Lake Windermere

What You Need To Know

Lettings Agents, Landlords and Tenants should all be aware of the current and ever changing legislations within the residential lettings industry. Below we have outlined some of the most important legislations you should be aware of.

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Gas Safety

It is a legal requirement that, as a Landlord you are responsible for the gas safety within each dwelling you own and are responsible for.  The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 outline what landlords must do in order to ensure gas appliances, fittings and flues within a property are safe.

Landlords must ensure that pipework, appliances and flues are maintained in a safe condition.  Gas appliances should be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.  If these are not available it is recommended that they are serviced annually unless advised otherwise by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Landlords must arrange an annual gas safety check on every gas appliance and flue by a registered Gas Safe engineer.  Before any new tenancy starts landlords must ensure these checks have been carried out

Within one year before the start of the tenancy date, unless the appliances in the property have been installed for less than 12 months, in which case they should be checked within 12 months of their installation date.

Please Note: The checks are essential for both mains gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and appliances including hobs and gas fires.  Please visit www.gassaferegister.co.uk for more information.

Smoke & Co2 Alarms

From the 1st October 2015 landlords will have to ensure that a smoke alarm is fitted on every floor of their property where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation.  They will also have to put a carbon monoxide alarm in any room where a solid fuel is burnt, such as: wood, coal or biomass and/or open fires.  It does not include gas, oil or LPG, although as an agent we do insist.

Electrical Safety Standards

The Regulations came into force on 1 June 2020 and apply in England to all new tenancies from 1 July 2020 and all existing tenancies from 1 April 2021. You should be aware that this means that tenancies signed on or after 1 June 2020, which start on or after 1 July 2020 should have an EICR (Electric Installation Condition Report). Private landlords must ensure:

  • Electrical safety standards are met when the property is occupied during a tenancy.
  • Every fixed electrical installation at the property is inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person.
  • The first inspection and testing is carried out before new tenancies commence on or after 1 July 2020 and by 1 April 2021 for existing tenancies.
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Quaint Village Bridge

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

What is an EPC? – An EPC gives a property an energy efficiency rating from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient) and is valid for 10 years. They are needed whenever a property is built, sold or rented. It contains information about a property’s energy use and typical energy costs as well as recommendations about how to reduce energy use and save money.

NB: Since October 2015, where a landlord hasn’t provided an assured shorthold tenant with an EPC, they won’t be able to evict them using a Section 21 Notice.

Since 1st April 2018 it is unlawful for landlords/agents to grant new tenancies of properties that have an energy efficiency rating of F and G on its EPC, unless an exemption applies or the landlord has made all the relevant energy efficiency improvements. Under the rules relevant energy efficiency improvements which a landlord may choose to install to reach an EPC rating of E (either a single measure, or a combination of measures) are any energy efficiency improvements recommended for the property through a relevant Recommendation Report (contained within an EPC), a Green Deal advice report or a report prepared by a qualified surveyor.

A landlord of an F or G rated property will be expected to install all energy efficiency improvements required to reach an EPC E, where funding is available to cover the cost. Funding (or a combination of funding) can come from a Green Deal Plan, Energy Company Obligation or similar scheme, funding from Central Government, local authority, or third party at no cost to the landlord.

Payprop

We are proud to be one of only a select few Lettings Agents in the North West to provide our clients with a real time and interactive payment system.

Payprop is a Real time, automatic and consistent communication with both landlords and tenants which is 100% accurate.

  • Ring-fenced, same day rental payments giving existing and potential landlords complete peace of mind.
  • The only payment system which is fully bank integrated ensuring all money movement and subsequent communication is both immediate and transparent.
  • Landlords will receive the following automatic communications at the same time as they are released from the bank;
  • A remittance advice showing any payments deducted from the rent.
  • A monthly owner statement to the landlord.
  • Cumulative summary statements for multi-property landlords.
  • Quarterly, Year End statements.
  • All communications can be emailed up to a further 10 recipients (i.e. accountant/joint owners).
  • All statements generated from within the bank environment ensuring complete transparency for the landlord.
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The leading Estate Agents Lancaster, The Lake District & North Lancashire