Landlord Responsibilities

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Landlord Responsibilities

As a landlord you are required by law to maintain your property and its contents to ensure the safety of the tenants, neighbours and general public.

When you let your property as an assured shorthold tenancy there are 3 chief areas of legal responsibility specified in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.

These cover:

• Maintenance and repairs - under the Act, you are obliged to maintain the structure and exterior of your property, maintain all water supplies and sanitary and drainage installations and ensure that all sinks, baths, showers, toilets etc. are fit to use. You must also provide and maintain adequate lighting, heating and ventilation and treat any incidences of damp.

• Safety of any gas and electrical appliances - The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 stipulate that you must maintain all gas appliances and arrange and pay for an annual service/safety check by a CORGI (Council for Registered Gas Installers) approved engineer. You must give the tenant(s) a copy of the safety certificate.

• Fire safety of the furnishings and building - You must also ensure that any electrical appliances you supply are safe to use. And, all new and second-hand furniture, furnishings and fittings must comply with the fire resistance regulations specified in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

Most of these legal responsibilities have to be dealt with before you can let your property. If you do not have the time to ensure you meet all of these demands you should consider using a property management company to do it for you. If you fail to comply with these regulations when you are letting the property as a source of income and you are found to be negligent you could end up in court.

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