Landlord Services

Landlord Electrical Safety Certificates | Gas Safety Checks | Smoke Alarms

PDP provide a comprehensive range of Landlord Services designed to protect the Landlord, Tenant and the property.

Whether you are already a landlord or about to become one there are many legal requirements that you need to abide by to protect both your  tenant and your property.

The landlord is responsible to maintain installations for the supply of:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Sanitation
• Space heating and heating water

This include cisterns, radiators, boilers, heating ducts, water tanks, baths, sinks and all the pipes for gas and water as well as electrical sockets and wiring throughout the property. If your property has been flooded due to a plumbing damage or extreme weather condition, it is advised to seek the services of a Flood Cleanup Company Matawan NJ to help with cleanup and repairs.

Landlords are also responsible for providing and maintaining smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors within the property.

As well established domestic and commercial electricians, gas engineers and plumbers, PDP Services are experienced in providing the following services to help you meet your Landlord obligations:

EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires that the electrical installation in a property is:

• Safe when the tenancy begins.
• Maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.

The Act makes it an implied term of every tenancy that the landlord will keep the electrical installations in the property in repair and proper working order. The tenant is not responsible for these repairs.

To ensure the requirements are met it is recommended that the landlord has a full electrical inspection and test (EICR) completed by an NICEIC or ELECSA electrician at least every 5 years or at each change of occupancy. For more information on landlord electrical safety certificates click here to contact PDP today.

Portable Applicance Testing (PAT Testing)

Where a landlord provides an electrical appliance as part of a tenancy, the law expects the appliance to be maintained in a safe condition that will not cause harm to the tenant. Failure to ensure electrical appliances are safe could lead to the landlord being sued for negligence.

A way to ensure the electrical appliances provided are safe is for Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing) to be carried out.

The person doing the testing needs to be competent to do it. When undertaking combined inspection and testing a qualified person (PAT Testing Engineer) is needed and they will need:

• The right equipment to do the tests
• The ability to use this test equipment properly
• The ability to properly understand the test results

Items in a property that a landlord will need to get PAT tested are any electrical items that use a plug, these may include:

• Washing machine
• Oven
• Fridge freezer
• Tumble dryer
• Panel heaters

The frequency of PAT Testing depends upon the type of equipment and the environment it is used in. For example, a power tool used on a construction site should be examined more frequently than a lamp in a hotel bedroom.

Gas Safety Check

If you let a property with gas appliances you have three key responsibilities:

• MAINTENANCE
  Pipework, appliances and chimneys/flues need to be maintained safely. Gas appliances should be serviced in accordance with the frequency given in the manufacturer’s instructions. If these are not available ask a Gas Safe registered engineer to service them annually.
• GAS SAFETY CHECKS
  An annual Gas Safety Check should be carried out on each gas appliance/flue. This ensures that gas appliances and fittings are safe to use. There is a legal requirement for all gas appliances to be safety checked by a registered engineer annually. You also need to maintain gas pipework and flues to ensure they are in a safe condition, go here and learn about the newest accounting management software.
• RECORD
  A record of the annual gas safety check should be provided to your existing tenants within 28 days of completion, and to new tenants upon the start of their tenancy. If the rental period is less than 28 days at a time you may display a copy of the record in a prominent position within the property. You’ll need to keep copies of the record for at least 2 years.

If a tenant has their own gas appliance that you have not provided you are only responsible for the maintenance of the gas pipework – not the appliance itself.

Your tenants should know where/how to turn the gas off and what to do in the event of a gas emergency.

Make sure anyone carrying out gas work on your property is Gas Safe Registered – this is not only the law, but the most important step to ensuring the safety of your tenants.

Source: Gas Safe Register

Annual Boiler Service

Boilers need to be regularly serviced to ensure all components are checked and working correctly – and most importantly that they are safe. An annual service not only helps prevent potential issues, but ensures heating and hot water efficiency.

If a boiler hasn’t been regularly serviced, been installed incorrectly or poorly maintained, it can produce carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a risk to health; it can cause death as well as other long term health problems.

As well as installing and maintaining gas central heating systems and gas appliances we provide the same services for LPG and oil systems.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms (battery and mains installations)

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 require private rented sector landlords to have:

• A smoke alarm on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation (a bathroom or lavatory is not classed as living accommodation).
• A carbon monoxide alarm in any room of the premises which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a solid fuel (eg a coal fire, wood burning stove) burning combustion appliance.

After that, the landlord must make sure the alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy.

The requirements will be enforced by local authorities who can impose a fine of up to £5,000 where a landlord fails to comply with a remedial notice.

The regulations require landlords to ensure alarms are installed in their properties. After that the landlord (or someone acting on behalf of the landlord) must ensure all alarms are in working order at the start of each new tenancy.

After the landlord’s test on the first day of the tenancy, tenants should take responsibility for their own safety and test all alarms regularly to make sure they are in working order. Testing monthly is generally considered an appropriate frequency for smoke alarms.

If tenants find that their alarm(s) are not in working order during the tenancy, they are advised to arrange the replacement of the batteries or the alarm itself with the landlord.

If the house you are letting is an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) then there are additional fire safety measures that need to be implemented. A Fire Risk Assessment is recommended to ensure that you are fully compliant.

Source: The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015

Fire alarm installation and maintenance – click here for more information.

Our Services for Landlords booklet can be downloaded here.

Some useful links are:

Gov.co.uk

Gas Safe Register

NICEIC

The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015

For further information on our Landlord services call 01444 480444 or email info@pdp.services.