Holiday-let changeover checklist
Disclaimer. This is a record-keeping aid from Hastech (a sole trader trading as Hastech). It is not a certificate, not legal advice, and not a risk assessment. It does not prove that a property is safe or compliant. Tick only what you actually did. Follow the official guidance linked on this page, and use a competent person where those official pages require one. You remain responsible for the duties that apply to your property.
Property:
Outgoing departure: Incoming arrival:
Checked by: Date and time:
Safety-related checks (tied to official guidance)
| Done? | Check | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Tested every smoke and heat alarm (and any fire-alarm system, if fitted). The Home Office guide for England says domestic smoke and heat alarms should be tested monthly, and that in self-catering premises (staff or owners not present) the weekly and monthly tests should be carried out at each change of occupancy. Check the manufacturer’s guidance too. | Home Office paying-guest guide |
| ☐ | Exit doors that are not in regular use can be easily opened. Listed as a monthly check in the same guide, and so as part of the changeover tests above. | Home Office paying-guest guide |
| ☐ | Functional test of rechargeable torches or emergency escape lighting, if fitted. Also a monthly check, and so part of the changeover tests above. | Home Office paying-guest guide |
| ☐ | Visual check that electrical appliances appear to be in good condition between lets. Official wording: “You should carry out a visual check that all appliances appear to be in good condition between lets.” | Home Office paying-guest guide |
| ☐ | Guest fire-action information in place, including how to contact the emergency services and the correct premises address, including the postcode. | Home Office paying-guest guide |
| ☐ | Water system flushed before letting the property. HSE lists “flushing out the system prior to letting the property” as a simple control measure. | HSE legionella landlord page |
| ☐ | Little-used outlets run. HSE: “As a general principle, outlets on hot and cold water systems should be used at least once a week.” For long vacant periods, HSE says consideration should be given to a flushing regime or other measures such as draining the system. | HSE legionella landlord page |
| ☐ | If the property has gas and the stay is under 28 days: a legible copy of the gas safety check record is displayed in a prominent place. HSE uses should for this display rule. The annual check itself is still a landlord duty and must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. | HSE gas records page and HSE landlord FAQ |
| ☐ | If this is a licensed short-term let in Scotland: the information in Schedule 3, condition 12 is available on the premises in a place accessible to all guests (licence, safety information, emergency-service details, gas safety report, EICR, PAT report, CO-alarm instructions, and mobile-heater instructions if relevant). | Scotland Schedule 3 |
Exit routes: the Home Office guide lists “Make sure that exit routes are not obstructed and are kept clear of storage” as a daily check for premises in which staff or owners are present, not in the changeover list. Keep escape routes clear as part of maintaining fire safety measures, and record any obstruction you found and cleared:
Your own house jobs (not official legal duties)
| Done? | Job | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | ||
| ☐ | ||
| ☐ |
Anything found unsafe? What was done before the next guest arrived?
Wales: use the Welsh Government guide, not the England-only HTML page. Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF)
Check a Gas Safe registered engineer at: Gas Safe Register, Find & Check
Tell me when it’s ready: Tell me when it's ready.
To print this checklist, use your browser’s print menu. The navigation, sources and notes are hidden on the printed page, so the checklist can fit on one A4 sheet. The England fire-guide items apply to England, within that guide’s scope. The Welsh guide has matching changeover and alarm-testing wording for Wales. Do not use the England-only Home Office guide as if it applied in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
What was not found
- A Home Office changeover test specifically for carbon monoxide alarms was not found (the official line covers smoke and heat alarms).
- Official wording that exit doors must open “without a key from the inside” was not found on the Home Office guide fetched on 11 November 2026 (the official monthly line is “easily opened”).
- Official wording that putting “exit routes kept clear” on the changeover list is itself a named changeover test was not found (it is listed under daily checks for staffed premises). It is therefore a note on this page, not a changeover tick-box.
- The Gas Safe Register Find & Check page body is not confirmed here (it could not be re-read on 11 November 2026). Check the official page.
- A Northern Ireland paying-guest changeover list was not found.
- This list does not use an invented “all certificates in date” tick-box, because official renewal rules differ by document and by nation.
Sources
All last checked 11 November 2026, Europe/London.
- GOV.UK / Home Office, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire (accessible), last updated 20 January 2025. Home Office, Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire
- HSE, Legionella and landlords’ responsibilities. HSE, Legionella and landlords’ responsibilities
- HSE, Gas safety check records and what to keep. HSE, Gas safety check records and what to keep
- HSE, Gas safety — landlords and letting agents. HSE, Gas safety — landlords and letting agents
- The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, Schedule 3 (current). The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022, Schedule 3
- Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF), 2023. Welsh Government, A guide to making your guest accommodation safe from fire (PDF)
- Gas Safe Register, official Find & Check tool (page body not confirmed here; it could not be re-read on 11 November 2026). Gas Safe Register, Find & Check
A note about Letsafely
Hastech is building Letsafely, a reminder and log tool for holiday-let safety checks. A full version is planned. There is nothing to join here yet. This page does not take payment and is a record-keeping aid only.