London Landlord Compliance Checklist 2025: Gas, Electrical, Fire and More

London Landlord Compliance in 2025: What You Are Required to Have

Compliance obligations for private landlords in London have expanded significantly over the last decade. What was once a straightforward requirement for an annual gas safety certificate has grown into a multi-discipline framework covering electrical safety, fire safety, water safety, energy performance, and more. This checklist covers every compliance requirement that applies to most London private rented properties, with frequency, documentation requirements, and the specific legislation underpinning each.

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12): Annual, All Tenanted Properties

The annual Gas Safety Certificate — formally the Gas Safety Record — is required under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Every gas appliance, flue, and pipework in a tenanted property must be inspected by a Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months. The engineer issues a CP12 record documenting the condition of each appliance. The landlord must provide a copy to existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection and to new tenants before they move in. Records must be retained for two years. Non-compliance carries a penalty of up to £6,000 per offence and potentially a custodial sentence.

Cost in London: £55 to £100 for a single-appliance property (typically a combi boiler). Additional appliances (gas cooker, gas fire) are charged per item. Combining with an annual boiler service from £120 is the most cost-effective arrangement for most London landlords.

EICR Electrical Inspection: Every 5 Years or Change of Tenancy

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords to obtain an EICR from a qualified electrician registered with NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA every five years, or at each new tenancy if that falls sooner. The report must be provided to tenants and to the local housing authority on request. C1 or C2 observations must be remediated within 28 days. The penalty for non-compliance is up to £30,000.

Cost in London: £120 to £180 for a one to two bedroom flat; £180 to £300 for a three to four bedroom house; £280 to £500 for HMOs depending on size and complexity.

Smoke Alarms: Required on Every Floor, Every Tenancy

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require landlords to install a working smoke alarm on every storey of the rental property used as living accommodation. Alarms must be tested and confirmed working at the start of every new tenancy. For new tenancies, the landlord bears responsibility for testing; for ongoing tenancies, tenants must be instructed to test alarms regularly and report failures. Battery-powered alarms are acceptable, though mains-wired interlinked alarms are strongly recommended for HMOs.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Required Wherever Solid Fuel or Gas Appliances Are Present

The same 2022 Regulations extended the carbon monoxide alarm requirement to all rooms containing a gas appliance (not just solid fuel). A CO alarm must be installed in every room containing a fixed combustion appliance — this includes rooms with gas boilers, gas fires, and gas cookers. CO alarms must be tested at the start of each tenancy. The change from the 2015 Regulations (which only required CO alarms for solid fuel appliances) means that many London properties need additional alarms fitted, particularly where there is a gas boiler in a kitchen or utility room.

Energy Performance Certificate: On Every Let

An EPC is required before a property can be marketed to let and must be provided to the tenant. Since April 2020, rental properties must have a minimum EPC rating of E. Landlords cannot let properties with an F or G rating (with some limited exemptions). The government has signalled an intention to raise the minimum to C for new tenancies in future, though the implementation date has been delayed. An EPC is valid for 10 years.

Legionella Risk Assessment: Every 2 Years (or When System Changes)

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations require landlords to assess and control Legionella risk in rental properties. A risk assessment should be carried out before the tenancy starts and reviewed at least every two years or when the water system changes. For simple combi boiler properties with mains cold supply only, the risk is low and the landlord can carry out and document the assessment themselves using HSE guidance. For properties with hot water cylinders or cold water storage tanks, a professional assessment is advisable.

Fire Risk Assessment: HMOs and Multi-Occupancy Properties

HMOs and blocks of flats require a fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The assessment must cover the common areas and shared escape routes and must be reviewed when the property changes, when the occupancy changes significantly, or at least every two years for larger properties. For smaller HMOs, a competent landlord can carry out the assessment; larger or more complex properties require a qualified fire risk assessor. London Fire Brigade has enforcement powers and can issue enforcement or prohibition notices where fire safety standards are not met.

HMO Licence: Larger HMOs and Some Smaller HMOs in London

Houses in multiple occupation with five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities require a mandatory HMO licence. Many London boroughs operate additional licensing schemes covering smaller HMOs (three or four people) and selective licensing in specific areas. Licensing conditions include minimum room sizes, fire safety measures, adequate kitchen and bathroom facilities, and gas and electrical safety compliance. Operating an HMO without a required licence is a criminal offence with penalties up to £20,000 and the ability of tenants to apply for rent repayment orders.

Right to Rent Checks: Before Every Tenancy

Landlords must verify that all adult occupants have the legal right to rent property in England before the tenancy starts. The check must be conducted in person or using a government-approved online identity service and must be documented. Failure to carry out checks properly exposes landlords to an unlimited civil penalty.

Deposit Protection: Within 30 Days of Receipt

Any deposit taken for an assured shorthold tenancy must be protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receipt. The tenant must be given the prescribed information about the scheme within the same period. Failure to protect a deposit properly means the landlord cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice and can be ordered to pay the tenant up to three times the deposit amount in compensation.