Landlords, keep on top of safety requirements!
Since the introduction of pension freedoms last year, there has been an increase in the number of buy-to-let properties purchased by over-55s. That means there has also been a rise in the number of first-time landlords offering to let their properties. This has caused a call for an increased awareness of the laws and regulations about property safety requirements, and this is also why the Rent Smart Wales Scheme offers training to all managing landlords and agents.
Gas Safety Certificate
According to Saga Landlord Insurance, 80% of landlords over the age of 50 have a Gas Safety Certificate for their property. However, that causes concern as it suggests that 20% of landlords over the age of 50 aren’t aware that it is a legal requirement to obtain this certificate for their property if they have gas appliances.
Landlords can – and should – obtain a certificate by having a Gas Safe registered engineer come to their property and assess the appliances are working correctly. This tends to cost between £60 and £100.
If a landlord has multiple properties, they are required to have a separate certificate for each property (you are required to provide tenants with the certificate established for the property they’re renting – to new tenants moving in and within 28 days of an annual check-up), and these certificates need to be reviewed annually to ensure the safety of the tenants renting the property. Landlords also need to obtain a Gas Safety Certificate if they are letting their property as a short-let, for example on websites such as Airbnb.
If a property fails the certification process, then the engineer who assessed the property will provide a full report, and it is the landlord’s duty to fix these issues before they let their property. This is likely to involve hiring somebody to ensure the gas fittings are in a safe working order. Landlords also need to ensure all fittings are safe before re-letting the property. For these reasons, it is advised that they keep a copy of their Gas Safety Certificate(s) for at least 2 years.
Landlords who do not have a certificate could face prosecution, and be liable to pay a fine of £6,000 or face a 6-month prison sentence. Not having a certificate could also render a landlord’s insurance policy void and open them to claims for civil damages.
Electrical Safety
If you do not have gas appliances in your property, that doesn’t mean you have nothing to worry about when it comes to safety regulations; as a landlord, you also have to ensure that the electrical appliances in your property, such as sockets, light fixtures and white goods, if you have provided any, are in safe working order.
If a property is a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) then it is a landlord’s responsibility to ensure that an inspection is carried out every 5 years to check that all electrical installations are in a safe condition. While it is not a legal requirement to do this inspection if your property is not a HMO, we would still recommend it to protect the safety of your tenants.
Along with this, all landlords must ensure that any electrical appliance that is provided with the property has a CE marking, which shows that a product meets the requirements of European law.
CPS Property Management
Being a landlord requires a person to be on-the-ball with their administrative duties, which is why it can be useful to let properties through a property management service.
At CPS Homes we endeavour to help landlords in whatever way we can when they ask us to manage their property. We offer a range of services including Tenant-Find (for hands-on landlords who want to manage their property themselves), Rent Collection (for landlords wishing for a little extra help) and Fully Managed (for landlords who don’t want to bother with the stress of renting a property). What’s more, with our Fully-Managed and Rent Collection services we sort out the safety requirements your property needs for you! This includes arranging Gas & Electrical Safety Certificates, and testing fire extinguishers and detectors to make sure the property complies with the necessary fire safety requirements. Fire safety for a landlord include providing a fire alarm on each floor (and a carbon monoxide alarm in a room with a useable fireplace) and ensuring access to escape routes.
For more information about our Cardiff property management services, or to request information about the safety requirements for a buy-to-let property feel free to contact us online, or visit us at our Woodville Road and Cardiff Bay branch. If you’re a landlord, you should also be sure that you’re ready for Rent Smart Wales, the new landlord licensing and registration scheme.
