Landlords: Updated How To Rent Guide

Staying up to date with legislation can be a landlords main headache. For us at Home Made, it’s our job and we’re here to help. The hot-off-the-press change this week is on 24th March, the government released an updated version of the ‘How to rent guide’ that you, as a landlord, must provide to your tenants. It forms a key part of the prescribed information that you must provide.

So what’s new?

1. The new version of the guide includes important changes to the law, including recent changes to notice periods for evictions and new requirements for electrical safety checks. Landlords must now provide electrical safety certificates to tenants before they move in, and carry out regular checks every five years.
2. The updated How to rent guide also includes information on the government's new Renters' Reform Bill, which is currently being drafted and will introduce a range of new measures to improve tenants' rights and make renting fairer. There’s a lot to the bill so check out our full Renter Reform article here.

Why's it important?

It’s you legal obligation to provide one, so making sure you know what’s in it is a good idea. Remember, failure to provide any of the legally prescribed info could result in legal action being taken against you and will prevent you from being able to use Section 21 to evict troublesome tenants.

As well as providing the guide, you should also ensure that you are complying with all other relevant legislation, such as the requirements for gas safety checks and the need to protect tenants' deposits in a government-approved scheme. Download our Complete guide to Compliance to make sure you are up to date.