Armstrong Lettings : Landlords Information
Important safety regulations
The following safety requirements are the responsibility
of the owner (the landlord), and where we are to manage the
property, they are also ours as agents. Therefore to protect
all interests we ensure full compliance with the appropriate
regulations, at the owner's expense.
Gas Appliances & Equipment
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
all gas appliances and flues in rented accommodation must be
checked for safety within 12 months of being installed, and
thereafter at least every 12 months by a competent engineer
(e.g. a CORGI registered gas installer).
Electrical Appliances & Equipment
There are several regulations relating to electrical
installations, equipment and appliance safety, and these
affect landlords and their agents in that they are
'supplying in the course of business'. They include the
Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, the Plugs
and Sockets Regulations 1994, the 2005 Building Regulation -
'Part P, and British Standard BS1363 relating to plugs and
sockets. Although with tenanted property there is currently
no specific legal requirement for a qualified electrician to
carry out an inspection and issue a safety certificate (as
exists in the case of gas appliances), it is now widely
accepted in the letting industry that the only safe way to
ensure safety, and to avoid the risk of being accused of
neglecting your 'duty of care', or even of manslaughter is
to arrange such an inspection and certificate.
Furniture & Furnishings
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations
1988 (amended 1989, 1993 & 1996) provide that specified
items supplied in the course of letting property must meet
minimum fire resistant standards. The regulations apply to
all upholstered furniture, and beds, headboards and
mattresses, sofa beds, futons and other convertibles,
nursery furniture, garden furniture suitable for use in a
dwelling, scatter cushions, pillows, and non-original covers
for furniture. They do not apply to antique furniture or
furniture made before 1950, bed clothes including duvets,
loose covers for mattresses, pillowcases, curtains, carpets
or sleeping bags. Therefore all relevant items as above must
be checked for compliance, and non-compliant items removed
from the premises. In practice, most (but not all) items,
which comply, must have a suitable permanent label attached.
Items purchased since 1.3.90 from a reputable supplier are
also likely to comply.
General Product Safety
The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 specify that any
product supplied in the course of a commercial activity must
be safe. In the case of letting, this would include both the
structure of the building and its contents. Recommended
action is to check for obvious danger signs - leaning walls,
broken glass, sharp edges etc., and also to leave operating
manuals or other written instructions about high risk items,
such as hot surfaces, electric lawnmowers, etc. for the
tenant.
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