Getting a property ready to rent can feel surprisingly simple.
Find a tenant. Sign an agreement. Take the deposit. Hand over the keys.
Except, in practice, there is quite a lot sitting between those four steps.
And in 2026, some of those steps have changed.
Here's the pre-tenancy check we'd want a landlord to think through before somebody moves in.
First: is the property actually ready?
Not "almost ready."
Ready.
Walk through the property without thinking like the owner.
Try the taps. Open the windows. Check the locks. Look at the bathroom sealant. Test the heating. Look inside cupboards. Check the furniture.
That minor problem you've stopped noticing may be the first thing a new tenant sees.
There is also a legal side to property condition. Landlords must keep rented homes safe and free from health hazards and meet relevant gas, electrical and fire-safety responsibilities.
A good handover begins with a home that is genuinely ready to live in.
Get the paperwork right before worrying about the keys
The tenancy landscape changed on 1 May 2026.
For most assured private tenancies in England, you can no longer create a new AST. These tenancies generally operate as assured periodic tenancies, running on a rolling basis rather than having a fixed contractual end date.
For tenancies created from 1 May 2026, landlords must also provide prescribed written information about key tenancy terms before entering into the tenancy. Failure to provide the required information can result in enforcement action and a fine of up to £7,000.
So recycling an old tenancy template from your laptop isn't a particularly good 2026 strategy.
Be careful with money before move-in
This is another area where old habits can cause problems.
A landlord or agent must not ask for, encourage or accept rent before both parties have signed the tenancy agreement.
Once it has been signed and before the tenancy begins, monthly-paying tenants can generally be asked for no more than one month's rent in advance.
A holding deposit can be up to one week's rent. A tenancy deposit is generally capped at five weeks' rent where annual rent is below £50,000, or six weeks where annual rent is £50,000 or more.
Applicable tenancy deposits must then be protected in an approved scheme. Government guidance says the deposit must be put into the scheme within 30 days of receipt.
Right to Rent hasn't disappeared
Landlords in England still need to carry out Right to Rent checks where the scheme applies.
The check applies to adult occupiers aged 18 or over, including in certain cases people who aren't named on the tenancy agreement. Checks must be carried out consistently rather than based on assumptions about someone's nationality.
That last part matters.
A proper process should be the same process for everyone.
Take the inventory seriously
An inventory shouldn't just be a folder of rushed photographs taken five minutes before check-in.
Record the condition properly.
Walls.
Floors.
Furniture.
Appliances.
Windows.
Bathroom.
Kitchen.
Keys.
Meter readings where relevant.
Give the tenant an opportunity to raise discrepancies.
It makes everyone's life easier later.
Then hand over a home, not just some keys
A good check-in should leave the tenant knowing three things:
How do I pay my rent?
Who do I contact if something breaks?
What do I do in an emergency?
If those answers aren't clear on day one, they certainly won't become clearer when there's water coming through the ceiling at 11pm.
Good property management isn't complicated because it uses impressive systems.
It's good because people know what happens next.
That's the standard we want to build around every Shokall-managed tenancy.