Preparing for your tenants to move in

First time landlord guide

Preparing for your tenants

Book a lettings consultation

Below is a checklist to use to make sure you are ready for your tenant(s).

  • Go through the property and ensure it is clean and presentable
  • If you were the prior resident arrange to have your mail redirected
  • Transfer utility bills into the name of the new tenant
  • Arrange for the council tax to be paid by the new tenant
  • Leave instructions for all appliances with each appliance.
  • Make sure all relevant equipment is labelled correctly
  • Copy the house keys so that each tenant has a set

Make sure you can provide your tenants with the following:

  • An Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement  
  • A Schedule 2 Ground 2 Mortgage Notice  
  • Energy Performance Certificate  
  • Gas Safety Record
  • How to rent guide   
  • Standing Order  
  • Smoke alarm checklist
  • An inventory of the property
  • Carbon Monoxide Checks
  • Licenses
  • EICR

On the day your tenants move in

  • Take final meter readings and give them to the tenants
  • Conduct, agree and sign the inventory with the tenants
  • Demonstrate the workings of relevant equipment - alarms, locks
  • Explain how to use any safety equipment - extinguishers, blankets
  • Provide emergency contact numbers and written explanations of how to deal with an emergency in the property
  • Allow the tenants to ask you any questions they have
  • Hand over the keys

If you are letting your property through an agency then a lot of the above will be carried out by the agent. Check with the agent what they will be responsible for. This will depend on the type of agreement you have.