5 Documents Every Nottinghamshire Landlord Legally Must Have in 2026

Why This List Matters More in 2026 Than It Did Last Year

The compliance bar for private landlords in England shifted significantly on 1 May 2026. The Renters' Rights Act brought in new paperwork obligations, and — quietly, without much press — the civil penalty ceiling for operating an unlicensed HMO was raised from £30,000 to £40,000 (RealYield, 2026). That's not a typo.

I manage properties across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and the number of landlords who still think their 2023 compliance setup is current is genuinely alarming. Nottingham City Council alone runs three separate licensing schemes: mandatory HMO licensing, an additional licensing scheme, and a selective licensing scheme. If your property sits in one of those wards and you haven't checked recently, you could already be non-compliant without knowing it.

This isn't about scaring you. It's about giving you a specific, actionable list you can check off today.

Document 1: Gas Safety Certificate (CP12)

Every landlord with gas appliances knows about the CP12. But knowing about it and having a valid, correctly served one are two different things.

The rules: your Gas Safety Certificate must be issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer, renewed every 12 months, and — critically — provided to new tenants before they move in, and to existing tenants within 28 days of the annual check. HMO licence conditions specifically require the CP12 to be in place within 28 days of issue (LetSafe UK, reviewed 19 Aug 2026).

Where landlords come unstuck: they get the check done but forget to physically serve the certificate. A certificate sitting in your email inbox does not count as served. A paper copy handed to the tenant, or a digital copy sent with confirmation of receipt — that counts.

Penalty for non-compliance: up to £6,000 per offence, plus potential criminal prosecution.

Document 2: Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Since 2020, all private rented properties in England have required a valid EICR. The certificate must be carried out by a qualified electrician, renewed every five years, and — again — served to tenants.

HMO licence conditions reinforce this: a five-yearly EICR is a mandatory licence condition, not a recommendation (LetSafe UK, reviewed 19 Aug 2026). If your EICR is outstanding or has flagged a C1 or C2 observation that hasn't been remedied, you're exposed.

One thing I'd push back on here: some landlords treat the EICR as a box-tick. It isn't. A C2 observation means there's a potentially dangerous condition. Leaving it unremedied and continuing to let the property is, in my view, the most avoidable enforcement risk in the entire compliance list. Fix the observation, get the sign-off, keep the paperwork.

Penalty for non-compliance: up to £30,000 civil penalty.

Document 3: Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Your EPC must show a rating of E or above to legally let the property. That's been the case since 2020 for new tenancies and 2023 for all tenancies. EPCs are valid for ten years.

But here's what catches landlords out: if your EPC expired during the tenancy and you haven't renewed it, you technically have no valid certificate. You also can't serve a valid Section 21 notice — now replaced under the Renters' Rights Act — without a current EPC on record.

The proposed uplift to a minimum EPC C rating has been pushed back repeatedly, but the direction of travel is clear. If your property is currently a D or E, I'd strongly recommend getting a retrofit assessment done sooner rather than later. Waiting until legislation forces your hand will mean competing with every other landlord in Nottinghamshire for the same limited pool of approved contractors.

Document 4: Renters' Rights Act — Written Statement of Terms and Tenant Information Sheet

This is the one most landlords are missing in 2026, and it's the newest addition to the list.

From 1 May 2026, a written statement of terms is required before an assured periodic tenancy begins. This requirement was confirmed via a draft Statutory Instrument published on 19 January 2026 (The Independent Landlord, 2026). The written statement must set out the key terms of the tenancy in a prescribed format — it's not the same as your standard AST, and a standard AST does not automatically satisfy this requirement.

Alongside this, the Tenant Information Sheet must be served to all tenants at the start of the tenancy (OTS Solicitors, 2026). This sheet sets out tenant rights under the Renters' Rights Act, including the right to request a pet, the right to challenge rent increases, and the process for raising complaints.

My strong advice: if you've granted any new tenancy since 1 May 2026 and you're not certain both documents were served correctly, get that checked now. The consequences of failing to serve prescribed information are significant — they can affect your ability to recover possession and expose you to financial penalties. Consider consulting a qualified solicitor if you're unsure about your specific position.

Document 5: Selective or HMO Licence (Where Required)

This is the £40,000 document.

Nottingham City Council operates mandatory HMO licensing (for HMOs with five or more occupants forming two or more households), an additional licensing scheme covering smaller HMOs, and a selective licensing scheme in specific wards (Nottingham City Council). If your property falls under any of these schemes and you're operating without a licence, the civil penalty is now up to £40,000 — raised from £30,000 on 1 May 2026 (RealYield, 2026).

The ward boundaries matter. Selective licensing doesn't cover the whole of Nottingham, but it covers more of it than most landlords realise. And critically: it's not just Nottingham City. Some areas of Gedling, Broxtowe, and Rushcliffe have or are consulting on their own schemes. If your portfolio spans multiple local authority areas across Nottinghamshire, you need to check each one separately.

Operating without a licence also strips you of your ability to serve a valid notice to recover possession. You can't fix that retrospectively. Get the licence, or don't let the property — those are the only two legal positions available to you.

Five documents. Most landlords have three of them. Some have four. The one they're usually missing is the one introduced in May 2026 — the written statement of terms — or the licensing document they didn't know applied to their ward.

Compliance in 2026 isn't harder because the rules are complicated. It's harder because the rules changed, the penalties increased, and the enforcement appetite — particularly in Nottingham — is real. Nottingham City Council has been one of the most active local authorities in England on landlord licensing enforcement for several years running. That isn't going to soften.

Save this article. Check your five documents against this list. And if you find a gap, close it before someone else finds it for you.