Landlord obligations

Install a mains smoke alarm

Any property being let after September 2007 should have a mains operated smoke alarm, with battery back up, fitted to each level of the property. They must be interconnected so that if one sounds they all sound.

If any rooms are not immediately adjacent to the room with the alarm, then another detector must be installed and interconnected. A good example is where the lounge is accessed from the hall and a box room or the kitchen is accessed from the lounge. A kitchen in this situation would normally have a heat detector installed.

You can find more information on the Private Rented Housing Panel (PRHP) website.

It is also recommended as good practice to have a fire blanket installed in the kitchen.

Arrange annual landlord gas safety tests

Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, it is a legal requirement for landlords to ensure that gas installations and appliances are maintained in good order and checked for safety at least every 12 months by a member of the Gas Safe Register.

A copy of the Landlord Safety Certificate must be given to the tenant, and a copy kept by the landlord for two years.

Although not yet a legal requirement, CO monitors are recommended to meet your obligations to keep tenants safe and can easily be fitted at the same time as mains smoke alarms.

Arrange a Periodic Inspection Report (PIR)

and Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)

Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, landlords are responsible for ensuring that all electrical installations and appliances are maintained in good working order and safe to use. In order to comply, landlords are advised to have a PIR carried out every three years and PAT carried out annually.

An electrical survey, known as a Periodic Inspection Report, will carry out tests on the fixed wiring of the installation to find potential hazards, including any lack of earthing or bonding. The report will establish the overall condition of the electrical installation, state whether it is satisfactory for continued use, and detail any work that needs to be done.

All electrical appliances supplied with let accommodation must be safe. Portable Appliance Testing is widely regarded as being the best way of complying with this obligation. The Portable Appliance Test includes visual checks and tests carried out on electrical appliances and their plugs and cables.