What certificates does a landlord need?

Before letting a property in England you generally need a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), an annual Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) where there are gas appliances, and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). You must also protect the deposit, complete Right to Rent checks and provide the How to Rent guide. DR Rent helps you track and organise these in one place.

How often does an EICR expire?

An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is normally valid for a maximum of five years for rented homes, or sooner if the report recommends an earlier inspection. DR Rent reminds you well before the expiry date you have recorded.

What happens when an EPC expires?

An EPC is valid for ten years. You generally cannot grant a new tenancy or renewal without a valid EPC, and the property must meet the minimum energy efficiency standard. DR Rent flags renewals early so a lapse does not take you by surprise.

How much deposit can I take?

For an assured tenancy the deposit is usually capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent at or above £50,000. The deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and the prescribed information served to the tenant.

How does a guarantor work?

A guarantor is a third party — often a parent or close relative — who legally agrees to cover the rent or damages if the tenant cannot. DR Rent lets you invite a guarantor, link them to the tenancy and keep every reminder logged.

How does DR Rent protect my records?

Documents are stored securely, messaging stays inside the platform and important actions are written to an audit trail against the property. Data is handled under UK GDPR controls and DR Rent is registered with the ICO.

Can I use DR Rent with an existing tenant?

Yes. Add the property, record the current tenancy and bring your documents, certificate dates, rent records and maintenance history into one dashboard. You do not need a vacant property to start.

The landlord operating system

From vacant property to a successful tenancy

Add your property, understand what needs attention, find verified tenants and manage the entire tenancy from one secure dashboard.

Start your landlord journey free See the journey

drrent.co.uk / landlord dashboard

82%Property health

42 Oakfield Road

2 actions required

EPC validGas Safety · 28 days

Verified tenant matches

Matching tenants12

Verified profiles7

Ready to move4

Rent status

Paid 1 Aug£1,350

Next due1 Sep

ArrearsNone

Maintenance

Open jobs1

BookedBoiler service

Upcoming expiry

Gas Safety12 Sep

EICR2029

Every action logged to the property audit trail

Where are you starting from?

Step 1

Start with the property you already own

Enter the address and DR Rent creates one secure workspace for the property, documents, tenants, maintenance and rent.

Add my first property

Property workspace · 42 Oakfield Road

Property details

3 bed semi · B91 · £1,350 pcm

Tenancy status

Available to let

EPC information

Rating C · expires 2031

Documents

4 uploaded, stored securely

Photographs

8 images added

Activity

Workspace created today

Your property now has one secure place for everything.

Step 2

See the health of your property clearly

DR Rent helps you track and organise compliance by identifying missing, expired and upcoming items — so you can see what needs attention.

Run a property health check

Property health

82%Property health

Property health: 82%

2 actions required

EPCValid
Gas SafetyExpiring soon
EICRValid

Deposit informationMissing
Right to RentPending
InsuranceUploaded

2 actions requiredProperty ready

Step 3

Complete the important jobs before they become problems

Work through what is outstanding with the tools already built into DR Rent — documents, reminders, contractors and DR AI.

Compliance Centre Property Health Check Contractor directory Ask Doctor Rent AI

EPC Gas Safety EICR Insurance Checklist Renters' Rights

Getting ready

Upload a document
Add an expiry date
Receive a reminder
Find a local contractor
Book a service
Ask Doctor Rent AI

Property ready

Step 4

See real tenant demand for your property

Match your property against tenants already registered and verified on DR Rent — before you spend anything on advertising.

View tenant demand How verification works

Tenant matching · 42 Oakfield Road

Matching tenants

Verified profiles

Ready to move

Guarantors available

Verified tenant · A.M.Available 1 Sep

Looking for:: 2 bed flat
Budget:: £1,150 – £1,300 pcm
Area:: Solihull
Referencing:: Referencing complete

Guarantor availableNon-smoker

Verified tenant · J.K.Available now

Looking for:: 3 bed house
Budget:: £1,400 – £1,600 pcm
Area:: Birmingham B13
Referencing:: Referencing in progress

No pets

Verified tenant · S.P.Available 15 Sep

Looking for:: 1 bed apartment
Budget:: £900 – £1,000 pcm
Area:: Coventry
Referencing:: Referencing complete

Guarantor availablePet owner (declared)

Sensitive details such as salary, ID documents, bank statements, credit scores and contact details are never shown publicly.

Step 5

Move from enquiry to agreed tenancy

Every message, viewing, reference and offer is time-stamped and connected to the property.

Matched

Tenant demand matched to your property

Messaged

Secure in-platform messaging

Viewing

Viewing booked and confirmed

Referenced

Referencing summary + guarantor invite

Offer

Formal offer and terms

Tenancy

Agreement and documents shared

Step 6

Begin with everything recorded

Move-in day is where disputes are usually won or lost. DR Rent keeps the record.

Create free landlord account

Move-in checklist

Tenancy agreement
Deposit information
Inventory
Meter readings
Property certificates
Tenant documents
Key handover
First rent date

Tenancy successfully created

Step 7

The journey does not stop when the tenant moves in

Rent, repairs, contractors, messages, documents and history — connected to the property, in one dashboard.

42 Oakfield Road · landlord dashboard

Rent

Paid 1 Aug£1,350

Due 1 Sep£1,350

Part payment£120 short

Maintenance

Leak under sinkAssigned

Boiler serviceBooked 12 Aug

Front door lockResolved

Messages

Tenant · A.M.2 unread

Plumber · SwiftFixQuote sent

GuarantorInvite accepted

Certificates

Gas Safety28 days

EICR3 years

EPCValid

Documents

Tenancy agreementSigned

InventoryStored

Deposit certificateMissing

Activity & audit

12 Aug 09:14Rent recorded

11 Aug 17:02Job assigned

09 Aug 08:40Doc uploaded

Rent management Maintenance Contractor network Compliance Centre

Step 8

Know what needs your attention next

Doctor Rent AI reviews what is recorded against your property and tells you what to do next — with the action one tap away.

Ask Doctor Rent

Doctor Rent AI

Your Gas Safety certificate expires in 28 days.

Review certificate

The tenant has reported a leak. Would you like to assign a plumber?

Open maintenance request

The rent payment for 15 August has not been recorded.

Check rent ledger

Two verified tenants match your available property.

View tenant matches

Less chasing. Less uncertainty. A better-run tenancy.

Before DR Rent

Documents in different folders
Tenant conversations in WhatsApp
Expiry dates in a diary
Maintenance calls and texts
Rent records in spreadsheets
No complete property history

With DR Rent

One property dashboard
Documents organised
Compliance dates tracked
Verified tenant profiles
Maintenance recorded
Rent clearly monitored
Every important action logged

Verified users Secure messaging UK GDPR controls Compliance tracking Audit trail protection UK-based support ICO registered

In partnership with Elementary Investments

Planning ahead for tax, pensions or investments?

Elementary Investments, independent financial advisers, help landlords, homeowners and property investors request professional guidance on inheritance tax planning, pension planning and investment planning.

Whether you own one property or a growing portfolio, it may be worth reviewing how your property, pension and investments work together.

DR Rent is an introducer only and does not provide financial advice. Financial advice is provided by Elementary Investments. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. DR Rent may receive a referral commission if you become a client of Elementary Investments.

Your next successful tenancy can start here

Create your free landlord account, add your first property and let DR Rent show you what needs doing next.

Create free landlord account Run a free property health check

Common landlord questions

Answers landlords ask most

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