What does the star rating mean?
Barnsley Council want to work with landlords who are working hard to provide quality housing within the borough. The star rating system allows tenants to choose a property based on the condition of the property and the standard of management. Once a landlord has registered themselves and their properties, they will be awarded a rating. The rating system is explained below.
 
5 stars      
This is awarded to exemplary landlords who demonstrate excellent management of their properties with all legal requirements met. This means they must:
Be a member of Barnsley RentSmart along with a national or other local accreditation scheme
Meet basic legal requirements (gas safety, EPC, right to rent, deposit protection, etc.)
Meet advisory requirements (carbon monoxide alarms, Barnsley Standards)
Hold an EPC rating of D or above
Have a cycle store or electric car charging point if possible
Be in excellent condition
Have had no Council notices served on the landlord during the past 5 years
Attend all landlord events arranged by the council
Hold an inspection record for each property with a maximum of 12 months between each inspection
 
4 stars     
This rating will be awarded to properties that meet the following requirements. To earn this rating, a property and its landlord must:
Be registered with Barnsley RentSmart
Meet basic legal requirements (gas safety, EPC, right to rent, deposit protection, etc.)
Meet advisory requirements (carbon monoxide alarms, Barnsley Standards)
Be in good condition
Have had no Council notices served on the landlord during the past 3 years
Have a landlord who attends events arranged by the council
 
3 stars    
This is the lowest grade of property that will be advertised on the website. Properties and landlords with this rating must:
Be a member of Barnsley RentSmart
Meet basic legal requirements (gas safety, EPC, right to rent, deposit protection, fire alarms)
Be in satisfactory condition
Have had no Council notices served on the landlord during the past 3 years
 
2 stars or less
Properties that do not meet the requirements for a 3-star rating may be those that only meet minimum standards but have been identified by the Council as needing improvement. This type of property will not be advertised on the website. 
 
Unrated
We always recommend that you rent a rated property, but we realise that not all properties will be registered with us. If your property is unrated, please contact us at  landlords@barnsley.gov.uk