Landlord inspection checklist

What should you do before the visit?

1. Give written notice of at least 24 hours, with the date and a time window. Send it by letter, or by email if your tenancy agreement allows, and keep a copy.
2. Ask if there's anything they want you to look at. Tenants often know about a dripping tap or a sticking window long before you'd find it.
3. Bring the last report so you can compare room by room, and your phone for dated photos.
4. Check your certificate dates before you go: the gas safety record (every 12 months) and the electrical report (every 5 years). Every certificate and when it's due.

What should you check in each room?

Look for damage, wear and anything unsafe. Note the condition of each room and take photos of anything that needs work.

Outside

• Roof: missing or slipped tiles, damaged flashing
• Gutters, downpipes and drains: blocked, leaking or overflowing
• Walls and pointing: cracks, damp patches, plants growing into brickwork
• Windows and doors: rotten frames, broken seals, locks that work
• Paths, steps, fences and gates: trip hazards, loose or broken sections
• Garden and bins: kept as the tenancy agreement says

Hall, stairs and landings

• Smoke alarm on this storey: press the test button
• Stairs and handrails: firm, no loose treads or carpet
• Lights working, including on the stairs
• Front door: closes properly, locks work, no draughts

Kitchen

• Sink and taps: drips, leaks underneath, slow drains
• Extractor fan or window: works, so steam can get out
• Worktops, cupboards and flooring: damage or water swelling
• Appliances you supply: working, cables and plugs undamaged
• Signs of damp or mould, especially behind appliances and in corners

Living rooms and bedrooms

• Damp, mould or condensation on walls, ceilings and window frames
• Windows: open, close and lock, with restrictors on upper floors where fitted
• Heaters and radiators: working, no leaks
• Sockets and switches: no cracks, scorch marks or loose fittings
• A gas fire, wood burner or other fixed appliance that burns fuel: carbon monoxide alarm in the room, press the test button
• Upholstered furniture you supply: fire safety labels still attached

Bathroom and toilet

• Leaks round the toilet, bath, shower and under the basin
• Sealant and grout: mould, gaps or water getting behind
• Extractor fan works
• Toilet flushes and refills; hot water reaches the taps
• Water pressure in the shower

Boiler, heating and electrics

• Boiler: fires up, pressure in the normal range, no warning lights
• Carbon monoxide alarm in the boiler's room, if that room is used as living accommodation
• Heating and hot water: every radiator warms up
• Consumer unit (fuse box): no damage, nothing tripping repeatedly
• Water tanks and little-used outlets: part of your legionella risk assessment

What is yours to fix, and what is the tenant's?

The law makes you responsible for keeping these in repair and working order:

• The structure and exterior, including drains, gutters and external pipes.
• The installations for water, gas, electricity and sanitation, including basins, sinks, baths and toilets.
• The installations for space heating and hot water.

The home must also be fit for human habitation, which takes in hazards such as serious damp and mould, excess cold, and the risk of falls or fire. Councils assess these under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Tenants must use the home in a "tenant-like manner": small jobs like changing light bulbs and unblocking a sink they've blocked, and putting right damage they cause.

What should you do about damp and mould?

Find the cause before treating the mould: a leak, failed sealant, a blocked gutter or a fan that doesn't work are all yours to fix. Condensation from drying clothes indoors is often a mix of how the home is used and how well it can ventilate. Note what you find and what you agree to do, with a date.

The government is consulting on extending Awaab's Law, which sets deadlines for dealing with damp, mould and other hazards, to private rented homes. The consultation closes on 18 December 2026. The consultation.

What should you do after the visit?

1. Write up the report the same day, room by room, with the date and your photos.
2. Send your tenants a copy with the repairs you'll do and when.
3. Book the repairs and keep a record of when each was reported and fixed.
4. Set the date of the next inspection.

Can you do the inspection on your phone?

RentClaro's inspections let you tap each room's condition, add notes and take photos as you go, then print a dated report. Saving it sets your next routine inspection for 6 months later. Property inspections.