Looking for a landlord compliance checklist? This page has free checklists to download for the main stages of a tenancy in England, with links to other posts that explain the detail. The pre-tenancy checklist and the check-in sheet have been updated to reflect the Renters’ Rights Act.
These checklists are useful whether you self-manage, or want to know what your letting agent should be doing as part of their property management service.
For the detail behind the checklists, my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook*, published by Penguin, goes through each stage of a tenancy under the Renters’ Rights Act, from finding tenants to returning the deposit.
For more support, you can join The Independent Landlord Hub for in-depth training, templates and regular Q&A livestreams, plus an active forum in a supportive environment. There’s a wider range of templates and checklists in the Hub, including fillable pdfs.
>> Related Post: How to manage a rental property yourself
>> Related Post: Free checklists to comply with Renters’ Rights Act
Last updated: 21 September 2026
Landlord checklists at a glance
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Landlord compliance checklist: before the tenancy starts
Landlords have to jump through a lot of hoops before they can let a property to tenants, particularly now the tenancy reforms in the Renters’ Rights Act have been implemented.
This downloadable comprehensive pre-tenancy compliance checklist helps landlords make sure they’ve covered everything at the pre-tenancy stage. The downloadable checklist has links to explanations for each item.
Here is a guide how to enter into a new Assured Periodic Tenancy, in compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act. Be aware that there is now a ban on rental discrimination, and landlords or their letting agents must not ask for or receive rent in advance before the tenancy agreement is entered into.
Note that it will become compulsory for landlords to register on the PRS Database (the “Register your rental property” service) in 2027, with the precise date depending on the region. Once the regional deadline has passed, landlords will need to have a landlord registration and a property registration before letting to new tenants. More information here: The PRS Database: How to register your rental property.
>> Download: Pre-tenancy compliance checklist
>> Download: Tenant application form
>> Related Post: Step-by-step guide to entering into a new Assured Periodic Tenancy
>> Related Post: How to Choose Good Tenants
Landlord documents checklist: what to give new tenants
There’s a lot to do to get a property ready for new tenants, and the related post below goes through everything on a step by step basis.
You can also download the check-in sheet for tenants to sign when they check into the property, to acknowledge receipt of key documents, to provide evidence in the future, if needed.
>> Download: Check in sheet for new tenants
>> Related Post: How to get everything ready for new tenant check in
>> Related Post: What should landlords provide in unfurnished properties?
Mid-tenancy inspections and maintenance visits
Inspections are vitally important for landlords, not only to check to see if tenants are looking after the property, but to keep on top on maintenance and spot issues before they become big problems.
I prefer to call them “maintenance visits” as that’s more collaborative, and shows the tenants I am serious about maintaining the property properly.
You can download a detailed property inspection/maintenance visit checklist below, and the related post will explain how to go about it.
>> Download: Property inspection checklist
>> Related Post: How to use the property inspection checklist
Property management: on-going compliance during the tenancy
Once tenants move into the property, compliance doesn’t stop there. The related post below explains the ongoing compliance obligations after the Renters’ Rights Act.
I cover the on-going obligations in detail in The Good Landlord Handbook, and there are fillable checklists in The Independent Landlord Hub.
A couple of things to flag:
- The only way to increase rent now the Renters’ Rights Act is in force is to do it via the Section 13 process. See How to complete Form 4A to increase rent (Section 13 notice).
- Once the regional registration deadline in 2027 has passed for you to register your property on the PRS Database, you will need to to keep your entries updated within 28 days of a change. For instance, uploading a new gas safety certificate when you have a new gas safety check. More information here: The PRS Database: How to register your rental property.
>> Related Post: On-going compliance obligations (updated for RRA)
>> Related Post: What are landlords’ obligations to carry out repairs?
End of tenancy: checkout and cleaning
When your tenants are ready to move on, there’s a lot you can do to help achieve a successful checkout. That’s one where they leave the property in good condition, saving you time and money before new tenants move in, and one where you can give them their full deposit back promptly.
Landlords can’t insist that tenants use professional cleaners at the end of a tenancy, as that would breach the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
However, if the property had been professionally cleaned at the start of the tenancy, the relevant standard for the tenant to reach at the end of the tenancy is “cleaning to a professional standard”.
The Related Post below explains how to do a deep clean of a property to a professional standard, and is suitable for sending to tenants.
There are strict rules about what deductions landlords can make from tenants’ deposits. I explain the rules in this blog post: What can landlords deduct from a tenant’s deposit?
And the cycle begins again – back to pre-tenancy compliance!
>> Download: Checklist for a successful checkout
>> Related Post: 7 tips for a positive end of tenancy checkout
>> Related Post: How to do a deep clean of a rental property
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