Overview

If you own a house or flat and want to rent it out for someone to live in as their home, there are a number of steps you have to take.

You have to:

• register with the local council – where your let property is located
• understand your responsibilities
• arrange the right paperwork
• know the law on tenancy deposits (the deposit must be lodged with a third party scheme within 30 working days of the tenancy starting)

If you're thinking about renting out your home, you might want to consider hiring a letting agent to help you.

If you're renting out a room in a property for someone to live in as their home while you're living there, the rules may be different. These types of tenancies are sometimes called 'common law' tenancies or 'occupancy agreements'.