As a landlord, or potential landlord, you’re almost certainly aware of the legal requirements you have to ensure a safe place to live for your tenants. You’ll have your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, for example, as well as your gas and electrical safety certificates.
There are several other responsibilities you have as a landlord that you might not be so aware of. Here’s five of them for you to think about.
Ensuring the property is secure
This includes the boundary of the property. If part of the garden fence is blown down in a storm, for example, it’s your responsibility to fix it, even if your tenant is responsible for maintaining the garden.
You also need to make sure any burglar alarms, locks and other security measures are well-maintained and approved by your insurer. If you don’t, and the property is burgled, you could be liable for your tenant’s losses.
Maintaining any specialist equipment or features
Your tenant can only be responsible for what the average person can do in terms of maintaining the property and garden. For example, if you have a pond with expensive koi carp in, you’ll need to bring in a specialist or do the care yourself.
Implementing any leasehold rules
If you’re letting a leasehold property, you’ll still be responsible for ground rent, service charges and so on. You’ll also have to make sure that you can actually rent out the property, as well as making sure they abide by any no-pet rules and similar.
Giving the tenants and letting agent essential information and keys
Both your letting agent and your tenant need to know your contact details, the refuse collection schedule, where the electricity and gas meters are (with keys if they’re housed in cupboards), which car space is theirs and the instructions for the central heating and any appliances.
Eliminating tripping hazards
Of course, your tenant could fall over their own property, but if they trip up over something like an uneven floorboard or a loose stair carpet, you could be liable. Similarly, you should signpost low doorways or uneven stone steps so that your tenants and visitors are aware of these potential hazards.
