What Should Scottish Landlords Check Between Tenancies?
What Should Landlords Check Before a New Tenancy Starts?
The gap between one tenant moving out and another moving in is often the best time for landlords to deal with the small things that are easy to miss later.
It does not need to become a complicated exercise, but a careful walk round the property can help pick up appliance issues, water system checks, obvious damage, cleaning problems and anything that may make the property feel poorly managed before the next tenant arrives.
For landlords and letting agents, this is also a useful time to make sure records are up to date.
Thorn helps landlords and letting agents with two practical parts of that wider picture: PAT testing for landlord-supplied movable appliances and Legionella risk assessments for rental properties.
If you are unsure what may be relevant for your property, you can ask Wendy, Thorn’s website assistant, to help you work through the basic property details and get a guide price before I confirm everything personally.
Relevant for: private landlords, letting agents, property managers, rental flats, furnished lets, managed properties and landlords preparing a property for new tenants.
Start with the obvious condition issues
Before getting into paperwork, it is worth starting with the property itself.
Look for anything a new tenant will notice straight away: damaged fittings, loose handles, stained sealant, poor ventilation, signs of damp, marks on walls, broken blinds, tired flooring, missing bulbs or anything that makes the property feel uncared for.
These are not always major compliance issues, but they do affect how the property is presented and how confident a tenant feels when they move in.
Check landlord-supplied appliances
If the property is furnished or partly furnished, check the appliances supplied with the let.
That might include a fridge, freezer, washing machine, microwave, kettle, toaster, lamps, television, vacuum cleaner or other plug-in items left for the tenant to use.
The changeover period is a good time to make sure appliances are clean, working properly, not visibly damaged and included in the property records where relevant. If an item is damaged, has a loose cable, cracked casing, scorch mark or unusual smell, it should not just be left for the next tenant.
Think about PAT testing before the tenant moves in
PAT testing is much easier to arrange when the property is empty or between tenancies.
There is usually better access, the appliances can be checked without disturbing anyone, and the report can be kept with the property file before the new tenant moves in.
Thorn’s landlord PAT testing service focuses on landlord-supplied movable appliances. It does not cover tenant-owned items, and it is separate from fixed wiring checks or other specialist inspections. The aim is simple: clear appliance checks and a digital report landlords and letting agents can keep on file.
Do not forget Legionella records
A new tenancy is also a sensible time to think about the Legionella risk assessment.
In Scotland, landlords have a duty to assess the risk from hot and cold water systems, and the assessment should be reviewed at intervals of no more than two years.
For many normal rental properties, this should be practical and straightforward rather than overcomplicated. Thorn now provides Legionella risk assessments following my Elmhurst accreditation, with clear reports that can be kept with the property records.
Look at water outlets and unused areas
If a property has been empty for a while, or certain rooms have not been used much, it is worth paying attention to water outlets.
Bathrooms, en-suites, utility rooms, outside taps and little-used sinks can easily be overlooked during a quick handover clean.
A Legionella risk assessment looks at the water system, the property layout and relevant risk factors. It is not water sampling or laboratory testing. For most domestic rental properties, the important thing is having a clear assessment and knowing what practical steps, if any, are needed.
Keep the property file tidy
Good records make life easier for landlords and letting agents.
Before a new tenancy starts, it is worth checking what records are already on file and what may need refreshed. This might include appliance records, Legionella risk assessment records, inventories, manuals, guarantees, cleaning notes, maintenance information and any relevant contractor reports.
Not every check will be handled by the same person or company, but keeping the records together makes future management much easier.
Presentation still matters
A property can technically be ready, but still feel rushed.
Clean appliances, fresh-looking sealant, working bulbs, tidy utility areas, clear surfaces and well-presented rooms all help create a better first impression for a new tenant.
That first impression matters. It sets the tone for how the property is being managed, especially if the tenant is moving into a furnished or managed let.
Use the changeover as a reset point
The easiest way to manage property checks is to treat the changeover as a reset point.
Before the next tenant moves in, take the chance to check the condition of the property, review the appliances, look at the water system records and deal with anything that would be harder once the property is occupied.
For landlords with more than one property, this kind of routine can make records clearer and reduce the chance of things being missed.
Where Thorn can help
Thorn is not here to handle every part of landlord compliance, and some checks will still need to be dealt with by the landlord, letting agent or the right specialist.
But Thorn can now help with two practical areas that often sit naturally around a tenancy changeover: PAT testing for landlord-supplied movable appliances and Legionella risk assessments for rental properties.
Where suitable, both can be discussed together to reduce admin and help keep the property records clearer.
Thorn PAT Testing’s approach
Thorn provides PAT testing and Legionella risk assessments for landlords, letting agents and small businesses across Glasgow, Bearsden, Milngavie and East Dunbartonshire.
The focus is on clear communication, practical checks and digital records that landlords and letting agents can keep on file.
Preparing a property for new tenants?
If you are unsure whether PAT testing, a Legionella risk assessment, or both may be relevant, Wendy can help you work through the property details and provide a guide price before I confirm everything personally.
You can view the Legionella risk assessment service, the landlord PAT testing service, or ask Wendy online.
Ask Wendy for a Guide Price