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Being a landlord is a professional business. Find out more about your responsibilities on the 

• Landlords must be . This is a legal requirement.
• If 3 or more unrelated people are to tenant your property the likelihood is, that a House in Multiple Occupation Licence (HMO) is required. If required, licensing is a legal requirement.
• Join Scotland. This provides information, standard documents, training and ensures you can market the quality of your service.
• Prepare a detailed inventory of fixtures and fitting and record the condition of each. Photographs are particularly useful. Have your tenant sign acceptance of the inventory.
• Keep dated photographs of any defects to the structure, decoration, fixtures or fittings.
• Use the information here:  to ensure your property is in good condition before letting. Remember the repairing standard and the tolerable standard are legal requirements.
• Have full buildings insurance (and contents if appropriate). Advise your insurance company that the property is let.
• Only supply soft furnishing which meet the appropriate fire safety regulations.
• Have all gas appliances checked annually and give copies to your tenant. It is good practice to have a gas safety check completed each time the property is re-let. Ensure the tenant is aware of the proper means of operating all equipment. You can find out more about gas health and safety at the .
• Landlords in Scotland must ensure a risk assessment has been carried out to determine the level of risk if any of water in the rental property becoming contaminated with Legionella. The Legionella risk assessment can be carried out by anyone competent to do so, which could be the landlord. This is a legal obligation and is enforced by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). You can find out more on the Health and Safety Executive’s .
• From 1st December 2015, landlords are required to undertake two types of electrical checks on their rental properties; an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and a Portable Appliance Test (PAT). The tenant must be given a copy of the inspection when it is done. A new tenant must be given a copy of the most recent inspection before the tenancy begins. Full information on how to comply can be found on the Scottish Government .
• Ensure the house has an Energy Performance Certificate on display. Implement any low cost, easy fit improvements where possible.
• Co-operate with your tenants.
• In tenement buildings, ensure your tenants are aware of their responsibilities to contribute to close cleaning or other communal duties.
• Have a written copy of your lease. It is the duty of the landlord in every private residential, assured or short assured tenancy to draw up a document stating the terms of the tenancy and provide a copy, free of charge, to the tenant at the commencement of the tenancy.
• Ensure your tenants have contact details for you or your letting agent and include provision for out of hours contact.
• Attend to repairs promptly and efficiently.
• Place any deposit with one of the three mandatory  within 30 days of the tenancy commencing and ensure that the required information is provided to the tenant.
• Further information and guidance on being a Private Landlord including Housing Standards is available from the Scottish Government site: 

Our Advice

• Letting property is a professional business.
• Set up the correct administrative procedures from the beginning. If/when problems occur – be ready to deal with them.
• Deal with problems quickly and efficiently – don’t let issues escalate to major disputes.

Further advice is available from