Autumn is the ideal time to get a rental property ready for the colder months. Problems that stayed hidden in summer often surface once the heating goes on and the rain sets in. Good autumn lettings preparation means finding them while the days are still mild and tradespeople have space in their diaries.
A seasonal review covers the property’s condition, safety paperwork, tenant appeal, and whether your rent still fits the local market. Done now, it helps you prepare your property for winter and head into year-end with a plan.
Related: How confident are you with your landlord responsibilities? Take a quick check
Walk the property before the weather turns
A walk-round turns vague worries into a list of jobs you can book. Arrange the visit with your tenant and give at least 24 hours’ written notice, as the law requires.
Check the roof, gutters, and drains
Blocked gutters are a frequent cause of winter damp. Leaves collect, rainwater overflows, and brickwork can soak it up over weeks. That water then shows up as penetrating damp on inside walls. On older terraces, cast-iron gutter joints may rust and leak. From ground level, check for:
- Slipped or missing roof tiles, especially after strong winds
- Sagging gutters, or green streaks on the brickwork below
- Loose downpipes, or ones that stop short of the drain
- Cracked outer wall render, or gaps around window frames
Look inside for damp and mould
Focus on the coldest spots in the home. Solid-walled terraces, found across many northern towns, often have colder inside walls where condensation gathers. Check behind wardrobes, around the sides of window openings, and in the corners of bathrooms. Black mould or a musty smell usually means the cause needs tracing before any repainting.
Get the heating, insulation, and ventilation right
Heating faults are a common reason for winter call-outs. Each one can mean an unhappy tenant and an emergency engineer’s fee. To prepare your property for winter, make sure the building also holds heat and lets damp air escape.
Give the boiler a pre-winter service
A service can help spot worn parts before they fail. Ask the engineer to bleed radiators, check thermostat settings, and test the pressure. Show the tenant how to top it up themselves.
Keep warmth in and moisture out
A well-sealed home needs steady airflow, or the moisture from cooking, showers, and drying clothes struggles to escape. Small fixes to insulation and ventilation can make the home more comfortable and cheaper to heat.
Insulation gaps worth closing
- Loft: check that the insulation covers the whole space and hasn’t been flattened by stored boxes.
- Doors: fit draught strips to external doors and a brush to the letterbox.
- Loft hatch: insulate and seal it, as it is easy to overlook and usually inexpensive to fix.
- Pipes: wrap exposed ones in foam lagging, especially in lofts, garages, and under-floor spaces.
Fans and vents that do their job
Extractor fans only help if they run. Test that bathroom and kitchen fans pull air, and clean any clogged grilles. The small slot vents at the top of windows should open freely. Humidity-sensing fans are a good fit where tenants forget the switch.
Bring safety and compliance up to date
Compliance documents run on fixed renewal cycles, and missing one can lead to fines. Gather every certificate in one folder and note the next renewal dates.
The checks every rental in England needs
Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and selectively licensed areas carry extra rules on top of the checks below.
- Gas safety certificate: a Gas Safe registered engineer must check every gas appliance yearly. Give tenants a copy within 28 days, or before move-in.
- Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): needed every five years. Share it within 28 days, and finish flagged repairs within 28 days or sooner if stated.
- Smoke alarms: fit at least one on every storey used as living accommodation, with a landing or hallway usually the best spot.
- Carbon monoxide alarms: required in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, such as a boiler or log burner. Gas cookers are exempt.
- Alarm testing: check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms work on the first day of each tenancy, and repair faulty ones promptly once reported.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): the property needs a minimum E rating to let, unless a valid exemption is listed on the PRS Exemptions Register.
- Legionella: you must assess the risk from the water system. For most homes, a simple visual check and written record is enough.
What changed under the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act has reshaped tenancies in England. Assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, with no fixed end date. Section 21 ‘no fault’ notices ended, so landlords seeking possession now rely on specific grounds under Section 8. Use your review to confirm that new tenants have a written statement of their tenancy terms, and that existing tenants have received the government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet. Check, too, that you answer pet requests in writing within 28 days, refusing only on reasonable grounds, and that your repair and contact records are filed, ready to support any Section 8 claim.
Related: The New PRS Database: A Landlord’s Guide to Early Compliance and Registration
See your property through a tenant’s eyes
A safe, compliant home is the starting point, but how it feels to live in often decides whether good tenants stay. Search property websites for homes like yours within a mile, and compare photos, kitchens, bathrooms, and extras such as parking or a garden. If similar listings look fresher, note the gap; sometimes it is something modest, like dated light fittings or a tired front door. Then ask your tenants what works and what frustrates them. A sticking window, weak shower, or poor phone signal in one room might seem minor, but fixing it is often a small job, and it shows you listen.
Is your rent keeping pace with your area?
Rent below the market costs you every month, while rent above it can lead to longer empty periods. Local rents move with demand, new housing, and employers arriving or leaving. The aim is a figure that is fair to both sides.
Signs your rent may be out of step
A review is likely due if you haven’t looked at your rent in over a year, or if comparable homes are letting quickly at higher asking rents. Added value matters too: fitting a new kitchen, improving the EPC rating, or adding off-road parking since the last review can all support a higher figure. On the other hand, slow enquiries the last time you advertised may point to a rent set too high.
Related: How much rent should I charge? A landlord’s guide to setting the rent
How rent increases work now
Rent can now rise once a year through a Section 13 notice, and rent review clauses in tenancy agreements no longer apply. Tenants need at least two months’ notice of the new rent, and the first rise cannot take effect until 52 weeks after the tenancy began. Any increase should reflect the open market rate. If a tenant disagrees, they can ask the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide.
Related: The role of letting agents in landlord compliance
Get a valuation from someone who knows your street
Many online calculators work from broad averages. They may not account for a quiet cul-de-sac, a good school catchment, or a nearby bus route. A local agent works from rents agreed on homes let locally, which often differ from advertised prices.
At Whitegates, our lettings teams offer rental valuations and annual rent reviews, with written figures that can support a Section 13 notice if a tenant challenges the new rent. Contact your local Whitegates branch to book yours, and go into your next rent review knowing exactly what your property should earn.
