How to Prepare a Property for Letting

Getting a rental property ready for the market is about much more than giving it a quick clean and putting it online.

The way a property is prepared can affect the rent it achieves, the quality of applicants it attracts and how smoothly the tenancy runs once somebody moves in.

It is also much easier to deal with maintenance and compliance before a tenant moves in than it is to start organising contractors once the property is occupied.

At Willmott & Lake, we work with landlords across Bishop's Stortford, Stansted, Sawbridgeworth, Takeley, Great Dunmow and the surrounding villages.

Here are the main things we recommend considering before putting a property onto the rental market.

Start With an Accurate Rental Valuation

Before spending money on a property, it is worth understanding what it is realistically likely to achieve.

A good rental valuation should take into account the location, size, condition, parking, outside space and specification of the property, as well as what comparable homes are actually renting for.

There is little benefit in spending thousands of pounds upgrading something that is unlikely to materially improve the rental value.

Equally, a relatively small improvement can sometimes make a significant difference to how attractive a property feels when prospective tenants walk through the door.

We would generally recommend getting the rental valuation done before carrying out any major work so you can decide where your money is best spent.

Deal With Maintenance Before Marketing

If there are jobs you already know need doing, it is normally better to get them sorted before the property goes online.

A dripping tap, broken cupboard door or damaged seal around a bath might seem relatively minor, but several small defects together can make a property feel poorly maintained.

Prospective tenants will often notice these things during a viewing.

More importantly, anything left unresolved at the beginning of the tenancy is likely to become a maintenance report shortly after the tenant moves in.

We would rather start a tenancy with the property in good condition than spend the first few weeks arranging jobs that could have been completed beforehand.

Think About Presentation

Tenants are not necessarily looking for a property that has just been completely refurbished.

They are looking for somewhere that feels clean, well maintained and somewhere they can see themselves living.

If the walls are heavily marked or the property feels tired, a fresh coat of neutral paint can often make a considerable difference without costing a fortune.

Carpets should be clean and in reasonable condition, kitchens and bathrooms should be properly cleaned and any gardens should be presentable.

You do not need to turn every rental property into a show home, but presentation matters.

Don't Underestimate Professional Marketing

The first viewing of your property usually happens online.

Before somebody contacts an agent, they have normally already looked through the photographs, floorplan and description and decided whether the property is worth seeing.

This is why we don't think rental properties should be marketed as an afterthought.

At Willmott & Lake, we put the same emphasis on presenting our rental properties properly as we do with our sales listings.

Good photography and strong presentation can help your property stand out against everything else a tenant is looking at.

The aim isn't simply to generate as many enquiries as possible. It is to attract the right applicants and put the property in the best possible position from the beginning.

Make Sure the Property Is Safe

Before a tenant moves in, the landlord needs to make sure the property is safe and free from serious hazards.

Landlords are responsible for making sure gas and electrical installations are safe, supplying the required safety information, providing an EPC and meeting the relevant smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements.

This isn't an area we recommend leaving until the last minute.

If a certificate identifies remedial work, you want enough time to have that dealt with properly before the tenancy begins.

Gas Safety

Where there is gas at the property, the relevant gas appliances and flues need to be checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

The gas safety check is an annual requirement and the appropriate record needs to be provided to the tenant.

If you're using a managing agent, this is something that can then be diarised and monitored throughout the tenancy.

Electrical Safety

The electrical installation needs to be safe and the appropriate electrical inspection should be in place.

If remedial work is identified, it should be dealt with within the required timescale rather than simply filing the report away.

Any electrical appliances being supplied with the property should also be safe to use.

Check the EPC

You also need a valid Energy Performance Certificate.

The EPC gives prospective tenants information about the energy performance of the property and is one of the documents landlords are required to provide when renting out a home.

If you don't already have one, it is worth checking this early rather than discovering it has expired when you are ready to launch.

Test the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Make sure the correct alarms are installed and working.

The relevant smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be tested at the beginning of the tenancy.

It is a very simple part of preparing a property, but an important one.

Decide What You're Leaving at the Property

Think carefully about what is actually staying.

If you're letting the property unfurnished, don't use it as an opportunity to leave behind furniture and belongings you no longer want.

Anything you provide can potentially become something you need to maintain, replace or account for at the end of the tenancy.

If you're leaving appliances, make sure they are clean and working properly.

The same applies to furniture in a furnished property. It should be in suitable condition and meet the relevant safety requirements.

A clear property is also much easier to inventory properly.

Arrange an Independent Inventory

A detailed inventory is one of the most important documents at the beginning of a tenancy.

It creates a record of the condition of the property before the tenant moves in and can become extremely important if there is ever a disagreement over damage or deposit deductions later on.

