As part of new Government regulations, landlords need to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person, at least every five years. The changes, which aim to improve tenant safety, came into effect for new tenancies as of 1st July 2020. They apply for existing tenancies from 1st April 2021.
Landlords are legally required to provide new and existing tenants, as well as prospective renters, with a copy of the electrical safety report. You must also send a copy to your local authority if they request it.
If you don’t act in accordance with the regulations, you could be fined up to £30,000. To comply, you must supply a copy of the report to:
- Existing tenants within 28 days of the inspection and test.
- A new tenant before they occupy the premises.
- Prospective tenants within 28 days of receiving a request for the report.
- Your local authority within seven days of receiving a request for a copy
For further information and for full guidance, please visit the following publication on https://www.gov.ukElectrical safety standards in the private rented sector guidance for landlords tenants and local authorities
‘Tis the season for landlords to pay attention
In the countdown to Christmas, it can be easy for property owners to drop their guard as they get caught up in the festivities. However, burst pipes, unoccupied homes and damage from overzealous celebrations can soon dampen the sparkle…
If you’re a landlord, it’s important that you pay extra attention to your properties at this time of year, as Christmas and winter can throw up a whole host of problems.
To help you, we explore some of the expensive issues you might face and how to avoid them. That way, you can look forward to a fuss-free Christmas with all the trimmings, knowing that your properties are safe as houses.
Properties that are left empty
We’d recommend finding out about your tenants’ plans over the holidays – crucially whether the property is going to be left unoccupied for a couple of weeks or more over the festive period.
Tenancy agreements usually include a clause about vacating the property for more than 14 days. If the house or flat is going to be left empty for an extended period of time, we’d advise checking your insurance policy to make sure whether you’re covered or not.
If your tenants aren’t spending Christmas at your property, it is worth asking them to switch off the water at the mains and turn off the water supply to outside taps before they go away. You might also want to consider checking on the property to make sure everything is in working order until your tenants return.
Tenants falling into rent arrears
Unfortunately, Christmas is one of the most common times of the year for tenants to get behind on their rent payments, as they fork out for gifts and extra food. If you don’t have one already, we’d suggest creating a contingency plan for December and the New Year period to protect yourself against rent arrears. You may want to consider taking out Rent Guarantee
Insurance, which can cover your expenses if tenants are unable to pay. Another thing you might want to think about is setting aside some savings in the event that your income is affected over Christmas and New Year.
Cracked pipes
As the cold weather creeps in, rental properties are especially vulnerable to frozen pipes, which can crack and burst. Remember to thoroughly inspect the pipes and brickwork in your properties in the winter and, if you discover any cracks, get them fixed right away.
Burst pipes can not only result in flooding, they can cause damage to ceilings, walls and carpets, especially if a home is left vacant. The average cost of repairing a burst pipe in a home is £6,500 to £7,500, according to Yorkshire Water.
While burst pipes are unlucky and troublesome for both you and your tenant, as a landlord, you can make the repair process as quick and easy as possible by keeping and maintaining a record of the property’s condition before and after the pipes ruptured.
Hazardous Christmas decorations
Tenants may want to go all out and deck the halls with Christmas trees, lights, baubles, tinsel and candles. However, you should make it clear to them what is and isn’t allowed, as some decorations could cause safety risks. For example, can your tenants decorate the roof and outside of the property? It’s also advisable to remind them to turn off any Christmas lights that are left unattended, as well as making sure candles are kept well away from any flammable objects.
Damage caused by celebrations
From December 23rd to 27th, when three households can form a bubble over the Christmas period, tenants may have friends and family round for drinks, nibbles or Christmas dinner itself. Even for the most careful of renters, accidents can happen. In fact, one in five guests say they wouldn’t admit to causing damage to a property during a Christmas party, so both property owners and tenants need to be aware of this.
Tenants have a duty to report any damage immediately and agree with you, as the landlord, on how repairs are to be arranged. If they don’t notify you of the damage, you can subtract an amount from their deposit or take legal action.
Is your unoccupied building harbouring legionella bacteria?
As many commercial and residential buildings remain empty as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, experts are concerned that these have the potential for a build-up of legionella bacteria, responsible for Legionnaires’ disease.
Why it happens
Legionella bacteria can grow and multiply in building water systems, particularly when water is left stagnant or tepid, or the system is not regularly used. The illness is then contracted when contaminated water droplets are breathed in.
What are the risks?
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious lung infection and can cause major complications in a small number of cases. If your employees or visitors contract Legionnaires’ disease as a result of your error, your business could be held liable.
While many Employers’ Liability Insurance policies cover this risk, it isn’t standard under Public Liability Insurance. This means that you will need to take out a specific legionella policy to ensure that you’re properly protected.
Protecting your building
Following advice from health and insurance experts to take sound measures to protect your building, we take a look at what you can do now to minimise the risk of a build-up of legionella bacteria.
Choose the right equipment
Dan Martindale, sales director at Andrews Water Heaters, explains: “To minimise the risk of Legionnaires’ disease, [property owners] need to consider the best way to store and distribute hot water throughout the whole system at 60ºC or above so that legionella bacteria cannot survive.
“This starts from the specification of products and components at the design stage of a job. This could mean choosing water heaters with a built-in anti-legionella programme, or measures that increase turbulence to reduce thermal stacking. Tanks designed to prevent cooler ‘layers’ where legionella would be able to thrive should also be considered from the beginning of a project.”
Service your system regularly
Water hygiene issues can be addressed with regular maintenance checks and periodic system cleans. Temperature control is the primary method used to control legionella risk:
- Hot water storage cylinders should store water at 60°C or higher.
- Hot water should be distributed at 50°C or higher.
- Cold water should be stored and distributed below 20°C.
Stagnant water can encourage legionella growth. Make sure to keep pipe routes short with as few dead ends as possible, flush out any infrequently used outlets, such as taps and showerheads, weekly, and make sure to adequately insulate pipes so water keeps its temperature.
“As we’ve seen with a case of Legionnaires’ disease at a hotel in Ludlow, failure to take preventative measures properly can have catastrophic results,” continues Dan Martindale. “The possible presence of Legionella bacteria in any part of the hot water system is not a risk that any[one] should take.”
If your building is unoccupied, why not talk to a member of our team today about reviewing your existing cover to ensure you are properly protected against the risks associated with legionella bacteria?