Landlord Safety Checks

In this guide, we’re going to predominantly feature gas safety and electrical safety but we will also touch on other areas and provide you with further reading and contacts for support. Read on to find out more.

Which Safety Checks Should Landlords Be Aware Of

When it comes to being a landlord, there is nothing more important than the safety of tenants. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the safety checks that are required.

At the time of writing, according to Government information available on Gov.uk, when it comes to safety checks in England and Wales, landlords need to:

• Keep properties safe and free from health hazards
• Make sure all gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained
• Fit and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms
• Follow fire safety regulations for property in a purpose-built block of flats or for houses and property adapted into flats

What Does Testing Include?

This really depends on the equipment, but can include:

• Ensuring no parts are damaged
• Making sure all components are free from dust and dirt
• Inspecting the environment that electrical items are within
• Any required specialist testing

How Often Should Electrical Items Be Tested?

Though there are no legal requirements for all tests, we recommend a regular test should be at least once per year. Having this test at the same time each year will help you manage this and means tests won’t be forgotten. Another great time to get this job carried out is as one tenant leaves and another moves in.

Types of Electrical Equipment To Test

When it comes to renting a property out, the electrical items included can vary largely, especially when it comes to whether the property is furnished or not. The following should not be considered as a comprehensive list, but typically common items may include:

• Washing Machine
• Tumble Dryer
• Dishwasher
• Oven
• Lights

Ensuring these items and others that are included in your rental agreement is paramount for landlord safety checks to ensure the safe maintenance of electrical equipment.

Find out more about Electrical Safety via the Government’s Health & Safety Executive.

Landlord Gas Safety Requirements

When it comes to gas safety, there are strict legal requirements that landlords have to adhere to. These include:

• Ensuring all pipework, appliances and chimneys/flus are regularly and properly maintained
• Carrying out annual gas safety checks completed by a Gas Safe Register engineer
• Keeping a record of all checks and supplying these to your tenants

At Work With Group, we are gas safe registered engineers and we take pride in this, keeping up to date with legislation to keep families safe. Find out more about our team.

We recently wrote a post on the importance of gas appliance servicing. In this we have detailed why servicing is important, what appliances should be tested, who should test and an overview of the procedure. Take a look at the post to find out more information on gas safety.

Fire Safety

Installing Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide is vital when it comes to fire safety, it is also a legal requirement in certain properties.

These alarms save lives and should be regularly tested. There are a number of options available including battery-operated or alarms that are wired. Most people will instantly think of smoke alarms but it must not be forgotten that Carbon monoxide is a silent killer.

Our recent post on carbon monoxide poisoning helps to convey the importance of prevention and safety.

When it comes to large properties such as purposed built flat buildings, further requirements are needed. Find out more via the Local Government Association.

Contact Work With Group

Our biggest value as a family run firm is to protect other families. By helping landlords ensure their property and equipment has the required safety testing complete, we are helping to do our part towards this.

Contact our team today to find out how we can help.