out to ensure the safety of the occupant. Also, tenants must ensure their appliance bears the European mark of quality.
4. Gas Safe registration
If your home has a gas supply, you’ll need to schedule a gas safety inspection annually. In addition to your regular check, give tenants a copy of this certificate.
Do I need A Letting Agency?
Using an agency is not mandatory, however, it is needful under the following circumstances. They help you run the necessary checklist and inspection a landlord must carry out.
1. Lack Of Time
If you are a property owner that is mostly busy, you may need the help of an agency in getting the right tenants. You may not have time to ask enough questions or reach a favourable agreement without enough time.
2. The Property is different from where you live.
If the landlord resides in a place not close to the property, you can use an agency to run through your checklist.
3. Apply for Energy Performance Certificate
The EPC is mandatory for any property. You have to get an assessor to assess the energy level of your building. Also, the building must have at least an E out of the A-G rating to receive your certificate.
4. Accidental Property Owner
You can also use an agency if you recently inherited a property, do not wish to sell it and also do not know how to go about putting it up for rent.
Landlord Checklist For Renting A house
The landlord checklist for renting a house involves the necessary checks that a landlord must carry out before renting his house to a tenant.
Right-to-Rent checks
As much as you are eager to get revenue from your property, you must be careful. Renting your building to the wrong tenant comes with a fine. Especially if the person does not have the legal right to stay in the country. Browse through prospective tenant ID, Passports and other legal documents. Trust me, you will be glad you did. Make sure you stick this as an accomplished task on your checklist.
Update the Tenant With Relevant Information
Give the relevant certification for house occupant to the tenant. This may include a copy of EPC certification and so on.
Verify the tenant’s references.
Before agreeing to rent property to a prospective renter, landlords should examine their references. Affordability checks and credit histories are also common considerations. If the tenant has previously rented, asking previous landlords for a reference will give you an idea of how effectively the tenant pays their rent.
Replace old locks
Once your property was previously occupied by someone, it is important to change the lock for security purposes.
Prepare Tenancy Agreement
There is no rent without a tenancy agreement. Get a solicitor to help you if possible. This expresses the parameters a tenant will abide by during the leasing period. It includes the legal rights, restrictions, duties, clauses and the term of the tenancy
Keep your tenants’ security deposit safe.
A government-approved system, such as the Deposit Protection Service, should be used to protect your tenants’ deposits. Disputes concerning deductions from the tenant’s deposit can be resolved through the appeal process of your chosen scheme.
Landlord House Inspection Checklist
This is also known as rental property inspection, the landlord house inspection checklist is a means through which property owners determine the overall being of the property. A landlord inspection checklist is a tool that landlords or property managers use to ensure that rental properties are in good condition. This checklist house inspection must be carried out before or after someone’s occupies a property.
Checklist for Landlord Inspection
Generally, every landlord house inspection check, based on preferment. These preferment includes maintenance obligation, fixing of damages, type of property and so on. Though the checklist happens before and after occupancy, a landlord may notify his tenant about the desire to check the property condition. Moreso, a house inspection checklist is done on the building and the content-getting the building is in good shape for each weather condition.
What Will My Landlord Inspect?
- Appliances
- Pipes
- Leakages
- Fire Extinguisher
- Smoke alarm
- KItchen condition
- Toilet condition
- Living room condition
- Cracks on Wall
- Bedroom condition
- Lighting condition
How Often Does Landlord Conduct A House Inspection Checklist?
How often a landlord inspects his property depends on him. However, The ideal time is usually every six months. The six months intervals give room for weather inspection. The landlord can also decide to run this check once a year. It all depends on the agreement between the tenant and the landlord.
So Your landlord is coming for a checklist inspection?
When next you receive a notification from your landlord about the next house inspection exercise, do the following.
- Checklist the house yourself
- Put the property in order
- Write down any repairs that should be done by the landlord
- Discuss these with him when it is time.
Landlord Checklist template
The landlord checklist for renting a house template provides guidelines on what to inspect in your next house inspection before, during and after occupancy. However, remember there are no exact rules that guide this. So feel free to browse through various options.
Landlord Inspection Checklist
The landlord checklist for renting a house and the regular inspection are needful to both the tenant and the landlord. The landlord is certain his house is in good condition while the tenant enjoys the comfort of a sound premise.
What Does The Landlord Inspection Checklist Include?
Inspect For Pests
Pests are unhealthy and cause diseases. Cockroaches, rats, mice and so on are not welcomed in a home. Contact pest control as soon as possible once you notice traces of their pest excrete, cracked walls and anything that will comfortably house them.
Inspect For Leaks
Check out the pipes, toilet and tap for leaks. Identifying the problem early will greatly reduce the cost of repairs.
Take a Look At The Yard
While inspecting the house, also inspect the yard. It helps you keep your garden in shape, just the way you want it.
Examine Drains and Gutters
Drains and gutters ought to be added to your checklist. When these are blocked, it causes moisture problems. And will likely breed harmful flies. and water damage.
Final Thought,
A checklist helps landlords meet up with their standards as well as government requirement for rental properties. is a two-fold activity. The landlord ensures his property is in good condition and tenants are living within the tenancy agreement. While the tenant is confident that repairs will kick start on damages.
FAQs On Landlord Checklist For Renting A House
How often should a landlord replace a kitchen?
How often should a landlord replace a kitchen? During or in between tenancies, there may be urgent repairs or upgrades you need to make, such as fixing the oven or replacing the microwave. That said, most kitchens in rental properties will last around 10 years before needing a full refurbishment
How do I fill out the condition of a rental property checklist?
When preparing a checklist that describes the condition of a rental unit, there are certain things you want to make sure the checklist includes.
- Tenant’s Name.
- Tenant’s Address, Including Unit Number.
- Date of Move-In.
- Date of Move-Out (When Occurs).
- Date of Move-In Inspection.
- Date of Move-Out Inspection.
What a landlord Cannot do?
A landlord cannot refuse to rent to persons in a protected class. A landlord cannot provide different services or facilities to tenants in a protected class, require a larger deposit, or treat late rental payments differently. A landlord cannot end a tenancy for a discriminatory reason.
What is a rental inventory checklist?
A vacation rental inventory checklist is a list in which you go through every item and piece of furniture in your rental to evaluate its condition after your guests have stayed. … keep track of the items and furniture in your property.
