Being a landlord involves a large number of documents, from Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates to tenancy agreements and notices.
The following documents are just a small selection of the documents that you will come across as a landlord. More information is also available on the related pages in the section.
Some of the optional documents that are part of the home information pack are:
- Home Condition Report
- Legal summary
- Home use/contents forms
However, it should be noted that the home information pack is not mandatory if property is being bought under the conditions mentioned below:
Properties where there is no marketing (for instance, buying from a family member)
- Non-residential properties
- Seasonal and holiday accommodation
- Mixed sales (i.e. shop with flat)
- Right-to-buy and similar sales
- Sales of portfolios of properties
- Properties not being sold with completely vacant possession
- Unsafe properties and properties to be demolished
The convenyancing activity normally covers most other documents that buyers will need for concluding buying a property.
The convenyancing activity covers all the other documents such as contracts, advance payments, payment from the mortgage provider etc.
A written tenancy agreement is not a legal requirement, but you are advised to have a written document setting out what you have agreed with your tenant. An inventory list will help you keep track of what you provided to your tenant at the start of the tenancy.
Landlords may need to communicate with the tenant on a number of issues during the term of a tenancy. For formal communications a number of sections notices are required.
It is a good practise to file all papers carefully and keep them in one place as documents are key to ownership of a property and continuous referrals will be required to these papers right through the ownership of the property.