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Safety Regulations
When letting your property you must
ensure that your property complies with the following
legislation:
If you are providing soft furnishings in your property, they
must comply with the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment)
Regulations 1993. Failure to meet the terms of these regulations could result in
fines of up to £5,000 and/or imprisonment.
Plus, if your property has any gas or electrical appliances
you should be aware that the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 and Electrical
Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 place special legal responsibilities on
landlords. Again if you do not abide by these regulations, the maximum penalty
is a fine of £5,000 and/or imprisonment.
If you need to know more about this legislation, simply speak to any member
of the the property shop Estate Agents Lettings team ¬ we’ll be pleased to help.
The Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1993
- These regulations were amended in 1993 and it is now an offence to
install any furniture in let properties which does not comply with the
regulations.
- The regulations apply to beds, mattresses and headboards, scatter
cushions and pillows, stretch or loose covers for furniture, children’s
furniture, garden furniture and any items of similar type fillings of which
must carry the appropriate labels of compliance.
- Upholstered furniture must have fire resistant filling material and must
pass a cigarette resistance test.
- Permanent covers must pass a match resistance test.
- Furniture in any property which qualifies for the transitional period
(i.e. was let prior to 1st March 1993 and continued to be let), does not
have to comply until the tenant who occupied the property prior to 1st
January 1997, vacates the property.
- Any furniture added to the property since 1st March 1993 must comply
with these requirements whether new or second-hand.
The regulations do not apply to:
- antique furniture or any made before 1st January 1950
- bedclothes (including duvets and pillowcases)
- loose covers for mattresses, curtains
- carpets, sleeping bags, cushion covers.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
- All gas appliances and associated pipework and flues should be
maintained to ensure they are safe to use. An annual inspection by a
qualified registered CORGI gas engineer is now a requirement of law.
- A Gas Safety Record (GSR) must be kept with the dates of inspection and
any defects identified. This record must be provided to the tenant upon
signing the tenancy agreement.
- A gas appliance with an open flue should not be installed in a bedroom.
- Where the gas meter is installed in a meter box, you should supply the
tenant with a suitably labelled key to the box.
- After work on any gas appliance, a defined series of safety checks must
be performed.
- Instructions for any gas appliance must be left for the tenant.
- Any gas appliance that is suspected or known to be faulty or incorrectly
installed must not be used by anyone and should be removed/replaced or
repaired immediately
- Ventilation is needed for gas appliances to work correctly and safely.
You should take care not to block vents and air bricks
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
- Electrical supply and appliances within a property must be ‘safe’.
- All electrical appliances must be checked at regular intervals for
defects (e.g. frayed wiring, badly fitted plugs etc.).
- Any unsafe items should be removed from the property prior to offering
it for rent.
- No statutory checking procedure or timescale exists. However, we
strongly recommend that all landlords have an annual inspection of
electrical appliances including an annual electrical supply safety check, by
a qualified electrical engineer. Records of these checks conducted at the
property should be retained and provided for inspection if required.
- Smoke alarms are advised to be fitted to all let properties and should
be regularly checked to ensure that they are in full working order.
The Plugs & Sockets (Safety) Regulations 1994 (Consumer Protection Act
1987)
- Any plug, socket or adapter supplied which is intended for domestic use,
must comply with the appropriate current regulations.
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