As a private landlord you have certain safety responsibilities
Gas safety
You must:
- make sure gas equipment you supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe-registered engineer
- have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue
- give a copy of the gas safety check record to your tenant before they move in, or within 28 days of the check
Electrical safety
You must:
- make sure the electrical system is safe
- make sure all appliances you supply, such as cookers and kettles, are safe
Fire safety
You must:
- follow safety regulations
- follow the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 guidance that came into force on 1 October 2022. From that date, all relevant landlords must:
- make sure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of their homes where there is a room used as living accommodation. This has been a legal requirement in the private rented sector since 2015
- make sure a carbon monoxide alarm is equipped in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers)
- make sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced once informed and found that they are faulty
- check your tenants have access to escape routes at all times
- make sure the furniture and furnishings you supply are fire-safe
- provide fire alarms and extinguishers if the property is a large house in multiple occupation (HMO)