UK landlord compliance deadlines: the full list for 2026
If you let a property in England, a handful of safety and energy rules come with fixed deadlines. Miss one and the fines are real. Here is the whole list in plain English, with how often each one is due and who has to sign it off. No jargon, no scare tactics.
Or skip the lot. The Beige Landlord Renewal Dashboard keeps every date on this page for you and emails you before each one falls due. Everything below is for when you would rather know the why.
This is the short, honest version. It is not legal advice, and the rules do change, so treat the dates below as the current position in 2026 and check the official guidance if you are unsure.
Gas safety check: every 12 months
If the property has any gas appliance, pipework or flue that you provide, it needs a gas safety check every 12 months. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can do it. You have to give the tenant a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, or before a new tenant moves in, and keep your own copies for two years.
One useful detail: you can have the check done up to two months early without losing your original deadline, so there is no penalty for booking it in good time. More on gas safety certificates.
Electrical safety (EICR): every 5 years
The electrics have to be inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified, competent person. What you get back is an Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR. You give the tenant a copy within 28 days, and if the report says work is needed, that work has to be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so. This one carries a fine of up to £30,000, so it is not one to let slip. More on EICR renewals.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): valid 10 years, and the rules are tightening
Every rented property needs a valid EPC, and an EPC lasts 10 years. Right now the minimum rating you can let at is band E.
That minimum is going up. On 21 January 2026 the government confirmed the minimum will rise to band C for every tenancy by 1 October 2030, with a cost cap of £10,000 so you are not expected to spend beyond that to hit the standard. An earlier plan would have required new tenancies to meet band C from 2028, but that interim step has been dropped in favour of one single deadline for all tenancies. More on EPCs.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms: check at the start of every tenancy
Since October 2022 you need at least one smoke alarm on every storey that has a room lived in, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler or a wood burner, but not a gas cooker. You have to check they all work at the start of each new tenancy, and repair or replace any that a tenant reports as faulty. Fines here go up to £5,000.
The ones that are good practice, not fixed law
A few things get talked about as if they are on a legal clock, but are not:
- Portable appliance testing (PAT): there is no fixed legal interval. You do have to make sure any appliances you supply are safe, and many landlords test yearly as the simplest way to show that.
- Legionella risk: you must assess and manage the risk, but there is no set certificate or renewal date. A review every couple of years is a common, sensible rhythm.
- Landlord insurance: not a legal requirement, but almost always renewed yearly, and easy to forget.
Right to Rent checks sit slightly apart from the safety deadlines. If you want the detail on those, see our guide to Right to Rent records.
Keeping all of this straight across even a couple of properties is where things slip. The Beige Landlord Renewal Dashboard tracks every date above in one Google Sheet and emails you before anything is due, so a missed deadline is one less thing to worry about.
Last reviewed: August 2026. General information, not legal advice.