Landlords will soon be required by law to install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in all their tenanted properties, this is expected to be in place from October 2015. The smoke alarms will need to be installed on every floor of the property and tested at the start of a tenancy. The carbon monoxide alarms will be required in high risk rooms, for example where a solid fuel heating system is installed. During the tenancy period it will be the responsibility of the tenant to maintain and test the alarms and to report any faults.
The fire service are on hand to support private landlords on meeting the requirements and new responsibilities. Grant funding from the government will enable landlords to claim free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the allocation of funding will be announced in due course.
Landlords who fail to comply are at risk of facing sanctions and be landed with a bill of up to £5,000 civil penalty.
The new compliance will bring property up to standard on current building regulations, new builds are required to have hard-wired smoke alarms installed.
It is a simple safety procedure that will save lives and a simple understanding for both landlord and tenant as to where their obligations lie on installing, testing and maintaining.
Make sure your property is up to standard!
Beth Alexandra Property Specialists
Landlord and tenant responsibilities are always made clear in a standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreement but why do we still hear of bad experiences?
The foundation of a good relationship between landlord and tenant is respect on both sides and understanding what your responsibilities are.
For a landlord this involves making sure the property is free of any health hazards and safe for tenants to live in. The following checks must be carried out prior to tenants moving in:
Gas safety check - must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer and provide the tenants with a copy of the certificate for proof.
Electrical safety - the electrical system and any appliances should all be checked and safe to use.
Fire safety - making sure the tenants have access to escape routes and all furnishings supplied are fire safe.
Landlords are always responsible for repairs on the structure and exterior of the property. Any type of sanitary fittings i.e sinks/baths/WC. Heating and hot water should always be in full working order. Bear in mind, any repairs needed due to the tenants own fault, there will need to be some compromise. This takes me onto the tenants responsibilities:
Pay the agreed rent on time.
Pay any utility bills that are not included in the rental amount i.e council tax, water, electricity & gas.
Take good care of the property, repair any damage caused by you, family or friends.
How easy does all that sound? In practice it should be and it makes sense!
These are just the basics and the obvious points but the responsibilities need to be clear and understood. Its the grounds of a good landlord and tenant relationship, start as you mean to go on.
Beth Alexandra Property Specialists
