Finding and managing tradespeople as a landlord

This guide covers England. It's general information, not legal advice. Rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are different.

The short version

Build a small list of trusted people before you need them: a plumber, a gas engineer, an electrician and a handyman.
Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Check their ID on the Gas Safe Register.
Electrical safety checks must be done by a qualified person.
Arrange access properly with your tenant, and keep a record of every job: who did it, when and what it cost.

Build your list before something breaks

The worst time to find a plumber is at 10pm with water coming through a ceiling. Ask other landlords and local letting agents who they use. Try people on small jobs first, and keep the ones who turn up when they say, communicate well and leave the place tidy.

Checks to make

Gas: anyone working on gas appliances must be on the Gas Safe Register. Check their ID card and look them up on the register's website. Gas safety rules for landlords.
Electrics: use a qualified electrician, for example one registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT. They can do your EICR and any repairs it finds. EICR rules.
Insurance: ask if they have public liability insurance.
Quotes: for bigger jobs, get a written quote first.

Arranging access with your tenant

Your tenant has a right to live in the home without being disturbed. Agree a time with them rather than sending someone round unannounced, and give proper notice in writing. For routine visits, at least 24 hours is the usual minimum. Emergencies like a gas leak or a major water leak are different, so act quickly to make things safe.

It often works best to let the tradesperson and tenant arrange the time directly, as long as the tenant is happy for you to share their number.

Give them what they need

A tradesperson who arrives knowing exactly what's wrong fixes it faster, and often first time. Send them:

the address and how to get in
a clear description of the problem
the tenant's photos
the tenant's contact details, if they agree

Keep a record of every job

Write down who did the work, when, what they did, what it cost, and keep the invoice and an "after" photo. This helps with deposit disputes, insurance claims, your tax return and showing the council you deal with repairs properly. Your repair responsibilities.

UnitCare Pro sends a repair to your tradesperson in one tap, with the photos and tenant's number. They book the visit and mark it done with an "after" photo from a simple link, and it's all saved on the report. See how it works.