New legislation means that Landlords could be on the receiving end of a £5,000 fine if they do not stay on the right side of the law…
The experienced Lettings team at Hannells have been educating their Landlords about new legislation regarding smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that is due to take affect from the 10th October 2015.
Under the new laws, landlords will be required to install smoke alarms on every floor of their rental property testing them at the start of every tenancy. Landlords will also need to fit a Carbon Monoxide alarm (where applicable). Landlords failing to meet the new regulations could face a civil penalty of up to £5,000.
Director of Lettings at Hannells; Andrew Sanderson commented: “I am not surprised that this will now become law and this is something that we have always advised our Landlords to do to ensure that the properties we rent meet the highest safety standards. As licensed professionals we are required to keep up to date with the multitude of legislation surrounding the industry ensuring that our Landlords remain fully compliant and protected. However I do fear that given there are no compulsory minimum standards demanded of Letting Agents there will be many that are simply unaware of these new laws and will therefore put their Landlords and tenants at risk.”
Government research suggests that in excess of 200 lives could be saved over the next 10 years by the introduction of this legislation. The vast majority of Landlords take pride in maintaining their properties to a good standard and were probably compliant with this even before it was announced to become law. Indeed given the low cost of complying with Smoke Alarms costing around £10 and Carbon Monoxide Alarms £20, there will be few that would disagree with this legislation.
As with any legislation it will only have the intended effect if it is complied with and it is a sad fact that every week there are reports of Landlords and Letting Agents being prosecuted for breaching current safety regulations. However the Private Rental Sector is rising up the political agenda so it does seem that likely to be further regulation to follow as well as a tightening up of existing legislation something that good quality Letting Agents and Landlords alike have nothing to fear and would welcome.
For an update on current legislation or advice on any aspect of Letting please get in touch with Hannells on 01332 294396 or email lettings@hannells.co.uk
