Information for landlords

Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 March 2011 22:11 Written by Administrator Sunday, 13 March 2011 19:35

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Information for Landlords

Petermans provides invaluable advice for any landlords wishing to rent a property out.

Listed below are the fundamental points that are required for a Property to be rented out:

 

Gas Safety Certificate

It is illegal to rent a property with gas appliances (e.g. boiler, cooker) without having a valid Gas Safety Certificate.  The Gas Safety Certificate must be issued on an annual basis by a Gas Safe registered gas engineer who will be required to carry out a safety check on the boiler and  to make sure that pipe work, flues, and any other gas run appliance are maintained in a safe condition. The Gas Safety Certificate is valid for 12 months and must be renewed every year if the property is tenanted. No tenancy can commence without receipt of a valid Gas Safety Certificate.

 

Fire safety -The Furniture & Furnishings (fire) (safety) (amendments) Regulations 1993

It is necessary to provide only furniture and furnishings which comply with the current legislation. The furniture and furnishings included are any of the following which contain upholstery: all furniture including children’ s furniture and nursery furnishings, beds, headboards, mattresses, pillows, sofa-beds, futons, and other convertibles, garden furniture, scatter cushions, seat pads and loose or stretch covers for furniture

Please note that it is an offence to supply furniture which does not comply with the regulations and to make such a supply carries a punishment of imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000.00.  In the event that a landlord supplies incorrect information he/she will be solely liable for any action taken by an authority for failure to comply.

 

Energy Performance Certificate

From 1st October 2008 all Landlords are required by Law to ensure that an Energy Performance Certificate is carried out prior to letting a property.  This certificate grades on an ‘A-G’ rating system the energy efficiency of the property.  The certificate should be carried out by an accredited assessor.


The Housing Act 2004 (HMO Regulations)

From April 2006 all property owners must comply with the latest regulations relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO’s). The new laws re-define HMO’s and dictate which HMO’s are subject to mandatory licensing. Penalties for breach of these laws are severe, with fines of up to £20,000.00 for failure to get a license or for breaching permitted numbers. For further information visit www.odpm.gov.uk.

 

Tenant Deposit Scheme

From 6th April 2007 all Tenancy Deposits must be protected under the Tenant Deposit Scheme by Law.  Failure to do so will affect the Landlord’s ability to gain possession of the property.  The tenant can also apply for a court order requiring the Landlord to either repay the deposit or to safeguard the deposit.  The court may also order the landlord to pay the tenant an equivalent amount of up to three times the deposit figure in compensation.

 

The three scheme operators are:

 

Deposit Dispute

Petermans will assist on any fair deposit despite subject to an administration fee. This service is only open for properties / landlord under our management service only.

 

Contents and Building Insurance

The landlord is responsible for insuring the building together with any contents provided. Tenants are responsible for insuring their own personal possessions. Failure to advise insurers that a property is tenanted is likely to render the policy void.

Inventory

Whether the property is to be let furnished or unfurnished, we would strongly recommend that the Landlord provides us with a detailed inventory of furnishings, effects, decorative order etc issued by an independent inventory clerk. In our experience, an inventory is a vital part of any tenancy and should not be dismissed without considerable thought.

 

Services provided by the Estate / Letting Agent

Most Estate Agents provide at least 2 levels of services, Full Management or / and Introduction Service. An outline of the services provided should be listed in the Terms and Conditions of Business.