Room viewing checklist
Before you commit to a room in a shared house in England, use these questions to check the paperwork, costs and terms. Follow the linked official guidance for the rules that apply to your agreement.
Download the one-page viewing checklist (PDF, one A4 page) — 11 questions to tick off and space for notes. Revised 18 October 2026 to ask which agreement type applies; other source checks remain dated 15 October. Keep the full guide and official links for the rules that apply to your agreement.
Paperwork to ask about
Ask which requirements apply to the property and your agreement; the list below is a set of questions, not a claim that every document is required for every room letting.
- A gas safety certificate, provided before you move in (what landlords must do).
- The energy performance certificate (EPC).
- An electrical installation condition report (EICR), showing the condition of the electrics.
- Evidence that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms work at the start of the tenancy.
Shared-house questions
- Is the house licensed? Where three or more unrelated people share facilities, some houses in multiple occupation must be licensed. Ask, and verify with the local council. See HMO licences explained.
- Is the landlord allowed to let it? Ask whether they have the owner's or mortgage lender's consent where that applies.
Money
- Is the deposit within the legal cap (five weeks' rent for most rooms), and which approved scheme protects it?
- Which bills are included? See bills included, explained, and check the fees you are asked to pay are permitted.
Terms and house rules
- Which type of agreement applies? Ask whether it is an assured periodic tenancy or another arrangement, and how either side can end it. See our Renters' Rights Act scope and notice guides.
- Rules on smoking, pets, guests and shared spaces. Get them in writing. See tenancy agreements.
- Your own right to rent check and any guarantor requirement.
On the day
Look at the room, the kitchen and bathroom you will share, the locks, and how heating and hot water work. Take photos, and make sure what you were told matches what you are asked to sign.
This is general information for England, not legal advice. See also how renting with us works.
Official GOV.UK guidance (checked 15 October 2026): landlord safety responsibilities; tenancy deposit protection.
Agreement-type question checked 18 October 2026 against GOV.UK assured periodic tenancy scope and exclusions. This is not a classification of a particular room letting; the earlier source checks above remain dated 15 October.