Sue Clear is Compliance Executive at http://www.lmemove.com
Happy New Year and welcome back to what I sense promises to be another full on year for the Lettings and wider property sector.
This month I thought I’d highlight several of the problems landlord’s can run into that are linked to the recently passed Deregulation Act, and how to best protect yourself from potential trouble ahead.
A new law requiring that all new and converted homes in Wales be fitted with sprinklers has come into force, the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
CFOA Vice-President Dave Etheridge attended an event at the Welsh Senedd on January 12th to celebrate the introduction of the new law. The event was hosted by Ann Jones AM, who was one of the key drivers behind the campaign to see the legislation introduced.
If you’re a professional landlord or letting agent – and assuming that you haven’t been on the Moon for the last year – then you can’t have failed to have been bombarded with a plethora of rental property compliance updates and changes. The most recent being the legal requirement to fit carbon monoxide alarms. So what do and don’t you have to do to ensure you stay the right side of the law?
Landlords have a legal duty to protect their tenants from dangers within their rental properties. Failure to do so can result in serious financial penalties and in some cases legal action.
Aside from the well known annual gas safety certificates there is now the legal responsibility to ensure rental properties have a legionella risk assessment carried out plus working carbon monoxide and fire alarms fitted. Whilst carbon monoxide alarms are only required to be fitted to rooms where there are solid fuel burning appliances fitted, most reputable landlords and letting agents fit carbon monoxide alarms to all properties regardless of fuel type as best practice.
There have also been recent changes to electrical protections. Here are the key facts that landlords and letting agents need to know:
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LM Experts Alerts for Landlords, Letting Agents & Property Developers 