All our properties must meet the minimum
legal requirements for rented property. These standards are set out
within the following Regulations:
Housing (Scotland) Act 1987: It is the Landlords
responsibility to provide a property that meets the “tolerable
standards” test of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. Structural faults,
such as roof repairs, collapsed drains etc fall to the Landlord to fix.
In some extreme cases the Landlord may also be required to either
compensate the tenant for the inconvenience and disruption of any
repair, or temporarily re-house the tenant whilst building work is being
carried out.
The Landlord is also responsible for
those items listed in an inventory that require replacement due to
normal “wear and tear”. Equally general maintenance such as decorating
also fall to the Landlord, unless permission is given to the tenant to
carry out the work. Landlords are responsible for security and
maintenance between rentals when the property is unoccupied.
Furniture and Furnishings Regulations 1988: sofas,
mattresses, pillows etc. should be checked by looking for a label
stating that they meet the regulations. Furniture that does not meet the
regulations must be removed from the property prior to any tenant moving
in. Occasionally furniture labels may have been cut off or the items
are imported without the statutory UK labels. A receipt from a UK
retailer may be acceptable evidence that the furniture meets the
Regulations as it is an offence for any furniture seller or reseller,
including charity shops, to retail furniture that do not meet these
safety standards.
Gas Safety Regulations 1994
: all let property requires that every gas appliance has an annual
safety check by a CORGI registered gas engineer. All gas engineers have
to be registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI)
to carry our gas related work. To check if a CORGI registration is
valid, phone CORGI on 01256 372300 - we always do!
The Health and Safety Executive, the
governmental body that polices the Gas Safety Regulations web site is
worth a visit at: www.open.gov.uk/hse/gas/index.htm
Electrical Safety Regulations place a duty of care on
landlords to ensure that the electrical circuits, appliances, plugs etc.
are checked and safe to use. An electrical safety check should be
carried out prior to the tenant moving in.
Landlords have a legal
'Duty of Care' with
regard to the safety of their tenants. We strongly recommend that at
least two smoke detectors
are fitted and that a fire blanket and/or extinguisher is supplied in
the kitchen. An insurance claim could be adversely affected where such
preventative measures are ignored.
If the property is heated using oil or
solid fuel, there is a duty of care to ensure that the heating system is
properly serviced and flues/chimneys etc are regularly maintained.
Finally please remember that under the
various consumer laws currently in force, appliances supplied within a
property must be 'fit for the purpose' and safe to use.
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