Landlords: Health and Safety Obligations

Whether you are just starting out as a landlord, or have been doing it for years, something which should never be overlooked is your property’s safety. With so much to think about, it can be difficult to keep track of your responsibilities and legal obligations that ensure your tenants and property are safe. 

We have put together this guide on some of the requirements which you will have to consider by law. 

Electric

If you are providing your tenants with any appliances, they must be tested to ensure that they are safe to use. You will be responsible for the general electrics within the property, and the electrical items which you provided such as a fridge, cooker, washing machines etc. You will have to get each of these items PAT tested (portable appliance test), which will have to be done on a regular basis. Once an item has been tested, there will then be a sticker displayed on the plug. 

Gas

Ensuring that your property has all of the gas equipment installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer is essential. Every appliance will also need an annual gas safety check by a registered engineer. Your legal requirement means that you must get a Gas Safety Certificate every twelve months, and you will need to provide a copy of this to new and existing tenants within 28 days of the check.

Fire

Another important factor is that you must ensure that your property follows fire safety regulations. This will mean that you must make sure that the property has smoke alarms on each storey which are either battery operated or connected to the main electrics. If there are any fuel-burning appliances such as a wood or coal fire, you must make sure that there is a carbon monoxide alarm as well.

As a landlord, you will have to make sure that these arms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy. Another of your legal obligations will also include ensuring that your tenants will also have access to adequate escape routes and making sure that these are not obstructed. Additionally, if you provide your tenants with any furniture, you will have to make sure that these are all fire safe. 

EPC

When a property is advertised, it is required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). This document will also need to be given to the tenants when they move in.

How We Can Help

Here at Godfrey Short & Squire, we offer a range of letting services which includes a tenant find, fully managed as well as commercial leases and license. As mentioned above, there are many legal obligations when you own a property, many of which don’t fall under health and safety. We can take care of everything, including deposits, inventory checks, disputes and much more.

With monthly inspections carried out, we can report back to landlords and tenants. Our managed service package is exceptionally competitive as we do not charge any administrative or set up fees. For more experienced landlords, our tenant find service is very competitively priced and offers all parts of the setting up of tenancies within the fee.

As letting agents in Okehampton, our aim is to make sure that both landlords and tenants are happy, and the whole process goes as smoothly as possible.  Being a landlord can be a difficult job, especially when there are many legal health and safety obligations you must follow. That is why many landlords choose to use a letting agent to help manage their property, as this can take much of the stress away.