1. Safety requirements
Landlords should ensure that the property meets all current safety regulations including Gas, Electrical and Fire and all privately rented properties must have a working smoke alarm on each floor, with carbon monoxide alarms in any rooms that are classed as ‘high risk’.
2. Legionnaires’ Disease
All residential properties which are rented out must now have a risk assessment undertaken to determine the risk of Legionella.
3. Referencing:
Thorough referencing is essential if problem tenants are to be avoided. This can include previous landlord references and credit rating checks on each occupier, as well as credit checks on any guarantors.
4. Insurance
Everyone has buildings insurance, especially if it is a condition of your buy to let mortgage; but unless your insurer is aware that the property is let to a tenant, your insurance may not be valid!
5. Inventories
A full inventory check and property condition report along with dated digital photographs should be conducted at the beginning and end of each tenancy as this is the only evidence a landlord can use to claim against the tenant’s deposit. In contested cases, the standard position is ‘the money belongs to the tenant’ and it’s up to the landlord to prove otherwise.
For free expert advice on regulations that might affect you, please feel free to call us today on 01322 228090.