Landlord Advice
How to Prepare a Property for Letting
A well-presented, compliant property lets faster and attracts better tenants.
A well-prepared property lets faster, attracts better tenants and avoids problems later. This checklist covers what to sort out before your property goes on the market.
1. Permissions and insurance
- Mortgage. If the property has a residential mortgage, you'll need your lender's consent to let, or a buy-to-let mortgage.
- Leasehold flats. Check the lease allows letting and whether the freeholder needs to be told.
- Insurance. Standard home insurance usually doesn't cover a let property. Arrange landlord buildings insurance, and consider contents cover for anything you provide and rent guarantee cover.
- Licensing. Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) may need a licence. Check with Stoke-on-Trent City Council or Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
2. Safety and compliance
A property shouldn't be let until these are in place. See our compliance checklist for more detail.
- A gas safety certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer, renewed every year.
- An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), renewed at least every five years.
- An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before marketing. Most private rented homes need a rating of E or above.
- Smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms where required, tested on the day the tenancy starts.
- A check for damp, mould and other hazards, and safe access, stairs and windows.
We can arrange gas safety certificates, EPCs and EICRs for any landlord. Prices are on our fees page.
3. Repairs and condition
Walk round the property as a tenant would. Fix dripping taps, sticking doors, loose handles, broken blinds and anything that doesn't work. Make sure the heating and hot water work properly and that windows open and lock. Small jobs left undone become the first repair calls of the tenancy, and they make a poor first impression at viewings.
4. Decoration and cleaning
Neutral, freshly painted walls make rooms look bigger and photograph well. Replace badly worn carpets. Then have the property professionally cleaned, including the oven, windows and bathroom. A professional clean sets the standard you can expect the tenant to return it in at the end of the tenancy.
5. Furnished or unfurnished
Most family homes in Stoke-on-Trent let unfurnished. Furnished lets suit some city-centre flats, students and short-term professional tenants. If you include furniture, it must meet fire safety regulations, and any electrical appliances you provide should be safe and in working order.
6. Paperwork
- A tenancy agreement on the periodic terms that apply since the Renters' Rights Act.
- A detailed inventory and schedule of condition, with dated photographs.
- A deposit protection scheme ready, so the deposit can be protected within 30 days.
- Copies of the safety certificates and appliance instructions to give the tenant.
7. Price and marketing
Set the rent at what similar properties nearby are letting for. Since 1 May 2026 the property must be advertised at a stated rent, and you can't accept offers above it, so getting the figure right matters. Use bright, well-composed photographs and an accurate description. A free rental valuation from us will give you a realistic figure.
Want us to handle it?
With Full Management, we take care of the inventory, tenancy agreement, deposit registration and check-in, and arrange the certificates you need.
Frequently asked questions
What certificates do I need before letting a property?
In England you need a gas safety certificate (where there are gas appliances), an EICR, an EPC, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where required. Deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt.
Do I need permission from my mortgage lender to let my property?
Usually, yes. If the property has a residential mortgage you need your lender's consent to let, or you may need to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage.