Collaborative Post¦ As a landlord, you have a duty of care for your tenants when it comes to their health and safety in your property. A home, if neglected, can be full of hazards, and if one of your tenants gets injured by something you were supposed to fix or be aware of, you could be held accountable and face legal action. As well as this, you have an ethical and moral duty to take care of people that are paying you money to live in one of you extra houses. Here are some of the most important considerations for landlords to ensure tenants are as safe as possible.
Structural Repairs
Whether done by yourself or via a professional repairperson, it’s essential for you to fix structural damage as a landlord, both to the interior or exterior of the property. Damage to the heating and water systems, as well as sanitary stations such as baths, showers and sinks are also your responsibility to make sure to get these completed as soon as possible after damage has been reported by tenants.
When it comes to structural repairs, this includes roofing, external walls, the foundation of the property, windows and doors, drains, pipes and gutters, and fences. Of course, if a tenant willingly or accidentally causes the damage to these things, then they are required to cover the costs of repair.
Electrical And Gas Safety
It is similarly your duty to maintain safe gas and electrical systems in the property and this can be done via professional engineers and electricians. You can make use of services provided by experts like Trade Facilities Services who can visit the property and complete essential safety tests on all electrical devices and circuits to ensure they’re up to standard and aren’t a hazard. This needs to be done once every five years and can last up to four hours depending on the property size.
When it comes to gas safety checks, these should be done once a year, or before any new lease, on every gas appliance and flue in the house to ensure the safety of your tenants.
Fire Safety Measures
You should also be making sure that all of your furnishings and furniture are up to standard with current fire safety protocols. As well as this, you’ll want to ensure that all of the doors in the property are in line with fire safety standards, including clear signage like those on this page.
Fire doors help to delay fire and smoke, giving your tenants more time to act, as well as more time for fire services to get to the property and stop the spread of fire before too much damage is done, or anyone gets hurt. You can find everything you need for fire doors at Door Controls Direct.
You’re required to carry out regular fire safety assessments of your property, including fire door inspections to check fire safety regulations compliance. You also need to ensure there is an escape route for tenants in the event of a fire.
Make Your Property Fit For Habitation
You are also generally responsible for the property being okay to live in. This includes a number of different aspects from serious damp problems to a lack of ventilation and natural light. Of course, you’re only responsible for any habitation issues if they weren’t caused by your tenants, and therefore it’s important to ensure your property is safe before each new tenant moves in.
Regular checks are important and it’s wise to keep in touch with your tenants to make sure there aren’t any problems occurring that could put their health at risk.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.