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Quick references for the bits of UK lets law that catch people out.
EPC — Energy Performance Certificate
- You can't let a property in England with an EPC below E (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards). Government plans to push this to C for new tenancies from 2028 — budget accordingly if your property is currently D.
- EPCs are valid for 10 years. Re-do if you refurb significantly.
- You can market for up to 30 dayswith an EPC in progress — tick the “EPC being completed” box on the listing form so the tenant sees the status.
- Common exemptions (listed buildings, all-improvements-attempted) must be registered on the PRS exemptions register before letting.
Deposit caps and protection
- Tenant Fees Act 2019: max 5 weeks' rent deposit if annual rent < £50,000, or 6 weeks' rentif ≥ £50,000. Roguemove caps the tenancy deposit field at the legal max for you.
- You must protect the deposit with DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days of receipt and serve the prescribed information on the tenant. Pick your scheme in the listing form — the tenant sees it on the listing + APT.
- No deposit scheme registered = the tenant can claim up to 3× the deposit, and you can be blocked from recovering possession. Don't skip this step.
Damp and mould — Awaab's Law
- Awaab's Law (in force from 2026) requires landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days of being notified and to begin repairs within a further 7 days. Damp and mould get the shortest clock.
- Failing to act doesn't just give the tenant a claim — local authorities can issue an improvement notice + civil penalty up to £30,000.
- Document everything: timestamped photos, contractor visits, what the tenant was told. If a dispute reaches court, evidence wins.
Right to Rent — every adult tenant
- You must check that every adult who will live in the property has the right to rent in England (Immigration Act 2014). British/Irish citizens = passport. Settled / pre-settled / visa = Home Office share code, or BRP.
- Run the check via gov.uk/landlord-immigration-check for share codes. Keep a record of the result for the tenancy + 12 months after.
- Civil penalty up to £20,000 per adultif you let to someone without the right to rent and didn't check. Roguemove gates move-in monies behind your tick to make sure the check happens.
Gas safety
- Annual CP12 from a Gas Safe-registered engineerif there's any gas appliance. New tenants must get a copy before move-in.
- No CP12 = criminal offence, civil penalty, and personal liability if something goes wrong. This is the easiest one to forget — set a calendar reminder a month before expiry.
- Book a visit via the “Book GasPro” CTA on the property's compliance vault.
Electrical safety — EICR
- EICR every 5 years, by a competent electrician (NICEIC, NAPIT, etc.). Tenant gets a copy within 28 days of issue or before move-in.
- Any C1 (danger present) or C2 (potentially dangerous) findings must be fixed within 28 days or sooner if specified.
- Book a visit via the “Book Certify” CTA on the property's compliance vault.
Renters' Rights Act 2025: what changed
- No more fixed-term tenancies. Every new tenancy is periodic from day one. The old 6/12-month AST is gone for new lets.
- Section 21 abolished. Possession is via a strengthened Section 8 with new mandatory grounds (sale, owner move-in, persistent arrears) and longer notice.
- Rent rises: max one increase per 12 months, and only via the statutory route — no in-tenancy negotiated rises baked into the APT.
- Blanket bans on benefits, children and pets are unlawful; Roguemove builds these prompts into the listing form.
Sanctions & identity checks — the plain-English version
- Why this exists: since 14 May 2025, UK financial sanctions rules apply to everytenancy — there is no minimum rent. Before a property is let, the people letting it must be checked against the official UK sanctions list. It's a list of people and companies the UK government says you can't do business with.
- Who gets checked: you (the account holder) and everyone on the property's title — including a spouse or family member who co-owns but will only ever sign documents by a link. If a company or trust is on the title, declare the entity name and the people behind it.
- Who runs the check:our KYC team — never you. You provide each person's legal name and date of birth; we screen them and confirm. The date of birth just tells your “John Smith” apart from any other on the list. Checks don't touch credit scores and aren't visible to tenants.
- “With the KYC team”means the details are queued for screening. You'll get an email when everyone is confirmed — usually quickly — and the listing can then go live.
- If something is flagged:it's usually a name coincidence. The listing is held while we review manually and we'll contact you. A flag is not an accusation.
- High-value lets: if any rent exceeds roughly €10,000/month (≈ £8,500), UK Money Laundering Regulations also require full customer due diligence on that tenancy — Roguemove flags those automatically from your AML answer at setup.
Where to get more help
- National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) — guidance, helpline, members' templates.
- Property Ombudsman (TPO) — free dispute resolution if a tenant complains.
- Your local council's housing standards team — call before they call you.
- A solicitor — for anything contentious, this is cheaper than getting it wrong.