Owner guide 4 of 6
Safety & compliance
Operating a short-let in the UK comes with important safety and legal responsibilities. We've broken down the key requirements, how often they need doing, approximate costs, and whether they're legal requirements or strongly recommended. We can help you arrange every one of these.
EICR
- Required?
- Strongly advised: insurers and booking platforms expect one
- Legal basis
- The 2020 private rented sector regulations cover tenancies; for short lets it's part of your duty of care and fire-safety duties
- Frequency
- Every 5 years
- What it covers
- Full inspection of the fixed electrical wiring in the property
- Approx. cost
- £120–£180 depending on property size
- Who needs it
- Every short-let owner, in practice
Gas Safety Certificate
- Required?
- Yes (legal requirement if there's gas)
- Legal basis
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
- Frequency
- Every 12 months
- What it covers
- Inspection of gas appliances, pipework and flues by a Gas Safe engineer
- Approx. cost
- £60–£80
- Who needs it
- Any property with gas appliances
Fire Risk Assessment
- Required?
- Yes (legal requirement)
- Legal basis
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- Frequency
- Review annually; update if anything changes
- What it covers
- A written assessment of fire hazards, emergency routes and fire safety measures
- Approx. cost
- £200–£300
- Who needs it
- All short-let properties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Legionella Risk Assessment
- Required?
- Yes (legal requirement)
- Legal basis
- Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and COSHH Regulations 2002
- Frequency
- Every 2 years, or after significant changes to the water system
- What it covers
- Assessment of hot and cold water systems for Legionella risk
- Approx. cost
- £100–£120
- Who needs it
- All landlords, including short-let hosts
PAT
- Required?
- Recommended (strongly advised under duty of care)
- Legal basis
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (duty of care — no strict PAT mandate)
- Frequency
- Every 1–2 years, or when new appliances are introduced
- What it covers
- Safety testing of portable electrical appliances
- Approx. cost
- £50–£100 depending on number of appliances
- Who needs it
- All short-let landlords
These steps are very important. To protect both yourself from liability and your guests from harm, it's essential to complete all required steps. Please note we're unable to advertise or operate any property until all required steps are complete. If you need support at any stage, our team is here to help.
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