The regulatory landscape for landlords has changed more in the last two years than in the previous twenty. The Renters' Rights Act came into force in May 2026, the EPC C deadline is now confirmed for 2030, and the compliance requirements that were once a checklist have become a legal framework with real consequences for getting it wrong.
I work with landlords across Wimbledon who range from someone letting their first flat to portfolio investors with a dozen properties, and I set out the practical service structure on our landlord services page. The ones who have the smoothest tenancies are, without exception, the ones who prepare properly before marketing. Here is what that looks like.
The compliance essentials
None of this is optional. All of it needs to be in place before your property goes live on the portals, and the related administration is explained in our estate agent and letting fees schedule.
EPC rated E or above. Required before marketing. Valid for ten years, but if your rating is D or E, start thinking about upgrades now: the minimum is moving to C by October 2030.
Gas Safety Certificate. Annual, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Must be provided to the tenant before move-in.
EICR. Electrical Installation Condition Report. Must be satisfactory, renewed every five years. If remedial work is flagged, you have 28 days to complete it.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Smoke alarm on every storey. Carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, and that now includes wood burners and open fires, not just gas.
Right to Rent checks. You must verify that every prospective tenant aged 18 and over has the right to rent in England. This involves original documents and, in most cases, the Home Office online service. Failure to comply can mean a civil penalty of up to £10,000 per tenant for a first offence.
Prescribed information. Under the Renters' Rights Act, you must provide tenants with a written Information Sheet and statement of key tenancy terms before or at the start of the tenancy.
I know this reads like a lot. It is a lot. But every item on this list exists for a reason, and the penalties for non-compliance have teeth. Getting this right is not bureaucracy: it is the cost of operating professionally in the current market.
Preparing the property
The standard expected by tenants in Wimbledon is high. This is a professional rental market, and the applicants you want (reliable, well-referenced, long-term) have options. They will choose the property that is clean, well-maintained and presented with care.
Get a professional clean done before marketing. Not a quick hoover: a proper deep clean including the oven, carpets and windows. Walk the property and check that every light fitting works, every tap runs, every handle and lock operates smoothly. White goods should be clean and functional.
These details matter because tenants notice them at the viewing, and referencing quality follows presentation quality. A well-presented property attracts stronger applicants. A property that looks like the landlord does not care attracts tenants who will not care either.
Set the right rent
This is where I see landlords make the most expensive mistakes. An overpriced rental property sits on the market, attracts fewer enquiries and ultimately lets for less than it would have done at the correct price from day one.
Under the Renters' Rights Act, getting the starting rent right matters more than ever. Rent can generally only be increased once per year using the prescribed rent-increase process, and tenants have a route to challenge the proposed market rent. Rental bidding is banned: you cannot advertise low and hope for offers above. The advertised figure must be the genuine market rent.
Price on evidence. Recent comparable lets in the immediate area. Not what the previous tenant was paying three years ago. Not what you need the rent to be to cover your mortgage. What the market will actually bear, right now.
The inventory
I cannot stress this enough: get a professional inventory done. An independent, detailed, photographic record of the property's condition at check-in.
Skipping this (or relying on a few phone photos) is a false economy that costs landlords at adjudication with depressing regularity. The inventory is the evidential basis for any deposit deduction at the end of the tenancy. Without a robust one, you are essentially hoping for the best.
Deposits and pets
Register the deposit with a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt. Serve the prescribed information within the same timeframe. Failure to comply can result in penalties of up to three times the deposit and can prevent you from serving valid possession notices.
On pets: tenants now have a contractual right to request one. You must consider it reasonably: blanket bans are no longer permissible. Pet requests should be considered individually and reasonably. If a pet causes damage, the usual repair and tenancy-deposit processes can still apply. My advice is to engage constructively with these requests. Many tenants with pets are excellent tenants who will prioritise staying in a property where they feel welcome.
Choose your service level honestly
Tenant-find, rent collection or full management: the right answer depends on how involved you want to be after the tenancy starts and how confident you are managing compliance, maintenance and tenant communication yourself.
For landlords who live locally and enjoy being hands-on, a tenant-find service can work well. For those with a portfolio, or who live outside the area, or who simply do not want to deal with a boiler breakdown at ten o'clock on a Sunday evening, full management is worth the cost.
The landlords who feel most relaxed are usually not the ones with the simplest properties. They are the ones with the clearest systems. They know who is answering the tenant, who is arranging the contractor, where the certificates are, and what happens if something goes wrong. That structure is what good management should provide.
What to do next
If this article has raised questions about your own property, the next step is a calm conversation. I can look at the property, the market evidence and the practical choices in front of you, then give you a clear view of what I would do next.
Would a measured conversation help?
For evidence-led advice about selling, letting or preparing property in Wimbledon and South West London, speak directly with Brenchley’s.