For landlords
Help letting your home in England from abroad
In short: The law of England applies wherever you live, and the duties stay with you as the landlord, even with an agent. You need someone near the home for keys, viewings and emergencies, an address in England or Wales for notices, and HMRC's Non-Resident Landlord Scheme for the tax on the rent.
What to do, step by step
1
Decide who does what
A full-management agent, a let-only agent, a Property PA, or local help for each job. Whichever you choose, the certificates, the deposit and the register stay your duty.
2
Someone near the home
Keys, viewings, inspections, emergencies and repairs need a person who can be there.
3
Hold the papers yourself
Gas safety, the electrical report, the EPC, the deposit protection, right to rent checks and, as it opens region by region from 15 December 2026, the landlord register.
4
Sort the tax
Apply to HMRC on form NRL1i to receive the rent in full and pay the tax through Self Assessment; otherwise your agent or tenant takes basic-rate tax from the rent.
For a court case, a notice you have been given or a dispute, talk to a housing adviser or a solicitor.
The detail, in our guides
- Letting a home in England while you live abroadThe law of England applies to your let wherever you live: the same safety checks, deposit rules and paperwork. What changes is tax on the rent, an address in England and Wales for your tenant, and who deals with a leak at 2am.
- The Non-Resident Landlord Scheme, step by stepIf you live abroad for more than six months of the year, tax on your UK rent is taken by your agent or tenant unless HMRC lets you receive it in full. How the scheme works, form NRL1i, and what to send each year.
- Managing a rental in England from Hong KongThe law is the same wherever you live, but the time difference, repairs and paperwork need a plan. How owners in Hong Kong keep a let in England safe, legal and easy to run.
- Letting out your first home in England: a guide for new arrivalsMoved to the UK on a BN(O) visa or another route, bought a home and now moving on? Before you let it: the mortgage, the paperwork, tax and the landlord register, in plain words.
- Letting agent or self-manage when you live abroad?Owners abroad choose between full management, let only, rent collection, or managing themselves with local help. What each one does, how agents charge, and what to check before you sign.
Questions people ask
Do I need an address in the UK to let my home?
You must give the tenant an address in England or Wales where notices can be sent to you. The landlord register also asks for a correspondence address there.
Can I manage a let in England myself from abroad?
Yes, it is legal. Owners who do it usually have someone local for keys, viewings and emergencies, and keep every certificate and record where they can reach it.
Do I pay UK tax on the rent if I live abroad?
Yes, UK tax is due on rent from a UK home. Under the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme your agent or tenant takes basic-rate tax unless HMRC approves you to receive the rent in full.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Paying tax on rent to landlords abroad
- GOV.UK: Register your rental property, guidance for landlords
- GOV.UK: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act
England only. General guidance, not legal advice. Checked 10 November 2026.