First-Time Landlord in the North West: The Basics Before You Let | SOLM Property
Becoming a landlord for the first time is more involved than it looks. Whether you have bought a property to let as an investment or ended up with one to rent out by accident, there is a real list of legal duties to meet before anyone moves in, and the rules changed significantly in 2026. Getting the basics right from the start protects you, your tenant and your investment.
Here is what a first-time landlord in the North West needs to know before letting.
First, is letting right for you?
Before anything else, be sure letting is the right move. Since the Renters’ Rights Act came in, letting is more of a long-term commitment than it used to be, because getting a property back at short notice is harder. Run the numbers properly on rent against real costs, and if you are still deciding between letting and selling, our separate guide on whether to sell or let is a good place to start.
One practical point people miss. If the property has a mortgage, you usually cannot simply let it. You will need either a buy-to-let mortgage or your lender’s formal consent to let. Letting without telling your lender can breach the mortgage terms, so sort this out early.
The safety essentials
These are legal must-haves, not nice-to-haves, and the penalties for getting them wrong are serious. You need an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe registered engineer if there are gas appliances, with the certificate given to your tenant. You need an Electrical Installation Condition Report, an EICR, carried out at least every five years by a qualified electrician, with any required remedial work done promptly. You need a valid Energy Performance Certificate of at least band E, which you must show prospective tenants, and it is worth knowing the minimum is set to rise to band C by 2030. And you need a working smoke alarm on every floor used as living space, plus a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance such as a boiler or wood burner, tested at the start of the tenancy. The government’s guidance on renting out a property sets these out.
Protecting the deposit and checking your tenant
If you take a deposit, you must protect it in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme, normally within 30 days, and give the tenant the prescribed information about where it is held. There is also a cap of five weeks’ rent on the deposit itself. Getting deposit protection wrong can cost you up to three times the deposit and can block you from regaining possession later, so it is not a corner to cut. The rules are on gov.uk.
You must also carry out a Right to Rent check in England, confirming your tenant has the legal right to rent in the UK, before the tenancy begins, and keep a record of it.
The paperwork has changed
This is where a lot of older advice is now out of date. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies have gone, and tenancies are now periodic, rolling on until ended properly. For any new tenancy you must give the tenant a written statement of the tenancy terms and the required information. The old “How to Rent” guide that landlords used to hand over has been withdrawn, so if you see a checklist telling you to provide it, that guidance is out of date.
Because Section 21 no-fault evictions are also gone, getting your property back now requires a valid legal ground and proper notice. Our guide to the Renters’ Rights Act explains what that means in practice, and it is essential reading before you let.
Do you need a licence?
Many people do not realise letting can require a licence. Houses in multiple occupation above a certain size need a mandatory HMO licence, and beyond that, a lot of councils across the North West, including parts of Liverpool and Manchester, run selective or additional licensing schemes that apply to ordinary rentals in certain areas. Letting without a licence you are required to hold is an offence. Check the position with the local council for the specific property before you let, because schemes vary street by street.
Tax, and telling HMRC
Rental income is taxable, and you need to declare it. For individual landlords, mortgage interest is no longer fully deductible and instead attracts relief only at the basic rate, which catches a lot of first-time landlords out. You can offset genuine expenses, and the way landlords report to HMRC is also changing as Making Tax Digital is phased in. It is well worth a conversation with an accountant before your first tenancy so you start on the right footing.
Insurance and being ready for repairs
Standard home insurance does not cover a let property, so you will need proper landlord insurance. Beyond that, have a plan for when things break, because at some point they will. New rules are also tightening the expectation that landlords respond quickly to serious hazards such as damp and mould, so knowing who you will call, and being contactable, is part of the job now rather than an afterthought.
If your property is in North Wales
As with our other landlord guidance, note the difference across the border. Wales has its own system under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, with different tenancy rules and landlord duties, and Rent Smart Wales registration and licensing requirements. If you are letting in North Wales, get advice specific to Wales rather than assuming the English rules apply.
The honest bit
None of this is meant to put you off, but it is a genuine list, and the fines for getting parts of it wrong run into thousands of pounds. Staying on top of certificates, deposits, the new tenancy paperwork, licensing and repairs is a real ongoing job, which is exactly why many first-time landlords hand it to a managing agent rather than trying to track it all themselves.
How SOLM Property can help
We offer lettings and full property management across the North West and North Wales, and setting a first let up correctly is something we do all the time. We can find and reference tenants, get the compliance right from day one, and keep the property on the right side of the rules while you get on with your life. Whether you want us to manage everything or just help you start properly, we can take the stress out of it.
If you are letting a property for the first time, get in touch and we will make sure you do it right.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Landlord rules are detailed and changing, so check your specific situation with a qualified professional before letting.