A London flat let to a tenant while its owner lives in Riyadh or Dubai runs on three things: a managing agent who does the work, a compliance list that is complete, and a monthly note the owner can read in two minutes. This guide sets out how we arrange each for clients, what it costs, what the law now requires of a landlord in England, and the two rules that trip up owners abroad.
Owning and letting
Letting and managing a London property from the Gulf: the agent, the compliance list and the monthly note
Choosing a managing agent for a London property from the Gulf
An owner in the Gulf needs full management from an agent that is a Propertymark member with client money protection and a redress scheme, at 10% to 15% of the rent plus a tenant-finding fee. Since 2026 tenancies are periodic from the start, the tenant may leave on two months’ notice, deposits are capped at five weeks’ rent and rent can rise once a year. The catch is compliance: a missed item on the list, from deposit protection to the borough licence, can block recovery of the flat and attract a fine.
A letting and managing agent finds and references the tenant, holds the deposit in a protection scheme, collects the rent, arranges repairs, keeps the safety certificates current and handles the end of the tenancy. For an owner abroad, full management is the only sensible level of service.
How to choose and pay a London letting agent
Choose an agent that is a member of a professional body such as Propertymark, holds client money protection, belongs to a redress scheme, and manages a stock of similar flats in the same district. Fees in London run from 10% to 15% of the rent for full management, plus a tenant-finding fee at the start of each tenancy. We appoint and oversee the agent; the owner deals with one person.
London tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act from 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act, in force from 2026, rewrote the private tenancy in England. Fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and the old no-fault notice are gone: tenancies are periodic from the start, the tenant may leave on two months’ notice, and the landlord may recover the flat only on stated grounds, such as selling it or moving in, with the notice periods the Act sets.
Rent increases, deposit limits and choosing a tenant in London
Rent can be raised once a year by formal notice, and a tenant may challenge an above-market rise at a tribunal. Rent in advance is limited to one month, deposits to five weeks’ rent, and a landlord may not refuse a tenant for having children or receiving benefits. None of this makes letting unattractive; it makes the choice of tenant, the inventory and the paperwork more important, which is what a good agent is for.
The landlord compliance list for a London tenancy
The items a landlord in England must have in place before and during the tenancy:
- Deposit: protected in a government scheme within 30 days, with the prescribed information served.
- Safety certificates: gas safety certificate every year; electrical installation report every five years; smoke alarms on every floor and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fuel-burning appliance.
- Energy Performance Certificate: at band E or better, with the minimum expected to rise to C later this decade; plan upgrades now for older flats.
- Right-to-rent checks: on every adult tenant before the tenancy starts.
- How to Rent guide: the government’s guide given to the tenant at the start.
- Borough licence: a licence from the borough where selective or additional licensing applies, which it does in large parts of London.
- Landlord insurance: covering the building where the lease requires it, and the contents and liability in all cases.
- Non-Resident Landlord Scheme: registration so that rent is paid without tax deducted; our guide on tax on rent covers it.
A missed item on this list is not a technicality: it can block recovery of the flat and attract a fine. The agent keeps the calendar; we check it.
Short-let and lease rules that catch London owners abroad
First, short lets. A London home may be let for short periods for no more than 90 nights a year without planning permission, and most leases forbid holiday lets altogether. The summer-visitor market that Gulf owners know from Edgware Road runs on long lets to families, not on nightly bookings. Second, the lease. Most leases require the freeholder’s consent to a letting and charge a fee for it, and some restrict sharing or subletting. The agent cannot let what the lease forbids, so the lease is read before the flat is marketed.
What it costs to run a managed London flat
The indicative running costs of a managed London flat:
Running costs of a let London flat, 2026
| Item | Indicative cost |
|---|---|
| Full management | 10% to 15% of rent |
| Tenant finding and referencing | Half a month’s to one month’s rent per tenancy |
| Inventory and check-out | £150 to £400 per tenancy |
| Safety certificates | £100 to £300 a year averaged |
| Landlord insurance | £250 to £600 a year |
| Void and repairs allowance | One month’s rent a year |
| Service charge and ground rent | Per the lease; £4 to £12 per square foot a year |
Source: firm’s indicative ranges, verified 13 October 2026; service charge per the lease.
The monthly property note for owners based overseas
One page per property each month: rent received, costs paid, works done or planned, the next compliance date, and anything that needs a decision. It is the difference between owning a flat in London and worrying about one. For a family home kept for the owner’s own use, the same note covers the housekeeper, the maintenance calendar and the state of readiness for the next arrival.
Related guides: Insurance for an overseas owner of UK property, The Renters’ Rights Act for an overseas landlord and Choosing a letting agent from abroad.
Sources: Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk) · Tax on your UK income if you live abroad: rent (GOV.UK) · Client money protection schemes for property agents (GOV.UK). Tenancy law in England changed in 2026 and continues to be implemented in stages; the agent’s and the solicitor’s advice govern a particular tenancy. Nothing here is legal advice. Figures verified 13 October 2026.
Frequently Asked
Questions about letting a London flat from the Gulf
Twelve to sixteen per cent of the rent plus VAT in central London, plus set-up and checkout fees; our guide on choosing a letting agent gives the ranges and the ten questions to ask.
Not under an ordinary tenancy since 1 May 2026; our guide on the Renters’ Rights Act explains why and what the alternatives are.
Client money protection scheme membership and redress scheme membership; check both certificates before signing.
Rarely. A London home may be let for short periods for no more than 90 nights a year without planning permission, and most leases forbid holiday lets altogether. The summer-visitor market that Gulf owners know from Edgware Road runs on long lets to families, not on nightly bookings.
Usually, yes. Most leases require the freeholder’s consent to a letting and charge a fee for it, and some restrict sharing or subletting. The agent cannot let what the lease forbids, so the lease is read before the flat is marketed.
It is not a technicality: a missed item can block recovery of the flat and attract a fine. The deposit must be protected in a government scheme within 30 days with the prescribed information served, the gas certificate renewed every year and the electrical report every five, and right-to-rent checks done on every adult tenant before the tenancy starts. The agent keeps the calendar; the firm checks it.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, rent in advance is limited to one month and the deposit to five weeks’ rent. A landlord may not refuse a tenant for having children or receiving benefits. This makes the choice of tenant, the inventory and the paperwork more important, which is what a good agent is for.
Yes, once a year by formal notice. The tenant may challenge an above-market rise at a tribunal, so the agent’s evidence of comparable rents in the district matters. Tenancies are periodic from the start, and the tenant may leave on two months’ notice.
In large parts of London, yes. A licence from the borough is needed where selective or additional licensing applies. It sits on the compliance list alongside the Energy Performance Certificate at band E or better, with the minimum expected to rise to C later this decade, so older flats should plan upgrades now.
One page per property each month: rent received, costs paid, works done or planned, the next compliance date, and anything that needs a decision. For a family home kept for the owner’s own use, the same note covers the housekeeper, the maintenance calendar and the state of readiness for the next arrival.
