Checking in tenants is a key milestone in the relationship between landlords and the people who will be living in the homes they provide.
After all, we landlords want happy tenants. Happy tenants stay longer, are more likely to look after the property, and are more likely to be cooperative about giving access for maintenance checks and repairs. Happy tenants help to make being a landlord a pleasure.
The check in isn’t just about handing over the keys and pointing out where the stopcock is. It’s not just a transactional checklist.
This is because being a good landlord isn’t just providing a house or flat for the tenants to live in. It involves the ongoing provision of a high quality service to tenants.
Moving house is stressful at the best of times, and all the more so when you’re a tenant, as you’ll be wondering if you’ll receive a good service both now, and in the future. Landlords and letting agents need to be aware of this, as a positive experience for renters at the check in stage really helps.
The check in sets the tone for the rest of the tenancy, and is part of what Americans call “on-boarding”. It involves welcoming the tenants, going through necessary compliance steps, showing them the ropes, explaining what support there is, and the expectations for the relationship ahead.
This blog post explains how to make the check in of tenants a positive experience, so they feel happy that they have made a good choice, with a landlord who is professional and will continue to provide them with a high quality service either directly themselves, or via letting agents.
It also includes comprehensive checklists to make sure you don’t miss anything, and a check in sheet for tenants to sign, reflecting the changes that have arisen due to the Renters’ Rights Act.
For the full picture, see my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook*, which provides practical information and checklists at every stage of the tenancy, in compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act.
>> Related Post: What should landlords provide in unfurnished rental properties?
>> Related Post: How to attract good tenants and keep them happy
How to have a successful tenant check in, at a glance
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The importance of the “psychological contract” with tenants
The “psychological contract” is a concept from management which describes how employees understand their relationship with their employer, outside of their formal contract of employment. It’s about how the employee feels about their boss and the company and includes the informal commitments, expectations and understandings. It can be positive, or negative, and it starts at the interview stage.
A similar psychological contract arises between tenants and landlords, but instead of a contract of employment, there’s a tenancy agreement. This psychological contract is how the tenant feels about their rental property and their landlord, and the service they receive from the landlord.
Having a positive psychological contract is key to having happy tenants. It starts from the very first moment that we meet the tenant when we’re choosing them through agents or whether we’re doing it ourselves. It continues when they move in and throughout the rest of the tenancy, until they eventually leave.
The check in is a key milestone in this relationship, and it’s important to think about how to make it a positive experience for the tenants.
For more information on the perspective of renters, the research from OSB Group’s Landlord Leaders Community, Bricks to Belonging, The Psychology behind home and ownership, is very insightful.
I also discuss how to attract and keep good tenants throughout my book, The Good Landlord Handbook.
How to get ready for tenants
Prepare the property for tenants
Landlords often strive to reduce the gap between tenants, known as the void, to the minimum, so as to maximise revenue and reduce void costs. They will do viewings while the previous tenants are still there, and try to arrange for the new tenants to move in a day or so after the previous tenants move out – just about enough time for the check out and check in inventories, and a professional clean.
I take a different approach. I list the property the day the previous tenants move out, and give myself about a week before I book in viewings.
In the interim period, I work hard to prepare the property for the next set of renters. I attend to any repairs, maintenance or upgrades, and refresh the property so that it is nice for the new tenants.
This is my “to do” list in between tenants:
- Inspect the property thoroughly, using this Property Inspection Checklist.
- A thorough professional clean.
- Check sealant and replace the sealant if necessary in bathrooms, kitchens, and both inside and outside the windows to reduce the risk of water penetration.
- Refresh the paint throughout the property, including the window ledges outside. I do this myself and it makes a big difference.
- Test all of the sockets with a socket tester, so that I can arrange for an electrician to replace any faulty sockets, if necessary. Last time I found a faulty socket, and was able to get it fixed before the tenants moved in. Here is an Amazon link to the socket tester I use, which you can see flashing red in my Instagram reel.
- Arrange professional PAT testing for any portable appliances (eg fridge or dishwasher). Whereas during a tenancy I just do a visual PAT test myself (which is entirely legal – see this blog post on electrical testing), I organise for an electrician to PAT test any relevant appliances in between tenancies.
- Change the locks so that the tenants feel secure.
- Tidy up the garden and front of the house. I check for any hazards when doing this, eg loose paving stones or anything that is broken. I mow the lawn the day before the tenants move in, if it needs cutting.
- Do the legionella checks and risk reduction actions – more details in this blog post: Landlord Guide to Legionella Assessments.
- Check all of the windows and doors open and close properly, and arrange for repairs if necessary.
>> Related Post: How to reduce costs and risks during void periods and refurbishment
>> Download: Pre-tenancy compliance checklist
Documents landlords must serve on tenants
When preparing to list the property, either yourself or using an agent, make sure you have to hand the documents you’ll need to serve on the tenants:
- EPC certificate from within the last 10 years. If you’ve done work that will have improved the energy efficiency of the property (eg new boiler, more insulation, new windows), it’s a good idea to arrange another EPC, even if the current one hasn’t expired. This ensures the tenant will have an accurate idea of the energy efficiency of the property, and you’ll know if you need to do more work to improve the property to an EPC C. (See Mission EPC C for private landlords by 2030).
- Gas safety certificate from within the last 12 months. If it’s about to expire, I would arrange another one during the void. There is an “MOT rule” with gas safety certificates which means they keep the expiry date if carried out within the previous two months. See Landlord guide to Gas Safety Certificates. I always get the boiler serviced at the same time. Make sure the gas safety certificate is signed.
- EICR from within the last 5 years. If your EICR is about to expire, the void is a good time to arrange it, which means it’s one less thing to organise once the new tenants have moved in.
