How to rent my property out?

Hi Peter
Yes you need a gas cert (annually) and an EICR (electric every 5 years). Check your EPC as new regulations will mean it needs to be a C (although still not clear when) or above and best to do any work before tenants move in. Smoke alarms and maybe a carbon monoxide one.
If you have a good letting agent they can tell you all the things you need

Peter, The patma.co.uk software will take you through the steps you need to do to rent out your property and self manage the property. It’s easy to setup and will prepare your numbers for your HMRC tax return at the end of the year. If free for 1 property. As a landlord you may also need to register with the council under licensing scheme but this is normally for HMO residences.
Pete

A good starting point would be to inspect the property using the hhsrs guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-health-and-safety-rating-system-hhsrs-guidance which lists 29 points relating to health and safety. Letting property is not for the faint hearted.

Other documents and information that you will need in applying for the license are listed at https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20175/private_housing/2649/selective_licensing/2

Hi Peter, welcome to the landlord community.

It is nice to see that you are taking time to understand your obligations before you start your first tenancy.

There are some useful guides here
https://ihowz.uk/landlords/

In addition, if you read through the government How to Rent guide, the checklist for landlords provides a useful guide. You will need to provide a copy of the latest version of this to your tenants at the start of each tenancy
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent

As Marc says, a good agent should ensure all the required compliance steps are in place. However, an understanding of your obligations is recommended, as you are ultimately liable, so accreditation training and membership of a landlord association are recommended.

The friendly helpline team at iHowz are always happy talk members through any issues they might have. There are also regular meetups and newsletters, where you can find out more.
https://ihowz.uk/join/#membership

My advice - approach a different agent.

You don't need an estate agent to let your house or manage it for you - you need a good letting agent who should also take time to advise you on how your house should be presented to reach the maximum rental income.
I would be facing real problems if an agent advised me that all I need was a gas safety certificate and electric certificate.
Another indication of standard would be to look on the property portals to perhaps look to see what other houses are available in your area and to gauge the type of finish and rental income expected.
I am sure though if you are clean and tidy your home would be acceptable to others.

Don't forget to get permission from your mortgage lender (if applicable)

Lots of great advice on here
However you need to look at the big picture.
Your looking at finding a good lettings agents who can help guide you through the complex process of preparing your " property " for rent.
It's then No longer your home.
Is this a good idea full stop ?
Would you be better off selling and putting the sale proceeds into ISA,s savings accounts. Premium bonds , stocks and shares, bonds etc
Do you really want to start a new business you know little about ?
Landlords are having a hard time due to government changes on Tax, laws, rules and regs, Local council licencing etc

Please see these two links.

Government guide on how to rent here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent

And a pretty good explanation of the how to rent leaflet you are obliged to provide to tenants is at this link:

https://www.lettingaproperty.com/landlord/blog/how-to-rent-guide-2023/

I have no connection with this company but it's a pretty good explanation freely available via google.

I notice you said about not leaving furniture. It is usual to leave at least white goods for which you can get a pat test to ensure safety. I recently let an empty house and was shocked that many people have virtually no possessions. If you decide to leave items behind make sure that chairs, beds etc have fire safety labels. Don’t put furniture into storage long term. It’s better to give it away. Sites like freegle are useful for the humblest of items. Good luck.

Beware, a 4 bed house may be used as a HMO without your permission, and you will be held legally liable for it not meeting the HMO Regulations. This will cost you up to £30,000 for each breach of the HMO regs, plus you may have to pay back any rent you received.

You need appropriate consents from your mortgage lender, and you need proper landlord insurance (for the specific tenant type).

You need to have the annual Landlord's Gas Safety certificate.
You need an Energy Performance Certificate (currently must be with a rating of E or above, but it's likely to be changed to a C or above).
You need an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) showing no C1 or C2 faults, and you should also consider upgrading to ensure there are no C3 recommendations.

You will need to consider what fire safety features may need to be installed, e.g. fire doors, fire alarms systems, emergency lighting, protected fire escape routes, etc. A professional fire risk assessment should help identify the works needed.

You will need to protect any deposit received, in a government approved scheme.

There are also issues such as the Right To Rent checks, referencing, obtaining suitable guarantors, HHSRS compliance (proper assessment needed), your repairing/maintenance obligations, etc, but a good letting agent should be able to advise you on these matters (if they can't, then they are not a good letting agent so find a different one).

Understand that letting agent fees are subject to VAT, so it will cost you more than the figure they quote to you, and always check and understand their terms and conditions as some have very onerous exit terms (or hidden fees).

You should also understand the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and the implications for what fees can or can't be charged to the tenants.

You also need to understand the issues around tenants who may be in receipt of welfare benefits, and the potential implications upon your chances of receiving the full rent. Tenants may be in work now, but what if they lose their job, or their income reduces, or they can't afford their bills, etc.

These are just a few of the issues you need to consider as a landlord, and if you are not ready, willing, and able, to deal with these, then it may be a better idea to sell the property and invest into something that is a bit more "hands off" and reliable.

Hi Peter
The legislation around renting as you've already been informed far from straight forward and that's not even going into possibilities around bad tenants not paying rent or damaging the property. As already suggested it's not for the faint hearted. As you've already mentioned stairs being an issue I'm thinking the property no longer fit for purpose so I'd be tempted to look into Darmian's suggestion of selling before deciding on renting. The arrangement of living with a relative might not work out so you'll have the funds at the ready to move into a place more fit for purpose. To reiterate renting not a straight forward procedure. Good luck with whatever decision.