At Willmott & Lake, we outsource our inventories to independent third party inventory clerks.

We prefer doing this rather than preparing the report ourselves because it provides a more impartial record of the property's condition.

The landlord simply pays the cost charged by the inventory provider. We don't add a markup.

For a typical two or three bedroom property, an inventory will often be somewhere around £100 to £150, although the exact cost depends on the property.

Make Sure You Have Permission to Let

If the property has a mortgage, check whether your lender needs to give permission for the property to be rented.

If it is leasehold, you should also check the lease and establish whether the freeholder or managing agent needs to consent to the letting.

Government guidance specifically reminds landlords with a mortgage that permission from the lender may be required.

It is much better to establish this before finding a tenant.

Check Whether the Property Needs a Licence

Certain rental properties require a licence.

This is particularly relevant to Houses in Multiple Occupation, but local authorities can also operate licensing schemes affecting other rented properties.

The requirements vary depending on the property and location, so this should be checked before the tenancy begins.

Get Your Tenancy Documentation Right

The tenancy system changed significantly from 1 May 2026 following the Renters' Rights Act.

New assured tenancies are now periodic rather than traditional fixed term assured shorthold tenancies, and landlords must provide specified written information about the key terms of a new tenancy before it is agreed.

This is another reason why simply downloading an old tenancy agreement from the internet is not something we would recommend.

The documents being used need to reflect the current rules.

Be Careful With Upfront Rent

Another change since 1 May 2026 is the way upfront rent is handled.

Landlords and agents cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before the tenancy agreement has been signed.

So if an applicant is offering several months of rent upfront, the process still needs to be handled in the correct order.

Advertise the Property at the Right Rent

Under the Renters' Rights reforms, rental advertisements need to show an asking rent.

Landlords and agents cannot encourage applicants to bid above it or accept an offer of rent above the advertised amount.

That makes the initial rental valuation even more important.

Pricing deliberately low in the hope of generating a bidding war is no longer an appropriate strategy.

The asking rent should be the rent you genuinely intend to achieve.

Think About Who the Property Will Suit

It is also worth considering the likely tenant before the property goes onto the market.

A modern one bedroom flat close to Bishop's Stortford station is going to attract a different applicant from a four bedroom family home in Takeley or Great Dunmow.

Understanding your likely tenant can influence how the property is presented, when viewings are arranged and which features should be emphasised in the marketing.

That doesn't mean deciding who you do or don't want based on personal characteristics.

In fact, since May 2026 landlords and agents cannot discriminate against applicants because they have children or receive benefits.

It means understanding what aspects of the property are likely to appeal to people looking in that part of the market.

What About Pets?

Pet requests also need to be approached differently under the Renters' Rights Act.

Tenants and prospective tenants can request to keep a pet and landlords can only refuse where there is a valid reason.

If your property is leasehold, it is particularly useful to check the lease before marketing to understand whether there are any restrictions relating to pets.

That way, if an applicant asks, you already understand the position.

Make Sure the Property Is Actually Ready for Move In

The final few days before a tenancy begins can become hectic if everything has been left until the last minute.

Before handing over the keys, we would want to know that the property is clean, maintenance is complete, appliances are working, the relevant certificates are in place, alarms have been checked and the inventory has been carried out.

Meter readings and keys should also be recorded properly.

Starting the tenancy well sets the tone for the relationship with the tenant.

Should You Use a Letting Agent?

Some landlords are perfectly comfortable preparing and managing everything themselves.

Others would rather have somebody deal with the whole process.

Our Fully Managed service covers the initial marketing and tenant setup as well as the ongoing management of the property.

That includes tenant referencing, Right to Rent checks, tenancy documentation, deposit registration, rent collection through PayProp, tenant communication, maintenance coordination and routine inspections.

Our Fully Managed fee is 10% plus VAT.

There are no setup fees, marketing fees or ID check charges, and we don't add anything to contractor invoices.

We also offer a Tenant Find service for three weeks' rent plus VAT for landlords who would prefer to manage the tenancy themselves once everything has been set up.

Preparing to Let a Property in Bishop's Stortford?

If you're considering renting out a property, it is worth speaking to an agent before spending money getting it ready.

We can take a look at the property, advise on the likely rental value and explain what we would recommend doing before it goes onto the market.

Sometimes that means carrying out a few improvements.

Sometimes the property is already perfectly suitable and spending additional money isn't going to improve the result.

Willmott & Lake provides lettings and property management across Bishop's Stortford, Stansted, Sawbridgeworth, Takeley, Great Dunmow and the surrounding villages.

If you'd like us to take a look at your property and provide a free rental valuation, contact us on 01279 801165.