Tom

Short answer is No! However if the property is classed as a HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) then The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 apply and S3 (here) covers standards for kitchens. Provision for cooking of food is mentioned twice in the regulations: 3…

Short answer is no. However consider the following: All owners must agree to the property being rented. Provided the tenancy is for a term not exceeding three years any one of the owners can sign on behalf of the others. For a term exceeding three years all  owners must sign. Ideally tenancy agreements should name…

The answer is simple – there is no ‘penalty’ but any demand for rent and any service charge shall be treated for all purposes as not being due from the tenant to the landlord (until the correct information is served on the tenant). Long-winded detailed answer… S47 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 requires…

Short answer = landlord Long answer…. 1. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 section 11, which is implied into all tenancies of less than seven years duration, prescribes that the landlord must keep in repair and proper working order the installations for the supply of water including basins, sinks, baths and sanitary conveniences – a…

The legislation that paves the way for yet more legislation that will ban properties of low energy efficiency from the rental market is the Energy Act 2011 and in particular Section 43 here It is anticipated the legislation governing this will come into force for April 2018 and  speculation is that the ban will apply…

When do you have to provide a prospective tenant with the front page of the EPC? It’s a bit of a trick question – the answer is never! The whole Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must be made available to a prospective tenant and not just the front page. The most recent legislation on this is…

T1 & T2 sign a tenancy agreement for a joint tenancy and T1 decides to leave what should you as the landlord do? If the tenancy is still in the fixed term you cannot unilaterally do anything. You cannot delete one of the names from tenancy agreement. You can however either: a. allow a formal…

Short answer is no, so if your agent or domestic energy assessor is trying sell you one politely decline the opportunity to give them more profit. The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 took effect on 9 January 2013 and the regulations revoke The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England…

If the appliances are the tenants then the simple answer is the tenant. For appliances provided by the landlord the answer is a bit more complicated… When discussing repairing obligations reference is often made to Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 but Section 11 (1)(b) of this legislation makes it clear the…

You may have heard of The Green Deal which the UK government unveiled recently. This is a significant development which we feel you should know about. The Green Deal is the new government initiative that is designed to help business and home owners to employ more green technologies in their properties. The idea is simple; install new…