ARLA Level 3 Residential Letting & Property Management cheat sheet

Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998: a landlord must obtain a Gas Safety Record from a Gas Safe registered engineer before a new tenancy starts and then at intervals of no more than 12 months, and give the record to tenants within 28 days of the check.

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules (England, since 1 October 2022): a smoke alarm is required on every storey of the rented dwelling; a carbon monoxide alarm is required in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers), and alarms must be tested at the start of each tenancy.

Energy Performance Certificate: a valid EPC rated E or above is required before marketing; since 1 April 2020 the minimum is E, and the fine for letting a sub-standard property is up to £5,000 per property.

Right to Rent (England): the landlord or agent must check original documents for all adult occupiers before the tenancy begins; follow-up checks are required for time-limited permissions, and a civil penalty of up to £3,000 per occupier applies for a breach.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) uses 29 hazard categories; a Category 1 hazard is the most serious and triggers a local authority duty to take enforcement action, which may include an improvement notice or prohibition order.

Electrical safety: since 1 June 2020 in England, landlords must have the fixed electrical installation inspected and tested by a qualified person at intervals of no more than 5 years and give the report to tenants within 28 days of the test.

Fire safety: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to common parts of blocks of flats; the responsible person must complete a fire risk assessment, and the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that flat front doors and building structure fall within scope.

Fitness for human habitation: the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 implies a covenant into tenancies under 7 years that the dwelling is fit at the start and throughout the tenancy; tenants may enforce it directly in court.

Deposit protection: a tenancy deposit taken for an assured shorthold tenancy in England and Wales must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt, with the prescribed information given to the tenant within the same 30-day period.

Assured shorthold tenancy (England): the tenancy must be for a fixed term of at least 6 months (or periodic), the rent must not exceed the statutory threshold, and the landlord must not reside in the same building; since the Tenant Fees Act 2019 the only permitted payments are rent, a refundable tenancy deposit capped at 5 weeks' rent (where annual rent is under £50,000), a holding deposit capped at 1 week's rent, and certain default and variation fees.

Section 21 notice (England): must be served on Form 6A for an AST, gives at least 2 months' notice, and cannot be served within the first 4 months of the tenancy; the deposit must be protected and the prescribed information given, and a valid EPC, Gas Safety Record and How to Rent guide must have been provided.

Section 8 notice: relies on grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988; grounds 1-8 are mandatory (possession must be granted if proved) and grounds 9-17 are discretionary; notice periods range from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the ground.

Renters (Reform) Act 2025: abolishes section 21 'no fault' evictions in England, converts existing ASTs to periodic assured tenancies, and introduces a Decent Homes Standard and a national landlord database; implementation dates should be confirmed against current government guidance.

Client money protection: a letting agent holding client money must belong to a government-approved CMP scheme and display the certificate; client money must be held in a designated client account separate from the agent's own funds.

Redress schemes: letting agents in England must be a member of a government-approved redress scheme (The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme) and display the scheme name and membership number in the office and on the website.

Tenant Fees Act 2019: a holding deposit must not exceed 1 week's rent, must be refunded within 7 days if the tenancy does not proceed through no fault of the tenant, and may be retained only in specified circumstances such as providing false information.

Inventory and check-in: a schedule of condition signed by the tenant at the start of the tenancy is the primary evidence against which the deposit deduction is assessed at check-out; fair wear and tear must be distinguished from damage.

Service charges and section 20 consultation (leasehold): qualifying works costing more than £250 per leaseholder require a consultation notice and at least 30 days for observations; the long-term agreement threshold is £100 per leaseholder per year.