Letting agency record keeping in the UK is not governed by one rule. It is a set of separate duties under tenancy, safety, anti-money-laundering and data protection law, each with its own retention period. The safe approach is a written retention schedule: for every record type, what you keep, why, for how long, and when it is deleted. This guide sets out the records most UK letting agents need and the retention periods that usually apply.
What records must a letting agent keep?
The table below covers the core records for a managed let. Where a period is a "practice" period rather than a statutory one, it is marked as such. Check your redress scheme, client money protection scheme and insurer for any longer requirement.
| Record | Why you keep it | Typical retention | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenancy agreement, inventory, check-in and check-out reports | Deposit disputes, damage and arrears claims | Tenancy term plus 6 years (practice) | Limitation Act 1980 (6 years for contract claims) |
| Deposit protection certificate and prescribed information | Proof the deposit was protected and served | Tenancy term plus 6 years (practice) | Housing Act 2004 deposit rules |
| Right to Rent checks | Defence against a civil penalty | Tenancy term plus 1 year | Home Office Right to Rent guidance |
| Customer due diligence and transaction records (AML) | Evidence of identity checks and risk assessment | 5 years from the end of the business relationship or transaction | Money Laundering Regulations 2017, regulation 40 |
| Gas safety records | Proof of annual gas safety checks | 2 years | Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 |
| Electrical installation condition reports (EICR) | Proof of electrical safety checks | Until the next inspection, then supply to the next inspector | Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 |
| EPC | Proof of energy rating supplied | Life of the certificate (10 years) | Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations |
| Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm tests | Proof alarms worked at the start of the tenancy | Tenancy term plus 6 years (practice) | Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 |
| Rent ledgers, fee records, holding deposits | Arrears claims and trading standards queries | At least 6 years (practice) | Tenant Fees Act 2019, tax and accounting rules |
| Complaints and redress scheme correspondence | Ombudsman and trading standards enquiries | Follow your redress scheme's code, commonly 6 years (practice) | Redress scheme rules |
None of these periods overrides the others. If one record falls under two rules, keep it for the longer period, then delete or anonymise it.
How did the Renters' Rights Act change what you need to evidence?
The main tenancy reforms of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect from 1 May 2026, including the move to periodic tenancies and the end of no-fault possession for most assured tenancies. Possession now depends on proving a statutory ground, which makes your records the evidence in the case.
In practice, that means keeping:
- a dated rent ledger that shows every payment, arrears balance and reminder sent
- copies of every notice served, with proof of how and when it was served
- a log of complaints, repair requests and your responses, including contractor visit dates
- evidence of any rent increase notice and the process followed
Check GOV.UK and your redress scheme for the commencement dates of the remaining Renters' Rights Act duties, including the private rented sector database and landlord redress requirements, because they are being brought in in stages.
How does UK GDPR affect how long you keep records?
UK GDPR's storage limitation principle says you must not keep personal data longer than you need it for the purpose you collected it. It does not set one number of years. It requires you to justify each retention period and to delete or anonymise data once it expires.
For a letting agency, that means:
- Write a retention schedule. List each record type, the lawful basis, the retention period and the deletion method.
- Separate live and archived records. Live tenancy files are active. Closed files should move to restricted archive storage.
- Delete on schedule. Set a review date when a tenancy ends and delete at the end of the period.
- Be ready for subject access requests. A tenant, landlord or applicant can ask for a copy of their data, and you generally have one month to respond.
- Secure what you keep. ID documents, bank details and right to rent copies are high-risk data. Limit access and keep an access log.
Our guide to data protection rules for estate agents covers the wider UK GDPR duties.
How do you build a retention schedule in practice?
A simple, defensible approach has four steps:
- List every place records are kept: your CRM, email, shared drives, paper files, landlord portals and contractor systems.
- For each record type, note the legal reason and the longest applicable period from the table above.
- Assign an owner, usually the compliance or lettings manager.
- Review the schedule once a year and after any change in the law.
The weak point for most agencies is not the rules. It is that records are scattered across inboxes and folders, so nobody can find a complete file when a deposit dispute or a trading standards request arrives.
How can digital records help?
Digitising tenancy documents makes the schedule easier to run:
- E-signed agreements give you a timestamped audit trail showing who signed, when and how, which is the evidence a dispute needs. See our guide to electronic signatures that are legally binding in the UK.
- Right to Rent and ID checks can be stored once with a clear end date, rather than copied into emails. See right to rent checks for estate agents.
- AML records can be kept with the transaction so the five-year clock is easy to apply. See AML compliance for estate agents.
- One file per tenancy means a complete record can be produced quickly if a tenant, regulator or ombudsman asks for it.
SignFlow Now helps estate and letting agents keep signed agreements, ID checks and compliance records together, so a tenancy file is easier to keep complete from instruction to deposit return.
Letting agency record keeping checklist
- ☐ A written retention schedule that covers every record type
- ☐ Tenancy agreements, inventories and reports stored for tenancy term plus 6 years
- ☐ Deposit certificates and prescribed information on file
- ☐ Right to Rent copies kept for tenancy plus 1 year
- ☐ AML records kept for 5 years from the end of the relationship
- ☐ Gas safety, EICR, EPC and alarm records current and retrievable
- ☐ Dated rent ledger and notice records ready for possession evidence
- ☐ Deletion dates set, and deletion actually carried out
- ☐ Access to ID and bank data limited and logged
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Retention periods depend on your circumstances, redress scheme and insurer. Check current guidance on GOV.UK, the ICO and your professional body before relying on any period. Last reviewed 11 November 2026.