Landlords and the law

Landlords must be constantly aware of their legal and moral obligations - especially when it comes to newly imposed legislation.

Not only must a rental property be well maintained, both for tenants to enjoy and to preserve the investment, but landlords also have to adhere to changing legislation, keep up to date with health and safety responsibilities, abide by the Landlord & Tenant Act and Right to Rent checks, and ensure that all financial transactions meet the legal requirements designed to protect tenants and landlords.

“New landlords often ask our advice but it’s just as important for seasoned landlords with a portfolio of investment properties to keep on the right side of law which is continuously being updated,” said Richard Town, partner at Henry Adams Lettings in Horsham & Haywards Heath.

“For example, legislation was introduced which requires landlords to ensure that their rental properties have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed where required. This applies equally to both existing and future tenancies, so landlords should have made sure any existing rental property complies with the latest safety legislation.

“As always a gas safety certificate should be issued by a registered GasSafe engineer who will carry out an annual inspection for all gas appliances, which again is a mandatory requirement. A copy must be provided to both tenant and landlord, bringing peace of mind to both parties.”

Richard also confirms that the landlord is responsible for ensuring that the electrics and fuse board in the property are safe. “It is recommended that a fixed wiring test is carried out by a qualified NICEIC  electrician to ensure the safety of the property and tenants.

“On the financial side, a tenant’s security deposit (for all Assured Shorthold Tenancies) must be protected within 30 days of receipt through one of the Government approved schemes, such as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme currently used by us here at Henry Adams,” he added.

Our experienced ARLA Propertymark accredited lettings teams are always on hand to offer comprehensive advice to both new and existing landlord clients, so please contact  any of Henry Adams Lettings local offices at Horsham, Haywards Heath, Storrington and across the southern counties, or check out our information for landlords here.