Project Overview
A UK residential lettings agency with 8,400 managed properties, 12,000 tenants, and NALS (National Approved Le...
Technology Stack
Compliance & Standards
The Challenge
A UK residential lettings agency with 8,400 managed properties, 12,000 tenants, and NALS (National Approved Letting Scheme) accreditation needed a unified compliance platform — replacing paper-based compliance tracking, manual deposit protection, and spreadsheet-based gas safety certificate management. Housing Act 1988 (assured shorthold tenancies), Deregulation Act 2015 (tenant fees ban enforcement), Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, Tenant Fees Act 2019, Right to Rent checks (Home Office — landlord immigration compliance), deposit protection (DPS/TDS/mydeposits), Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report), UK GDPR, and WCAG 2.1 AA were mandatory. Budget: £110,000.
Our Approach
Lettings compliance certificates
- 1Gas Safety Certificate (Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 — annual inspection by Gas Safe engineer, certificate to tenant within 28 days and at tenancy start),
- 2EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report — required every 5 years since 2020, new EICR before new tenancy),
- 3EPC (Energy Performance Certificate — required before marketing, MEES minimum EPC E for new tenancies),
- 4PAT testing (portable appliance testing — not legally required but best practice for furnished lets).
Certificate dashboard
traffic light (
Green
valid,
Amber
expiring within 30 days,
Red
expired) for all 8,400 properties.
Automated renewal reminders
- GOV.UK Notify — 60 days, 30 days, 14 days before expiry.
- Right to Rent Checks —
Home Office
Right to Rent (Immigration Act 2014): landlords must check all adult tenants have right to rent in the UK before tenancy starts.
Digital Right to Rent
Home Office Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) — tenant shares digital identity (UK passport scan or driving licence) → IDVT provider verifies → Right to Rent result returned (right to rent: confirmed, time-limited, no right to rent).
IDVT providers
Yoti, Thales, or similar Home Office-certified providers.
Manual check record
- for non-IDVT checks (foreign nationals with BRP — Biometric Residence Permit) — copy of documents + check date + repeat check date (time-limited right to rent).
- Non-compliance: landlord faces civil penalty up to £20,000 per tenant without right to rent.
Tenant Fees Act 2019
banned payments include holding deposits above 1 week's rent, deposits above 5 weeks's rent (6 weeks for rent above £50,000/year), administration fees, referencing fees, credit check fees, and check-in fees.
Platform
- 1deposit calculator (5-week cap automatically enforced — cannot enter deposit above 5-week rent calculation),
- 2holding deposit tracker (1-week cap, 15-day deadline — automatic return trigger if application not progressed),
- 3permitted fees only (late payment fee at 3% above Bank of England base rate, lost key fee only).
TFA audit
every charge to tenant recorded with justification — TFA compliance evidence pack for NALS audit.
Deposit protection
all deposits must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt.
Schemes
DPS (Deposit Protection Service), TDS (Tenancy Deposit Scheme), mydeposits.
Platform integration
deposit received → automatic deposit protection submission (DPS API — custodial scheme) → tenant receives prescribed information (legally required within 30 days — GOV.UK Notify).
Deposit dispute
at end of tenancy, agent submits deposit return proposal (full return, partial deductions with evidence — photos, inventory comparison) → tenant receives proposal → 10-day acceptance window → dispute triggers scheme adjudication.
TDS adjudication API
dispute submitted digitally — supporting evidence (photos, invoices) uploaded to case.
The Results
NALS compliance confirmed.
Platform live at 16 weeks, £100,000 — under budget. 8,400 properties across all compliance certifications live.
Gas Safety Certificate compliance: 99.8% valid (Red status properties: 17 — all in active renewal).
Right to Rent digital adoption: 72% (IDVT).
Deposit protection: 100% automated within 28 days (previously 4.2 days average manual delay risking 30-day deadline).
TFA compliance: zero tenant fee overcharges detected in first 12 months.
NALS audit: confirmed compliant.
Tenant NPS: 72.
“Gas Safety compliance 99.8%. Right to Rent digital 72%. Deposit protection 100% automated — never missed the 30-day deadline again. TFA zero overcharges. NALS audit confirmed compliant. Tenant NPS 72. The Tenant Fees Act compliance engine — the deposit calculator with 5-week cap and holding deposit 15-day tracker — prevented compliance failures that would have cost us £20,000 penalties per incident. Platform paid for itself in the first month." — Managing Director, UK Lettings Agency (name withheld)”
Project Details
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