Before you become a landlord

Registration

Most landlords in Scotland must register with their local authority. It is the owner of the property who must register. Owners must also declare any agents that they use to manage their property. An agent may be a professional such as a letting agent or solicitor, or a friend or relative who looks after the property, arranges repairs, collects rents and so on.
To check if a property is registered visit the Scottish Government's National Landlord Registration web pages.  If the property does not appear to be registered please contact our Landlord Registration Team on 0131 469 5293. 

Inform your mortgage lender

If you do not have a buy to let mortgage you must tell your mortgage lender that you want to rent your property. If you don't, renting out the property may breach the terms of your loan. If you don't tell your mortgage lender they may "call up" the loan resulting in repossession of the property.

Buildings insurance

You will need buildings insurance. Insurers need to know who is living in your property in order to calculate the risk.

Check your tax implications

Landlords should check with HMRC or their accountant about how tax is calculated on rental income.

Licensing

When three or more unrelated people live in a rented property, the property must be licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)

Before you can market a property you have to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This report gives the property an energy rating, which shows how energy efficient the property is. This can give tenants an indication of how much it will cost to heat a property and help them decide whether or not to rent the property.