Safety, standards and security for private rented housing

We advise on, and enforce, Housing standards in Private Rented accomodation.

As a landlord, your responsibilities include:

• Keeping your rented properties safe and free from health hazards
• Making sure all gas and electrical equipment you supply is safely installed and maintained
• Following Fire Precautions in Dwellings
• Providing an energy performance certificate for the property
• Securing your tenant's deposit in a Deposit Protection Scheme

You can find advice on GOV.UK about your repair responsibilities (opens new window).

The Health and Safety Executive (opens new window) and Gas Safe Register (opens new window) offer advice and information on this.

As a landlord you are responsible for the gas equipment, fittings and flues you supply. You are required to:

• Ensure gas fittings and flues are kept in a safe condition
• Ensure an annual safety check is carried out on each gas appliance/flue by a Gas Safe engineer
• Keep a record of each safety check for two years
• Issue a copy of the safety check to each tenant within 28 days of the check or to a new tenant before they move in
• Have any installations carried out by a Gas Safe engineer

If an appliance fails the safety check you must make sure the equipment is fixed or replaced by a Gas Safe engineer before it is reconnected to the gas supply and used.

If an appliance is owned by the tenant you are not responsible for maintaining or checking it.

They should be able to show you a current registration certificate or a Gas Safe ID card. This will tell you their registration number and the sort of work they are competent to carry out. You can check the Gas Safe Register (opens new window) to ensure that they are registered or to find an installer.

Under Part P of the building regulations, DIY work and electrical installation work carried out by non-registered traders should be checked and certified. As the property owner, you are ultimately responsible for ensuring electrical work complies with the rules.

If the property you let is an HMO but is not licensable, the electrical wiring must still be safe. The Council can ask you to provide a valid electrical safety certificate. You must provide this within seven days of our request.

In any rented accommodation, we recommend you have your electrical equipment tested by a competent electrical engineer. This is not a legal requirement but is a sensible precaution.

The regulations do not stop you doing work or using an unregistered trades person, however you are still required to make a Building Regulations Application or have an electrician belonging to various Competent Person Schemes (CPS) check the electrical work and issue the notice and certificate.

The following resources are provided as part of an industry-wide initiative to help home owners find a local registered electrician and understand their responsibilities on how to ensure safe electrical work is completed by a competent, registered electrician, or is checked by one:

• To find a registered electrician - Search the register of electricians belonging to various Competent Person Schemes (CPS). These were introduced by the UK Government to allow individuals and enterprises to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations as an alternative to submitting a building notice or using an approved inspector. A Competent Person must be registered with a scheme that has been approved by MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government).
• General guidance - For general advice, guidance and information refer to the Electrical Safety First website (opens new window)

Any furniture that you supply in the property needs to comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (FIRE)(Safety) Regulations (opens new window).