What Are The Legal Requirements Of Landlords?

Posted on November 12th, 2008 | by John Glenn |

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If you are an existing landlord, or plan to become one soon, you are supposed to be fully aware of certain regulations. The Property Business is just like any other business where you need to fulfill plenty regulations in order to operate in the business.

Luckily, the requirements are not that burdensome, and soon become second nature.

As a landlord, you have a responsibility to

Take safety measures including:
Ensuring means of escape are kept clear, managed in good order and repair, clearly displayed and signposted to all occupants.
Ensuring fire fighting equipment is placed in good order and is carefully maintained.
Taking all measures reasonably needed to look after the occupants from injury, for example, preventing access to unsafe areas, like roofs.
Supply and look after water supply, drainage, gas and electricity.
Look after the common parts and installations.
Maintain living accommodation which comprises any furniture or appliance provided by you, the landlord.
Provide waste disposal amenities.

You also need to be attentive of The Furniture and Furnishings Regulation 1988, Gas Safety and Electrical Requirements.

If you are not sure about any specific requirements, you could always contact your local authority and seek out their advice. Alternatively, a quick 30 minute search on the internet could solve all your queries effectively.

When beginning your property business, you must fulfill these regulations as non-compliance could result in bulky fines or imprisonment in the most severe of cases.

However, once you purchased your first property and have ensured it meets all minimum requirements, you are require to repeat the processes, thus any additional property will be much easier for you to prepare for letting.