Being a landlord you have a legal obligation to make sure that the building you let is safe for your tenants to live in. Normally speaking, gas and electrical systems and devices present the main risk of injuries. It truly is crucial that you make certain that these systems are not dangerous.
Gas Insallation
You should make sure that each of the fittings and flues are maintained properly and in a safe state. Which means you should have gas installations and appliances serviced every 12 months and you ought to keep a proof of this service.
You ought to have a gas safety check carried out on all gas appliances and flues yearly. A Gas safety certificate is really a legal prerequisite.
Ideally, check gas installations and appliances immediately before the start of any new rental, even when the gas safety certificate remains to be up to date. Your managing agent ought to do that for you.
Only a Gas Safe registered plumber or central heating engineer is qualified to repair or certificate everything attached to the gas system. For example, dealing with boilers, flues or cookers. I myself live in London so I always look for a company by searching the internet. Make sure that you retain a record of each safety check for two years. Your Gas Safe engineer will issue this certificate. Also you must make sure you give a copy with the Gas Safe engineer’s safety check report and certificate to your tenants.
The statutory regulations are: Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. These regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.
Electrical Installation
Whilst there isn't a requirement by law to get the fixed wire electrical system checked for safety, it really is great practice and often a requirement by a great property management agency, to produce a Periodic Inspection Report. If the system is safe and in good condition it will have a Satisfactory Inspection listed in the PIR document. A check every 5 years is normally deemed adequate.
All properties built since June 1992 are bound by building regulations to contain inter-connected, mains operated smoke alarms installed on every level of the property. In older homes this is not a requirement.
Nonetheless, landlords are well advised to provide at the very least battery operated smoke alarms as a duty of care. If you fit battery-operated smoke alarms unfortunately, it will be the landlord’s liability to test them frequently and for the batteries to be changed regularly. This makes installing a mains operated smoke alarm look more attractive and cost efficient in the long term.
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Plugs and Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994 stipulate that all electrical equipment in tenanted residential properties have to be safe. E.g. Kettles, cookers, microwaves, televisions and washing machines. Technically a PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) procedure is required to be applied. This is a test for every appliance to ensure it’s safe. A sticker with the pass date is stuck onto it as well as a record kept.
For landlords with numerous properties this can be time consuming and expensive. Ideally keep the amount of electrical equipment you supply to the tenant at an absolute minimum.
Author Resource:
As a Landlord myself I have come across many problems over the years. But I am happy to say "none of my tenants have ever had an accident while living in one of my properties". I’ve always had my homes maintained by the identical electrician london company, and through the years they have saved me a lot of my cash just by giving me some advise.
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