Private rented sector

Being a landlord is a professional business. Find out more about your responsibilities.

• Landlords must be registered. This is a legal requirement.
• If 3 or more non related people are to tenant your property the likelihood is a House in Multiple Occupation Licence is required. If required licensing is a legal requirement.
• Join Landlord Accreditation. This provides information, standard documents, training and ensures you can market the quality of your service.
• Prepare a detailed inventory of fixtures and fitting and record the condition of each. Photographs are particularly useful. Have your tenant sign acceptance of the inventory.
• Keep dated photographs of any defects to the structure, decoration, fixtures or fittings.
• Use our Housing Standards guide to ensure your property is in good condition before letting. Remember the repairing standard and the tolerable standard are legal requirements.
• Have full buildings insurance (and contents if appropriate). Ensure the insurer is aware the property is let.
• Only supply soft furnishing which meet the appropriate fire safety regulations.
• Have all gas appliances checked annually and give copies to your tenant. Ensure the tenant is aware of the proper means of operating all equipment. You can find out more about gas health and safety at the Health and Safety Executive's website.
• Ensure the house has an Energy Performance Certificate on display. Implement any low cost easy fit improvements are possible.
• Co-operate with your tenants.
• In flatted buildings ensure your tenants are aware of their responsibilities to contribute to close cleaning or other communal duties.
• Have a written copy of your lease. It is the duty of the landlord in every assured or short assured tenancy to draw up a document stating the terms of the tenancy and provide a copy, free of charge, to the tenant at the commencement of the tenancy.
• Ensure your tenants have contact details for you or your letting agent and include provision for out of hours contact.
• Attend to repairs promptly and efficiently.
• Place any deposit with one of the three mandatory tenancy deposit schemes within 30 days of the tenancy commencing and ensure that the required information is provided to the tenant.
• Further information and guidance on being a Private Landlord including Housing Standards is available from the Scottish Government - Private renting - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Our Advice

• Letting property is a professional business.
• Set up the correct administrative procedures from the beginning, problems will occur – be ready to deal with them.
• Deal with problems quickly and efficiently – don’t let issues escalate to major disputes.

Further advice is available from www.rentingscotland.org