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A property manager runs a let on the landlord's behalf: collecting the rent and chasing arrears, arranging repairs, inspecting, keeping the gas, electrical and other certificates in date, answering the tenant and handling the end of the tenancy and the deposit. The work follows a calendar, and since the Renters' Rights Act took effect on 1 May 2026, the records a manager keeps are as important as the jobs it does.
This guide walks through a managed tenancy at the time of writing. It is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice. Ask an accountant about the tax treatment of agent fees and repairs.
Before the tenant moves in
- Compliance. A current gas safety record, an EICR, alarms fitted, an EPC of E or above and any licence the property needs. The landlord legal checklist lists each one.
- Referencing and Right to Rent for every adult occupier.
- Written terms for an assured periodic tenancy, signed before move-in.
- Rent in advance of no more than one month, and a deposit within the cap.
- Deposit protection in an approved scheme within 30 days, with the prescribed information served.
- The inventory and check-in, photographed, with meter readings and alarm tests.
- Utilities and council tax transferred to the tenant.
Every month
Rent. The manager reconciles payments as they arrive and contacts the tenant the day a payment is missed. Early contact and a written plan settle most arrears; our guide to rent increases and arrears explains the process.
Statements. The landlord receives a monthly statement showing rent received, fees and any invoices paid, with the net amount transferred. Keep them for your tax return.
Repairs. The tenant reports a problem; the manager triages it, sends a contractor and follows up. A good manager knows which jobs are urgent: no heating or hot water, a leak, an electrical fault or a security problem. Repairs within the agreed limit go ahead; larger ones come to the landlord with a quote. Damp and mould deserve fast attention.
Tenant contact. Questions about bins, parking permits, a lost key, a neighbour or a pet request. Under the Renters' Rights Act a pet request must be answered and cannot be refused unreasonably.
Through the year
| When | What |
|---|---|
| A few months after move-in | First inspection: condition, alarms, signs of damp, how the tenant is finding the property |
| Regularly after that | Routine inspections with a written report and photographs |
| Every 12 months | Gas safety check, booked in the two months before the deadline, record to the tenant within 28 days |
| Once a year | Rent review: a section 13 notice on Form 4A with at least two months' notice, if an increase is due |
| Every 5 years or as stated | EICR, with any required work done within 28 days |
| Every 10 years | EPC renewal |
| Before expiry | Licence renewal for licensed HMOs; follow-up Right to Rent checks where permission is time-limited |
| Late 2027 | Registration on the national landlord database, expected to open for the South West in August 2027 at the time of writing |
The calendar is the backbone of management. A missed gas date or an EICR left unrenewed is the most common compliance failure, and it is usually an administrative slip rather than a decision. A manager holds every date for every property in one system and books the work before it falls due.
Inspections need notice to the tenant, normally at least 24 hours in writing, except in an emergency. On the Bournemouth and Poole coast, inspections before winter are a good time to check gutters, ventilation and heating.
At the end of a tenancy
- Notice. Confirm the tenant's notice, which must be at least two months, or manage the landlord's section 8 process with a solicitor if possession is needed.
- Check-out. Compare the property with the inventory, room by room, with photographs. Read the meters and collect keys.
- Deposit. Propose any deductions in writing with evidence. Once agreed, return the deposit within 10 days; if disputed, send it to the scheme's dispute service. Our deposits guide covers the detail.
- Turnaround. Cleaning, repairs, safety checks if due, new photographs and marketing.
What the landlord still decides
Full management does not take the decisions away from the owner. The landlord still:
- approves the tenant, on the agent's recommendation;
- sets the asking rent and agrees any section 13 increase;
- approves repairs above the agreed limit, and any improvement works;
- decides whether to seek possession, and on which grounds, with legal advice;
- holds the insurance, the mortgage and any lender or freeholder consents;
- reports the rental income to HMRC.
A good manager brings each decision with the information needed to make it: quotes, photographs, comparables and the legal position. Agree in writing at the start how decisions are put to you and how quickly you will answer, especially for repairs that cannot wait.
Why records matter more now
Section 21 has gone. To recover a property a landlord must prove a ground in court, and the court will look at whether the landlord has complied with deposit, safety and other duties. A manager's inspection reports, rent ledgers, certificates and dated proof of service are the evidence. Ask any agent to show you a sample inspection report and statement.
How to judge an agent
- Membership. A government-approved redress scheme and, if it holds money, a client money protection scheme. Both should be named on its published fees.
- Response. How repairs are reported, who answers out of hours and how quickly a contractor attends.
- Repair limits. What the agent can spend without asking, and how it chooses contractors.
- Inspections. How often, what the report contains, and whether they are included in the fee.
- Arrears. When contact starts and how you are kept informed.
- Cost. The total for a year including VAT, compared like for like. Our guide to letting agent fees explains the tiers.
- Local knowledge. Contractors who can reach Southbourne, Hamworthy or Highcliffe the same day, and familiarity with BCP licensing and leasehold blocks.
We manage lets across Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch from our office on Charminster Road. See our property management service, or the gas and electrical safety guide for the compliance detail.
