Gas Safety - Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998

As a landlord, you have a duty to ensure:

• Gas fittings (appliances, pipe work) and flues are maintained in a safe condition

• All installation, maintenance and safety checks are carried out by a CORGI

Registered Installer

• An annual safety check is carried out on each gas appliance/flue by a CORGI

Registered Installer

• Checks need to have taken place within one year of the start of the

tenancy/lease date, unless the appliances have been installed for less than 12

months, in which case they should be checked within 12 months of their

installation date

• A record of each safety check is kept for two years

• A copy of the current safety check record, which can be either a CORGI

Landlord's Gas Safety Record or something similar, is issued to each existing

tenant within 28 days of the check being completed, or to any new tenant

before they move in (in certain cases, such as holiday property, the record can

be displayed)

Energy Performance Certificate

From 4 January 2009 all homes being let on a new tenancy will be required to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is broadly similar to the labels now provided with domestic appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.

Its purpose is to record how energy efficient a property is as a building. The certificate will provide a rating of the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of a building from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient.

EPCs are produced using standard methods with standard assumptions about energy usage so that the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of the same type. This allows prospective tenants to see information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions so they can consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of their investment.

An EPC is always accompanied by a recommendation report that lists cost effective and other measures to improve the energy rating of the home. The certificate is also accompanied by information about the rating that could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented.

Electrical Safety

Landlords should ensure that the electrical equipment and installations in your home are safe. Any electrical equipment provided must be safe and in proper working order. It is not a legal requirement but in order to ensure your property is safe it is recommended that landlords should have a Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) carried out every 3 years in their property.

It is also recommended to have Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) carried out

annually on all electrical appliances you supply. It is also recommended that you have a modern fuse box which has switches rather than wire fuses.

Furniture and Furnishings

In general you should let property with the main white goods such as fridge/freezer, washing machine/dryer and dishwasher if applicable. You must supply cooking and cleaning facilities.

There is no right answer to the question of whether you should furnish your property for let. It depends on who is looking at the time. Many young couples starting out will rent and need everything but others will build a collection of furniture and sundry items as they go so may end up needing unfurnished. Many people rent temporarily when they are re-locating or waiting for the right house to buy and may have all their own furniture.

If you have furniture you can’t store or move elsewhere then rent furnished but if you have flexibility then offer either. As landlords ourselves we offer our property as either but only supply the main items such as beds, wardrobes, drawers, sofas, coffee table and some other large items depending on property size and type. It is a legal obligation that any and furniture and furnishings supplied meet with the requirements of the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Monitors

Although covered by the Repairing Standard above this is worth a specific mention as it marks a significant change to the law. Up to September it was only recommended to have a battery smoke alarm in flats. Existing smoke alarms may be mains powered or battery powered. However a smoke alarm installed from 03 September 2007 onwards must be mains powered. This includes replacement alarms. An alarm should be installed in accordance with the recommendations contained in the British Standard on the design of fire detection installations for dwellings.