The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 say Landlords must ensure that gas appliances, fittings and flues are safe for tenant’s use and that installation, maintenance and annual safety checks are carried out by a technician registered with the Gas Safety Register (which superseded CORGI on 1st April 2009).
If everything is safe, you’ll be given a certificate called a CP12 with some possible recommendations. Gas safety checks must be carried out on a property annually. It is advised that you check that the Gas Safe Registered engineer is competent to work in that specific area of gas. This is clearly marked on the back of the engineer's Gas Safe Register registration card.
The Landlord must keep a record of the safety check for two years and issue a copy to each existing tenant within 28 days of the check being completed and also issue a copy to any new tenants before they move in.
While there isn’t a legal obligation on Landlords to have professional checks carried out on the electrical appliances, there is, however, an obligation to ensure that all electrical equipment is safe, under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, the Plugs and Sockets Regulations 1994, the 2005 Building Regulation – Part P, and the British Standard BS1363 relating to plugs and sockets.
All electrical certification should be carried out by an electrician whom is registered with the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installers and Contractors (NICEIC). There are two types of electrical certificate:
Periodic Inspection Report
It is advisable to have a full electrical inspection carried out every five years. This examination investigates the state of the electrical wiring throughout the property and thoroughly checks the safety of the electrical installation. These inspections can cost from £150 to £250. The electrician should issue you with a 'Periodic Inspection Report for an Electrical Installation' at the end of the examination, which declares the electrical installation as safe.
Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
It is also advisable to instruct an electrician to carry out PAT testing on all portable electrical appliances once a year. Portable electrical appliances are defined as any appliances that you supply with the property that can be plugged into the mains electricity (for example, lamps, microwaves, portable electric heaters, TVs, etc). The purpose of the PAT is to ensure that all portable electrical items provided with the property are electrically safe. PATs typically cost around £5 - £20 per appliance.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended in 1989 and 1993) sets minimum fire resistance standards for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings and other products containing upholstery that remain in a dwelling during the course of a tenancy.
These include any of the following which contain upholstery:
The Regulations do not apply to:
For items that do apply, a suitable label must be attached to the furniture in a prominent position so that the label will be clearly visible to a potential purchaser of the furniture and the wording on both sides can be read with reasonable ease.
All properties built since June 1992 must have interlinked mains-connected smoke detectors / alarms on each floor of the property. To help protect the investment and to prove compliance with the common law “duty of care”, it is strongly advised that properties built before 1992 are fitted with at least standard (battery powered) smoke detectors/alarms. Smoke alarms must be checked regularly to ensure that they are in full working order. A carbon monoxide detector should also be supplied. These can be purchased for around £5 from most DIY shops.
With effect from 1st October 2008, all new tenancies require an Energy Performance Certificate. Their purpose is to determine how energy efficient homes are on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes - which should have the lowest fuel bills - are in band A. The certificate uses the same scale to define the impact a home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings.
The certificate includes recommendations on ways to improve the home's energy efficiency to save money and help the environment.
