Important Safety Requirements
The following requirements are the responsibility of the owner (Landlord). Where you have signed our Full Management Agency Agreement, they are also our responsibility. Therefore where we are managing we will need to ensure compliance.
Health and Safety - Gas
- Annual Safety Check
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 all gas appliances and flues in rented accommodation must be checked for safety within 12 months of being installed, and thereafter at least every 12 months by a competent engineer (i.e. a CORGI registered gas installer).
- Maintenance
There is a duty to ensure that all gas appliances, flues and associated pipework are maintained in a safe condition at all times.
- Records
Full records must be kept for at least 2 years of the inspections of each appliance and flue, of any defects found and of any remedial action taken.
- Copies To Tenants
A copy of the safety certificate issued by the engineer must be given to each new tenant before their tenancy commences, or to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being carried out.
Health and Safety - Electrical
Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, and certain other regulations, electrical appliances and equipment provided in tenanted premises must be safe. It is therefore necessary to make a visual check to ensure that all electrical items, plugs and leads appear completely safe and undamaged, and remove or replace any faulty items.
In January 2005 electrical installation work in dwellings (houses and flats), whether professional or DIY, became subject to the new Building Regulation - 'Part P'. This will be enforced by Local Authorities. The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting has drawn attention to this requirement, and failure to comply will be a criminal offence.
- Annual Safety Check
It will be a legal requirement for landlords to be able to prove that all fixed electrical installations and alteration work has been carried out and certified by a competent electrician. (A fixed installation comprises the wiring and appliances that are fixed to the building fabric such as sockets, switches, consumer units and ceiling fittings.). The only way to ensure that all electrical installations and equipment are safe is to arrange an annual inspection by a qualified electrician (NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting), or the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)), and to have a safety certificate issued.
- Records
Full records must be kept for at least 2 years of the inspections and any remedial work.
- Copies To Tenants
A copy of the safety certificate issued by the engineer should be given to each new tenant before their tenancy commences, or to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being carried out.
Consumer Protection - Fire
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989 & 1993) provide that specified items supplied in the course of letting property must meet minimum fire resistance standards. The regulations apply to all upholstered furniture, beds, headboards and mattresses, sofa-beds, futons and other convertibles, nursery furniture, garden furniture suitable for use in a dwelling, scatter cushions, pillows and non-original covers for furniture. They do not apply to antique furniture or furniture made before 1950, bedcovers including duvets, loose covers for mattresses, pillowcases, curtains, carpets or sleeping bags.
Items which comply will have a suitable permanent label attached. Non-compliant items must be removed before a tenancy commences.
Smoke Alarms
All properties built since June 1992 must have been fitted with mains powered smoke detector alarms from new. Although there is no legislation requiring smoke alarms to be fitted in other ordinary tenanted properties, it is generally considered that the common law 'duty of care' means that Landlords and their Agents could be liable should a fire cause injury or damage in a tenanted property where smoke alarms are not fitted. We therefore strongly recommend that the Landlord fit at least one alarm on each floor (in the hall and landing areas).
We hope that the general points covered here have been of assistance to you. However we recognise that there is much to take in and you will undoubtedly have some questions. If there are any aspects of which you are unsure, please telephone our office on 01628 788955 or Contact Us and we will be happy to be of assistance.
Alternatively we can visit you at your home to discuss your individual requirements, at your convenience.
<< Jump Back To Part 1- First Thoughts Of Becoming A Landlord.
- OR -
<< Jump Back To Part 2 - Preparing Your Property>>