- Prescribed information for the tenancy deposit. Landlords must provide the prescribed information about their tenancy deposit, duly signed, within 30 days following payment.
If the property has a selective licence or an HMO licence, the landlord should give the tenants a copy of the licence, and comply with any terms in the licence.
Note that landlords no longer need to serve the How to Rent checklist, as this was withdrawn when the Renters’ Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026.
>> Related Post: Landlord guide to Selective and HMO Licensing
What to do before tenants move in
Here is a checklist of other tasks for landlords to do before the tenants move in:
- Check in inventory. It’s a false economy not to do a thorough, professional inventory before tenants move in. It’s something that protects both the landlord and the tenant, and provides the landlord with proof of the condition of the property when the tenants move in, which is invaluable if there is a dispute over the deposit deductions when the tenants leave. I always use an independent professional inventory clerk, as it has great evidential weight in the descriptions of the state of cleanliness and repair.
- Meter readings. The meter readings for electricity, gas and water should be in the inventory report, but do check. Take photos of the meter readings from the day the tenants move in if the inventory report was done a few days before check in. The utility companies often ask for photos, and having time stamped photos is solid evidence of what the readings were when the landlord handed the property to the tenant.
- Right to rent. Don’t forget to take copies of the tenant’s right to rent documents before they move in.
- CO and smoke alarms. Check they all work on the day the tenants move in.
If a landlord is going to be handling the tenants’ data, they should also provide tenants with a Data Protection Notice.
>> Related Post: What data protection rules do landlords need to comply with?
>> Download: Pre-tenancy compliance checklist
How to check in tenants
It can be a bit of a blur when tenants move in, as they are anxious to start unloading the removal van, and they might not take on board any instructions.
Here are some tips to help them, and you, on the big day.
Checklist of things to go through
Here is a short list of things to show the tenants when they move in:
- How the locks work on the doors – sometimes there is a knack to opening them.
- Which keys you are leaving.
- Where the stopcock is.
- How to work the heating, and leave a printed manual.
- When they will receive the inventory.
- Explain if any further work has been scheduled for repairs you didn’t have time to complete during the void.
- Arrange a maintenance visit for 1-2 weeks’ time to check if any repairs are needed and see if anything needs changing on the inventory.
- Test the CO and smoke alarms if the inventory wasn’t carried out the same day. If you have a heat sensor, test that as well.
- Explain you’ll provide the meter readings to the utility companies and let the council know they have moved in.
Property manual
To reinforce what you’ve explained when tenants move in, it’s a great idea to leave a property manual, which has all the relevant information to help the tenant move in. For instance, where the stop cock is. You can either provide a manual version or a QR code for a page on your website where you have a password protected manual.
Here is a link to a template electronic property manual, based on the one I use myself.
Check-in sheet for new tenants to sign
Finally, it is a good idea to have a record of the fact you served the various compliance documents. This check-in sheet lets you record how you served each document (electronically, hard copy or both), and obtain the tenant’s acknowledgement.
If your property has a licence, you should give them a copy of the licence as well, and you can add that in the comments.
>> Download: The Independent Landlord Check-in Sheet for tenants
Final thoughts
Checking in tenants is a key “customer touchpoint” where they will get a feel for how you value them and the level of service they are likely to receive.
Being organised is key, as it’s easy to forget something. It also takes a lot of preparation to make it look smooth and easy.
On a final note, do leave a welcome gift and card. I usually give a tin of shortbread and an indoor flowering pot plant. I also leave toilet paper on the toilet roll holder and hand soap in the bathroom and a small bottle of washing up liquid in the kitchen.
It’s the little touches that show you care.
PS Fillable templates and checklists are available in my membership, The Independent Landlord Hub, where you can ask me questions at twice-monthly livestreams.
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Like the checklist
But would add…
Check HEAT alarm (although not law in standard PRS but good practice for responsible LLs)
Copy of Property Licence ( HMO 5 Bed +/ Additional HMO 3-4 Bed/ Selective?)
Also forgot…
I also give them copy of right to rent (if applicable) check document that I download from government website that has my name on it to confirm check carried out
And ICO Certificate which you can download
All Certs like this make us LLs look professional
Sure. I mention and link to it in my electronic Data Protection Notice, but don’t print off a hard copy. In fact, I put pretty much everything on their webpage, so I don’t have to print them off. My tenancy agreement allows me to serve items electronically.
How do you find independent professional inventory clerks as most are usually linked to a letting agent?
I’ve used https://theaiic.co.uk/ to source local clerks before
Another document I give tenants is the Prescribed Information.
If you purposely create a void period of several weeks, doesn’t that mean you have to go through the hassles of amending the bill payer on the utilities and council tax back into your name, or do they have a period of allowance?
The property-prep checklist is great, a few things in there I wouldn’t have thought to check but would definitely avoid issues later.
Yes.
However here I totally agree with Suzanne. A property properly presented, checked and SAFE is critical going forward.
The new HHSRS and Fire Regs will be used to catch us out. I would rather use the void to bring it up to the spec I would want if I was living there.
After a while the utilities get to know you as do the various councils various officers.
its actually pretty easy after the first time.
I read your piece about getting the various certification renewed before a new T moves in.
If you have a handful of properties that may work.
If a Portfolio LL that would deliver serious issues going forward as they would then all expire at different times.
We have property in two towns.
ALL – Gas Safe, EPC, EICRs, PAT in each town are done together.
We stagger it all so we are not doing EICRs (say) at the same time as Gas Safe.
Now that most are electronic, once the professional has set up the system its cheaper for them the next time. You can therefore negotiate economy of scale. I’m not going to pay the price for a single Gas Safe each time if the tester is going to do double figures in the same block on the same visit