As they say, ignorance of the law excuses no one. And every first-time property investor should know the law that governs his investment. The legal matters in property investment can actually become quite complicated – and gets even trickier with rental properties. Before you rent out your buy to let investment to potential tenants, makes sure that your property complies with the requirements under the law. Here are some of the basic legal requirements that a rental property needs to comply with:

* The Furniture and Furnishings Fire Safety Regulations (1988) (amended 1989). This law provides a level of fire resistance that upholstered furniture and fixtures must meet in a residential buy to let property. This regulation strictly imposes levels on certain upholstered items commonly included in a furnished rental home such as children’s furniture, beds and headboards, futons, sofa beds, nursery furniture, garden furniture, scatter cushions and seat pads, pillows, and loose and stretch furniture covers.

This regulation further requires all new furniture must carry a tag stating that it has complied with the fire resistance level. However, this law provides an exception as it does not apply to those furniture and fixtures manufactured before 1950, including re-upholsteries. Bed covers, duvet covers, mattresses, carpets and curtains are also exempt from the coverage of the law. Nevertheless, compliance with this particular safety regulation can be quite a burden for the landlord as strictly speaking, practically all furniture produced after 1988 has to comply with this requirement.

* The Law on Gas Safety. UK law provides that all gas appliances in rental properties have to be annually inspected by an engineer accredited with the Council for Registered Gas Installers or CORGI. This law covers pretty much the entire range of gas-emitting home appliances, including chimneys, central heating boilers and water heaters. As a landlord, you are under obligation to provide your tenant with a comprehensive list of the gas appliances on the property as well as the dates and the details of the inspection report.

When it comes to gas appliances, it is a safe and wise idea to purchase brand new. Do not scrimp on gas appliances and go with second hand ones. Furthermore, do not attempt to do the installation yourself. The safety of gas appliances on your property should be your top priority. This compromises the safety of your tenant and the property as well.

* The Law on Mortgaged Property. When your buy to let property is subject to a mortgage, the general rule is that you first need to obtain the consent of your lender before finalizing the deal with your tenant. You will find that this particular law is not so difficult to comply with as most lenders are pretty much familiar with the process of buy to let residential properties. However, you may find that you have are not allowed to rent the property to DSS tenants for example.