Switching on to safety
“The most important responsibility for any landlord, and their legal duty, is to make sure that their property is safe for tenants,” said Nick van Klaveren, director of Henry Adams Lettings. “That includes the proper maintenance of electrical systems and regular safety checks to ensure items such as gas appliances are safe to use and meet strict regulatory standards.”
Safety regulations apply to all aspects of the rented property from having the boiler checked by a Gas Safe engineer to providing a smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm where there’s a solid fuel burning appliance such as a coal fire or wood burning stove.
“At Henry Adams we keep our landlord clients up to date with changing safety legislation and can run through all the existing requirements with new landlords so that they can be confident that their tenants are as safe as possible as well as meeting current legislation. For example, leaving soft furnishings might be welcome for tenants but it’s essential that they meet fire safe regulations.”
“It’s also important for us to highlight before and during a tenancy any safety requirements to those of our clients who instruct us on a full management basis, for example, when their gas checks are required,” said Nick.
For electrics, a fully qualified electrician should be used, even for very minor works, and fixed wiring should really be inspected and tested every 5 years together with a certificate and full report issued which will highlight any advisories and/or necessary remedial works to be undertaken straight away.
“It’s equally valuable for everyone, including homeowners, to just take a few minutes to check their smoke/carbon monoxide monitors and electrical appliances are working correctly and that safety checks are up to date.
“Far better to be safe than sorry.”
For more details on safety requirements for landlords, or any aspect of residential lettings or buying-to-let, get in touch with any of our Henry Adams Lettings branches, email us at lettings@henryadams.co.uk or read our Landlords’ brochure for more information.
