DIY InventoryLetting a property in Hastings: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Hastings.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Hastings
- Selective licensing: No selective licensing scheme in force that could be confirmed. The 2015 to 2020 scheme covering seven wards (Braybrooke, Castle, Central St Leonards, Gensing, Old Hastings, Ore and Tressell) ended in October 2020, and the government refused the council's application to renew it in 2021.
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Hastings Borough Council.
Hastings Borough Council: private renting and licensing
Safety certificates
- Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
- EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
- Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).
Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Hastings at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.
Deposits and the inventory
Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.
What to record in Hastings homes
- Regency and Victorian houses split into flats in St Leonards and the town centre: photograph each flat's door, meters, fire doors, alarms and the shared hallway and stairs.
- Seafront homes: look for salt corrosion on window frames, balcony rails and door furniture, and damp on exposed walls.
- Hillside homes on steep streets: photograph steps, sloping paths, retaining walls and any cracking, which can come from ground movement.
- Old Town cottages: record beams, low doorways, uneven floors, open fireplaces and any damp in basements or rear walls.
- Sash windows in period conversions: photograph cords, locks, cracked panes and any rot.
Homes sold in Hastings in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 286 | £291,911 |
| Flat or maisonette | 278 | £176,582 |
| Semi-detached | 205 | £341,117 |
| Detached | 182 | £412,013 |
| Other | 35 | £302,677 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Hastings: questions
Is there selective licensing in Hastings?
No selective licensing scheme in force that could be confirmed. The 2015 to 2020 scheme covering seven wards (Braybrooke, Castle, Central St Leonards, Gensing, Old Hastings, Ore and Tressell) ended in October 2020, and the government refused the council's application to renew it in 2021. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Hastings?
A Gas Safety certificate every 12 months (where there is gas), an electrical safety report (EICR) at least every 5 years, and a valid EPC rated E or above, plus working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms by fixed combustion appliances.
How long do I have to protect a deposit?
30 days from receiving it, in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same 30 days.
Do I need an inventory as a landlord in Hastings?
It isn’t a legal requirement, but without a signed check-in record it is very hard to claim anything from the deposit at the end. With DIY Inventory you can do it yourself for £30, or send your tenant a link to do it.