Question: ‘Dear Andy, I have just bought my first buy-to-let property in Warrington, but I’m confused – what documents do I need to let it?’ Andy’s Answer: You’ve taken the first big leap of buying a property to let, but there are still more hurdles to jump when it comes to renting your house. I’ve made a list below of the documents required.

Gas Safety Certificate: As a landlord, you have a legal responsibility to instruct a Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out the checks and produce a certificate. You need to give this certificate to the tenant when they move in and a new check carried out once a year thereafter.

Legionella Risk Assessment: A competent person must carry out a risk assessment to assess the risk of exposure to legionella in your property. You can carry out the assessment yourself, but it may be best to use a contractor for the time being.

Energy Performance Certificate: This checks the energy efficiency of your property. They last for 10 years and you should have one from the sale.

Electrical Certificates or PAT Tests: While not legally required yet, it is legally required that your electrical installations and appliances are safe when the tenancy begins and throughout the tenancy. You should at least check that all your electrical installations are visually adequate (no cracks to sockets or burn marks, etc.).

Smoke Alarms: At least one smoke alarm is required per floor of a property and you must ensure that the alarms installed are in proper working order on the day a new tenancy begins.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Carbon monoxide alarms are only legally required where there is a solid fuel burning appliance, but are recommended in close proximity to a gas boiler as best practice.

As you can see, there’s a lot to think about when preparing your Warrington property.

n If you have a property related question, email me on andy@hamletwarrington.co.uk or give me a call on 235338.