Property licensing
Check whether each property needs a selective, additional or HMO licence and make sure the correct person or organisation can hold it.
Overseas Landlord Services
UK-based support for overseas landlords
Landlord Lab manages licensing, compliance records, renewal dates and council requirements for landlords who live overseas and own rental property in England. We can work alongside your letting agent and keep you informed about what has been completed and what still needs attention.
Your obligations as an overseas landlord
The same property, tenancy and licensing duties apply when you live outside the UK. Your letting agent may carry out some of the work, but the landlord remains responsible for making sure the relevant requirements are met.
Safety and property standards
Keep gas, electrical and energy-performance records current and complete any required inspections or remedial work.
Tenancy and occupier records
Keep tenancy, deposit, prescribed-information and Right to Rent records complete and available.
Tax and overseas ownership
Understand how the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme applies to your rental income and make sure the correct tax arrangements are in place.
Requirements vary by property, tenancy and local authority.
Common risks for overseas landlords
You may have less visibility over deadlines, property records and local licensing changes.
Local licensing changes
Licensing schemes are regularly introduced and changed by individual councils and can be easy to miss. A property can require a licence even when a nearby property does not.
Reliance on a letting agent
A letting agent may manage the tenancy without handling licence applications, statutory records or every landlord obligation.
Missed records and deadlines
Certificates expire, evidence is lost and council correspondence can require a quick response. These problems are harder to resolve when no one is monitoring the full compliance position in the UK.
Download our guide for overseas landlords
Download our practical guide to managing rental property in England while you live overseas.
The guide covers
- The main legal obligations attached to your property
- Property licensing and local council requirements
- What a letting agent may and may not handle
- The records you should hold for each tenancy
- Questions to ask your agent and practical next steps
Compliance managed in the UK
Landlord Lab gives overseas landlords one UK-based team to review the position, organise the records and deal with the compliance work that falls outside a letting agent's service.
Check each property
We review licensing, certificates, tenancy records and the responsibilities agreed with your letting agent.
Deal with missing work
We can manage licence applications, arrange documents and help resolve gaps in the property record.
Monitor dates and changes
Compliance Shield tracks key records and deadlines and flags work before it becomes overdue.
Work with the people already involved
We can liaise with your letting agent, council and contractors rather than requiring you to replace an existing arrangement.
You have a clear record of what applies, what has been completed and what needs attention. This is the practical basis for peace of mind when the properties are managed from another country.
Two Westminster properties managed from Canada
Rob owned two properties in Westminster and had appointed a national letting agent. Both properties required licences, but the agent would not act as licence holder.
Landlord Lab confirmed the licensing position, managed both applications and organised the supporting compliance records. Rob could continue managing the properties from Canada with a UK team handling the work locally.
"My agent refused to be listed on the licence. Landlord Lab stepped in, sorted both properties and cost me less than I was already paying. I can see everything from Canada and I know it's being handled properly."
FAQs
Download the overseas landlord guide
A practical guide to the obligations, records and decisions involved in managing rental property in England from overseas.