The landlords have legal obligations related to the safety and security of their property and the people living in it. It is must for landlords to ensure compliance with the regulations by apprising with the duties. These rights and responsibilities are laws that are enforced by British courts. The laws stipulate the responsibilities of the landlords related to possession, habitable condition, and noninterference with use. The tenants and the landlords need to completely know their responsibilities and their rights.
1- Ensuring Safety And Security of The Tenants
The landlord is responsible to maintain and ensure the safety and security of the tenants. It is also important for the tenants to check everything before signing the lease. Because once they sign the lease the landlord will longer remain responsible for the defects they find out. However, the laws place a statutory duty on the landlords to make sure that there is nothing flawed in technical connections that can jeopardize their property and lives of people. The laws are concerned about fulfilling the basic security needs and not about installing luxury security systems like wireless intruder alarms.
The Gas Safety Regulations 1998 makes it a compulsion for the landlords to make sure that gas appliances, pipe connections, and flues are in good condition.
Other laws as The Electrical Equipment(Safety) Regulations 1994, Fire Safety Housing Act 2004 and regulatory reform, 2005 state that the landlords must:
a- Arrange for annual gas check by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
b- Get a Gas safety certificate with one-year validity.
c- The electric wires must be covered and out of reach.
d- The electric plugs should be fused and must be BS1363 compliant.
e- There must be emergency exits and fire extinguishers available.
Particularly for countering fire risks the landlords must carry out a fire risk assessment. The assessment includes identifying fire hazards and people who are at its threshold. It includes taking imperative steps to counter the risks.
2- Making a Habitable Premise
The house must have the basic features that make it habitable. The landlord must make sure that the house has important furniture and equipment available.
According to the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1993, the furnishing and furniture must not abide by the fire-resistant requirements. These include nursery furniture, sofas, beds, mattresses, padded stools and chests, scatter cushions, pillows, loose and stretch covers for furniture.
Also, the landlords are responsible to make sure that their properties are fit for human habitation. These include ensuring the repairs, stability, ventilation, appropriate lighting, water supply, drainage system, sanitary convinces, and cooking facilities etc.
3- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
It is always obliged to the landlords to respect the privacy of tenants. They should never enter the rental except in an emergency or when a notice has to be given. But this law related to data regulation came in 2018 through a collective decision of the European Union. According to this, the landlords have to make it transparent as:
The information they are obtaining from the tenants
Why they are taking the information and,
why they are using it if they are sharing the data.
Other Non- Compulsive Responsibilities
The following are not the obligations but a landlord as a responsible person can consider providing facilities and conveniences to the tenents:
1- Safety and security of the property and lives can be enhanced by fitting smoke and fire detectors.
2- Landlords can carry out electrical installation safety checks.
3- They can introduce the non-smoking policy in the premise.
Bookkeeping outsourcing is getting common due to several reasons.
While not complicated it is a time taking but very essential service for a business.
Buy to Let Landlords are no exceptions.
Whether you let out a residential property or commercial property, whether you let out few or multiple properties you need to maintain your books accurately.
It will not only help you with your tax, it will also give you a complete picture of your profit by comparing your expenses with your income.
Carelessness or ignorance here can lead you to HMRC inspection plus you will not get a proper idea on what your investments have brought you.
Humans will never be error-free, and the same thing is applicable to the owner of the rental unit.
When you are managing the rental unit, then the chances are there to be wrong.
Surely, there is no one who wants to repeat the same.Read Full Article:- Mistakes That the Landlord Makes
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