Safety First

It has been recently highlighted that Government officials have not spent enough time to review fire safety over the last few years and in light of the tragic and recent Grenfell Tower fire, I thought I would write this month's first blog around fire regulations and landlord responsibilities.

If you are privately renting your properties then you, the landlord are obliged to follow a number of regulations and reduce health hazards so that your tenants can live in a safe environment.

Gas

All gas appliances must be installed and maintained by a registered gas engineer.

Your flue and gas appliance must have an annual service.

Provide a gas certificate within 28 days of your move in date.

Electricity

All appliances that are part of the rental agreement must be safe and the sockets correct and in good working order.

Fire safety

Each storey of your home must have an installed smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm if a wood burner or stove is installed on the property.

Make sure that there is a suitable fire exit, such as a back door or window that opens widely.

If your property is being let as furnished all furniture must be fire safe and have relevant fire labels.

If you have a shared house (HMO property) then fire extinguishers and fire blankets must be on site.

Accidents happen, unfortunately, but make sure that you are not caught out when letting your property.

The GOV.UK website has a fantastic A to Z list of owning and renting a property that covers a huge range of important information that every landlord may need at one moment or another. You can check it out here https://www.gov.uk/browse/housing-local-services/owning-renting-property

Don't delay; make sure your property is safe today!

Until next time, keep safe.