You as a Landlord have several responsibilities to your tenant. Alongside the obvious tenancy agreements and deposit protection schemes, you are also legally required to provide health and safety documents which are governed by the Housing Health Safety Rating System (HHSRS). It is with these Health and Safety requirements that our company can offer you our services. We have assessors and engineers that can provide you with the safety checks, correct documentation and the peace of mind that you are keeping your tenants and property safe.
A valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is legally required for any rented property and is your responsibility to have this in place. An EPC is valid for 10 years and is devised by having a visual assessment conducted at the property. The EPC rating ranges from an A down to a G, and for you to rent a property your property rating needs to fall between the A – E rating. This signifies that your property is habitable and energy efficient. The factors that are taken into account during the assessment are the make and model of the boiler; the type of heating and hot water supply; the type of windows and lighting at the property, and also insulation can be included in with the findings if this is visible in order to take photographic evidence or completion certificates can be accepted.
Another legal requirement for rental properties is a valid Gas Safety Certificate (GSC), which are required annually. A qualified gas engineer would need to visit the property and conduct a safety inspection on all gas appliances at the property. These are usually devised of boilers, cookers and gas fires. A certificate will be provided which lists all appliances that have been tested, and whether or not the gas is safe to use. A boiler service is also advisable in the same way that you would have your car serviced. Although not a legal requirement, some insurance that there will be no costly breakdown charges due to lack of maintenance.
Another safety measurement for the rented properties are an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which will be a legal requirement for new tenancies from 1st July 2020. For existing or rolling tenancies, the legal requirement will be in place from 1st April 2021. An EICR requires a qualified electrician to safety check the hard wiring of a property by testing sample sockets and switches, along with the electrical fuse board. The duration of the EICR can range between 2 – 5 years dependant on the age of the property and wiring.
If your property has a water tank, there is a potential for the water to become contaminated by Legionella bacteria. This can be contracted by humans by breathing in droplets of water and can be fatal. We have assessors that can conduct Legionella Risk Assessments (LRA) at your property to ensure that all is safe, and this is advisable to be carried out annually.
It is not always just the legal requirements that need your attention. Doing the bare minimum as a landlord does not always guarantee the maintenance and up keep of your property. Happy Tenants make happy landlords, so if you are needing any of the many services that PropCert can offer, do not hesitate to call into the office to discuss what you require.
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