Your rental property should feel safe, comfortable and properly cared for.
Your landlord and letting agent are responsible for ensuring the property meets Scotland’s safety and repair requirements. However, a few simple checks carried out by everyone living in the property can help identify problems early and prevent a minor fault from becoming a serious risk.
The Scottish Government’s current guidance recommends that tenants test smoke and heat alarms weekly, carbon monoxide alarms monthly and residual current devices, usually known as RCDs, every six months. These routine button tests do not replace the landlord’s legal safety inspections or maintenance responsibilities. They simply help confirm that the safety equipment in your home is responding as it should.
Here is what every Clan Gordon tenant needs to know.
Test Your Smoke And Heat Alarms Every Week
Smoke and heat alarms provide an early warning when there is a fire. That warning can give you and everyone else in the property vital time to get out safely.
Once a week:
- Press and hold the test button on the alarm.
- Check that the alarm sounds clearly.
- Most alarms are interlinked, please check that the other alarms in the property sound too.
- Repeat the test for each alarm.
Never remove smoke alarm heads, remove batteries (unless replacing when safe to do so), cover an alarm, paint over it or interfere with it in any way.
If an alarm does not sound, sounds unusually quiet or begins making a regular warning chirp, please report it to Clan Gordon promptly. Do not attempt to remove or repair a sealed or mains-powered alarm yourself.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service also recommends keeping escape routes clear and closing internal doors at night, where appropriate, to help slow the spread of smoke and fire.
Smoking and naked flames, including candles, are not permitted in the property under Clan Gordon’s property safety guidance. Please make sure visitors and everyone living in the property understand this too.
Test Your Carbon Monoxide Alarm Every Month
Carbon monoxide, often shortened to CO, is colourless, odourless and tasteless. It can be produced when fuel-burning appliances, boilers, fires or flues are faulty or are not working correctly.
Test each carbon monoxide alarm at least once a month by pressing its test button. Follow any manufacturer’s instructions if they recommend testing it more frequently.
Possible symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include:
- Headaches.
- Dizziness.
- Nausea.
- Confusion.
- Unusual tiredness or weakness.
These symptoms can have many causes, but they should never be ignored when several people in the property feel unwell at the same time or when symptoms improve after leaving the building.
Test Your RCD Every Six Months
An RCD is a safety device found in your consumer unit or fuse box. It is designed to cut off the electricity quickly if it detects a fault, reducing the risk of a serious electric shock.
The test button is normally labelled T or Test.
To test it:
- Let everyone in the property know that the electricity may switch off.
- Save work and safely switch off sensitive electrical equipment.
- Press the RCD test button.
- Check that the switch moves and the power to the protected circuit turns off.
- Reset the switch.
Current Scottish Government guidance recommends that tenants test RCDs every six months.
If pressing the test button does not trip the switch, the RCD will not reset or you are uncertain which control to use, stop and report the problem. Do not remove the consumer-unit cover or attempt electrical repairs yourself.
Use Sockets, Chargers And Appliances Safely
Electrical problems are not always dramatic. A warm plug, damaged cable or faint burning smell may be the first indication that something is wrong.
To reduce the risk:
- Do not overload sockets or extension leads.
- Never connect one extension lead to another.
- Stop using plugs, cables or appliances that are damaged.
- Use the correct charger supplied or recommended for the device.
- Avoid charging equipment on beds, sofas or other soft surfaces.
- Keep electrical equipment away from water.
- Unplug small appliances and chargers when they are no longer needed, where it is safe and practical to do so.
- Never ignore scorching, crackling, buzzing, sparks or a burning smell.
Report damaged sockets, switches, fixed wiring or landlord-provided appliances promptly. Scottish electrical safety guidance recommends checking sockets and equipment for damage, deterioration, overheating and signs of overloading.
Follow Good Water Safety Practices
Most domestic water systems present a low risk when water is used regularly and the system is working correctly. However, stagnant water and poorly maintained outlets can increase the risk of bacteria developing.
Drinking And Cooking Water
Use water from the cold tap at the kitchen sink for drinking and cooking. Do not use water from a hot tap for drinking, preparing food or making hot drinks.
Where water has been standing for an extended period, or where you have received property-specific guidance concerning lead pipework, allow the cold kitchen tap to run until the water becomes noticeably cooler before using it for drinking or cooking. Scottish Water recommends this as a precaution where lead pipework may be present.
After A Period Away From The Property
When returning after an extended absence:
- Run outlets that have not been used before returning to normal use.
- Run taps carefully to avoid creating unnecessary spray.
- Flush toilets.
- Clean and disinfect showerheads regularly.
- Do not change the temperature settings on a hot-water cylinder or tank.
- Report any problem with the hot water, unusual discolouration, persistent odours, leaks or a change in water temperature.
HSE guidance advises that water should be kept moving and that outlets in an unoccupied property should not be allowed to remain stagnant for long periods. It also recommends regular cleaning and disinfection of showerheads.
Report Problems Early
A safety issue is always easier to resolve when we know about it.
Please report concerns including:
- An alarm that does not sound when tested.
- A carbon monoxide alarm that sounds or displays a fault warning.
- An RCD that does not trip or reset.
- Damaged sockets, switches or electrical cables.
- A burning smell, buzzing or scorching.
- A leaking appliance, pipe or ceiling.
- A boiler or hot-water system that is not working correctly.
- Discoloured or unusual-smelling water.
- A blocked vent or damaged flue.
- Damage affecting doors, windows or the security of the property.
Non-emergency maintenance can be reported through Fixflo. Please include a clear description, photographs and any useful details about when the problem started.
You can also visit the Clan Gordon existing tenants page for maintenance guidance, contact information and advice about common tenancy issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I Responsible For Repairing / Replacing An Alarm That Does Not Work?
No. Your role is to carry out the simple test and report a problem. Unless instructed to do so please do not attempt to dismantle, remove or replace a mains-powered or sealed alarm yourself.
Why Do The Smoke Alarms All Sound When I Test One?
Smoke and heat alarms in Scottish homes are interlinked so that when one detects danger, the other alarms also sound. This helps alert people throughout the property.
What Should I Do If An Alarm Chirps Intermittently?
A regular chirp may indicate a fault, low backup power or that the alarm has reached the end of its usable life. Report it via fixflo and wait for further instructions.
Can I Report A Safety Concern Even If I Am Unsure Whether It Is Serious?
Yes. It is much better to report a concern and allow the team to assess it than to wait until the problem gets worse. Use Fixflo for non-emergencies or call the office where there is an immediate risk.
Do These Checks Replace Landlord Safety Inspections?
No. Landlords remain responsible for ensuring the property meets the Repairing Standard and for arranging the appropriate professional checks, servicing and safety certification. Tenant tests provide an additional early warning if equipment stops working between inspections.
A Few Minutes Can Make A Real Difference
Safety equipment only protects you when it is working properly.
Build the weekly and monthly alarm checks into your normal household routine, test your RCD every six months and make sure everyone living in the property knows what to do in an emergency.
Most importantly, never ignore something that does not look, smell or sound right. Report it promptly so the Clan Gordon team can take the appropriate action and help keep your home safe.