Landlords need to be cautious about health and safety
Letting has increased in recent months because of the decline in the UK property market. It has meant many people are becoming landlords, but the HSE has reminded those thinking about letting property that there are some very specific health and safety issues to keep in mind. In fact, anyone who has the desire to become a property owner should hire or at least speak with a health and safety consultant to ensure that they will not find themselves in a tougher situation later.
Landlords have to be particularly cautious with gas appliances in the home. Each year these appliances have to be checked by a registered gas fitter. The homes must also be kept up so that no safety or health danger is present. Should something be found later or an incident occur, a property owner can be liable for not undertaking due diligence towards the property. It is true that the exterior is the landlord’s responsibility, while maintaining the home’s interior as it was when moving in is the tenants’ responsibility. If there is an issue with an appliance or other fixture going wrong in the house because of care, the landlord must take immediate steps to get the problem fixed or this could lead to an HSE investigation and litigation. When there are troubles selling property, one should not make it worse by ignoring the most basic duty of care on property being rented because it can most certainly create issues later.
