As a landlord, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the property you rent out to tenants is safe and free from health hazards. There are many health and safety laws for tenants to ensure they are safe in their homes, and it’s your responsibility to uphold them.
By taking steps to protect the health and safety of your tenants, you’re also protecting your property from being easily damaged.
We’ve compiled a list of necessary checks, actions and safety regulations for landlords to take to ensure the health and safety of their tenants.
Landlords must ensure that gas equipment is safely installed and maintained by a gas-safe registered engineer. A registered engineer is also required to perform an annual gas safety check of the gas pipeworks, flues and gas appliances of the property and ensure that they are working safely.
It is essential that you provide the tenant with a copy of the gas safety record and keep a personal record of the check. This can be sent alongside the tenancy agreement or 28 days before the tenant is due to move into the property.
The landlord is responsible for ensuring the electrical system's safety. This includes making electrical installations such as plug sockets and light fittings safe and carrying out preventative maintenance and safety checks.
Electrical appliances provided by the landlord also must be safe, such as cookers and toasters.
Tenants are equally responsible for ensuring that any appliances and electrical equipment of their own are safe to use.
It is a legal requirement that the landlord provide a smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a burning appliance, such as a coal fire or wood-burning stove.
Steps should also be taken to prevent fires, such as following the above details about electrical safety.
Landlords must ensure that access to the property’s escape routes is not restricted in case of a fire.
If the property is large or has several people living in it, a fire extinguisher and fire blanket would be useful.
LetsInsure is an experienced provider of Rent Guarantee Insurance, Home Emergency Assistance, and Deposit Replacement Insurance for landlords renting their properties to tenants. If you’re a landlord who wants to ensure your property is in safe hands after you’ve done everything you can to maintain it, we offer personalised protection and compliance like no other.
The health and safety of tenants' rights are of the utmost importance. We also understand your rights as a landlord.
You can sign up to our services for free or contact us with any questions you may have and we will be more than happy to help!
Also see our article, ‘Top 10 problems landlords experience with their properties’.