What this tool does

Being a landlord in the UK means keeping on top of a long list of legal duties, and the list keeps growing. This checker takes a few details about your rental property and gives you a tailored rundown of the obligations that apply to your specific situation, from safety certificates to licensing and deposit rules.

Instead of trawling through government pages and council websites trying to work out what applies to a flat in Manchester versus a three bed HMO in Cardiff, you get a single summary pointing you to what you need to sort.

Who it is for

It is built for private landlords in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who let out residential property, whether that is a single buy to let, a room in a shared house, or a small portfolio. It is also useful if you are about to become a landlord for the first time, inheriting a tenanted property, or converting a home into a rental.

Use it when you are setting up a new tenancy, renewing an existing one, buying a property with tenants in place, or simply doing a yearly check to make sure nothing has slipped. It is also worth a look if your local council has recently brought in selective or additional licensing, or if you want to get ahead of the Renters Rights Bill changes before they land.

How it works

Answer a short set of questions about the property, the tenancy type, the tenants, and where the property is located. The tool then produces a plain English list of the obligations that apply to you, with a short note on each one explaining what it means and what you need to do next. It takes a couple of minutes, there is no sign up, and the answers you give are not stored against your name. The output is general guidance to help you work out your position, not legal advice, so if something looks complicated it is worth checking with your local council or a solicitor before acting.