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Health and safety in rented accommodation

Landowners are generally responsible for the maintenance and main repairs to a property. This includes repairs to the structure and external of the property, heating and hot water installations, basins, sinks, baths and other hygienic installations.

Housing standards

A property should be safe and well for occupiers, so responsibility should be taken to make sure that:

• the house is capable of providing sufficient heating, which preferably means controllable central heating and insulation, with equipment and the cloth of the building in good repair
• electricity and gas supplies, and the hygiene are in working order
• there are no fall or trip hazards
• water heating equipment is in working order
• the property is free from moist

Gas and electrical safety

Your Landowner must ensure that:

• all gas appliances and installations are maintained in good order
• gas boilers get an annual safety check, carried out by someone who is registered with Gas Safe Register
• they keep a record of the safety checks, and issue it to you within 28 days of each annual check

The inhabitant 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 Landowner must ensure that the electrical system and any electrical machines supplied with the let such as cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and fascination heaters are safe to use. If your Landowner supplies new appliances, he or she should also provide any accompanying instruction booklets.

Fire safety

The 2004 Housing Act requires the Landowner to do several things about fire safety:

• there has to be an sufficient 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 Occupation by your council which is subject to licensing, your Landowner must also comply with license conditions in relation to fire safety.

By law, your Landowner must:

• make sure that all the gas appliances they offer are maintained in good order and that a Gas Safe registered plumber carries out a safety check each year
• maintain all electrical installations and any electrical appliances they provide and make sure they are safe to use
• make sure any furniture and furnishings they offer meet the fire resistance regulations