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Home and community
Health and safety in rented accommodation
Landlords are generally responsible for the maintenance and major repairs to a property. This includes repairs to the structure and exterior of the property, heating and hot water installations, basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary installations.
Housing standards
A property should be safe and healthy for occupiers, so responsibility should be taken to ensure that:
- the dwelling is capable of providing adequate heating, which ideally means controllable central heating and insulation, with equipment and the fabric of the building in good repair
- electricity and gas supplies, and the sanitation (drains, basins, sinks, baths and WCs) are in working order
- there are no fall or trip hazards
- water heating equipment is in working order
- the property is free from damp
Gas and electrical safety
Your landlord must ensure that:
- all gas appliances and installations are maintained in good order
- that gas boliers get an annual safety check is carried out by someone who is registered with CORGI (Council for Registered Gas Installers).
- keep a record of the safety checks, and issue it to you within 28 days of each annual check
The occupier is responsible for maintaining gas appliances which they own, or are entitled to take with them at the end of the letting.
By law, your landlord must ensure that the electrical system and any electrical appliances supplied with the let such as cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and immersion heaters are safe to use. If your landlord supplies new appliances, he or she should also provide any accompanying instruction booklets.
Fire safety
The 2004 Housing Act requires the landlord to do several things about fire safety:
- there has to be an adequate means of escape
- depending on the size of the property, there may have to be smoke alarms and fire extinguishing equipment
If the property is a considered to be a House in Multiple Ocupation (HMO) by your council which is subject to licensing, your landlord must also comply with license conditions in relation to fire safety.
By law, your landlord must:
- make sure that all the gas appliances they provide are maintained in good order and that a Corgi-registered plumber carries out a safety check each year
- maintain all electrical installations (ie fixed wiring) and any electrical appliances they provide (ie cookers, kettles) and make sure they are safe to use
- make sure any furniture and furnishings they provide meet the fire resistance regulations
Your council's Environmental Health Officer will be able to give you more details about your landlord's obligations and can force your landlord to provide adequate fire precautions.
For practical advice to greatly reduce the chances of a fire happening in your home, visit the 'Fire Kills' website.
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