Introduction: Complying with certain regulations is important for letting a residential property. The landlord must make sure the mandatory requirements are fulfilled before a tenancy formally starts
Complying with certain regulations is very important in the matter of letting out a residential property. Rental properties in London constitute 15 percent of the total number of homes. There is a wide range of tenants including students, families; high earners; young professionals and migrant workers. Their level of awareness will be different.
An insight into those regulations can be helpful. Before a tenancy starts, the landlord has to ensure compliance with the regulations and hand over the proof to the tenant.
FIRE SAFETY:
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended) seek to improve safety by requiring all furniture and furnishings in rented properties to meet the “match test” or “cigarette test”. Compliance with this new regulation has to be marked by furniture marked with a display label of a triangle with a smoking cigarette. A non-detachable label must state this compliance. However, bed bases and mattresses are exempted from a permanent label but compliance is must if the item has a label claiming that it meets BS7177.
It also applies to upholstery and upholstered furniture, loose fittings, permanent or loose covers including beds, mattresses, pillows, armchairs and scatter cushions.
The landlord has to all non-conforming items or he can let that property on an unfurnished or part furnished basis. Carpets and curtains do not come under these regulations.
GAS SAFETY:
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 stipulate rental properties requiring repair of gas appliances and fittings to be carried out by a competent engineer who is Council for Registered Gas Installers registered. The gas appliances and flues in a rented accommodation must be checked for safety within 12 months of installation and thereafter after every 12 months.
A copy of the safety check record or certificate must be handed over to the new tenant before he occupies the premises. The copy of the new record must be given to a tenant within 28 days of the annual check.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY:
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 mandate that all electrical equipment supplied to the tenant is certified safe. There is not much clarity on the definition of what is “safe”. But landlords have to check all appliances between tenancies for unsafe signals such as frayed wiring or badly fitted plugs. A landlord letting out a property for the first time must ensure that any electrical items supplied are new and marked with the CE symbol.
