Landlord advice and support

Landlords provide accommodation services to tenants, not just properties. You are a landlord if you rent out any part of or your whole property to anyone. And there are many laws, policies, and codes of compliance that you must follow, such as gas and fire safety and building code regulations.

We offer advice and access to community resources that can help. View our landlord and tenant guide (PDF, 418KB) to get started. It helps you to understand your responsibilities, significant hazards, how to interact with tenants and manage expectations, and it provides useful contact information.

Visit tenancy information if you want to know more about tenants' rights.

If you have a property not in use, but you would like more information about our empty property strategy and your options, visit empty properties.

Legislation

The Housing Act 1996 lays out the legislation and responsibilities for landlords in the UK. Other legislation and regulations will also apply to you. For a list of some of the legal Acts and regulations that apply to landlords:

  • housing Acts
  • regulations.

Also, a few others to note are:

It is always good to seek advice from a legal professional to make sure you understand your responsibilities and rights. If you don't know who to ask, get in touch with us for help.

Landlord responsibilities

Some of your responsibilities include providing documents such as:

You are also responsible for providing some services, such as:

  • property inspections
  • maintenance 
  • repairs
  • fire and monoxide gas alarms
  • annual checks for gas and five-yearly checks for electrical.

It may be a good idea to have a list of trusted contractors that you can give to your tenants for any minor repairs:

  • if you have agreed to undertake repairs
  • if the tenants are responsible for the repairs or want to do any renovations you have agreed with them.

Hospitality accommodation

If you offer accommodation in the hospitality industry, such as a bed and breakfast or a self-catered property, see the fire safety guidance you must follow.

Fairs and landlord groups

For information about private housing for landlords, letting agents, and anyone interested in attending, we host a fair once a year.

We also host executive group meetings for landlords and letting agents to discuss current issues and events in the private sector.

To register your interest for either event email, landlordincentivescheme@iow.gov.uk.

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