Tom

Firstly it is important to point out there is no legal requirement for landlords to inspect and test electrical equipment. However landlords do have an obligation that anything they supply to tenants is safe and the surest way of achieving this is through inspection and testing. Since we wrote the last article on this topic…

Who The dutyholder (landlord) is responsible for ensuring a legionella risk assessment is carried out. The dutyholder can appoint a competent person or persons to undertake the risk assessment and take day-to-day responsibility for controlling any identified risk from legionella bacteria, known as the ‘responsible person’. What Check competence The dutyholder should check that the…

Mould problems are prevalent in UK rented accommodation as our weather conditions are an ideal breeding ground for mould spores and fungi. Excess mould can not only ruin your clothes and furniture but it can cause severe respiratory problems, allergies and asthma as well. The following guide has been written by Mould Expert Marcel Springorum…

First some definitions.. Private Drains Under S11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 the landlord must keep in repair the structure and exteriors of the dwelling, including drains gutters and external pipes. ‘Keep in repair’ means that the landlord must keep up the standard of repair from the start of the tenancy. This provision…

Candles mark special occasions and create a special atmosphere. They also bring fire and chemicals into the home so their use needs to be carefully considered. At a time when candles are more popular than the days when Thomas Edison was burning the midnight oil inventing the light bulb it is common for tenancy agreements…

This is the second part of an article that looks at the common issue of carpet cleaning (the first part was here) 8. Terms such as ‘professional cleaning’ and ‘cleaned to a professional standard’ are ambiguous terms for which there is no legal or standard definition. Use of the word ‘professional’ suggests the tenant must…

Carpet cleaning is one of the most common causes of disputes between landlords and tenants and along with the general cleaning of the property it accounts for 22 per cent of all dispute cases. The following should help provide clarity on what is reasonable: 1. Cleanliness is subjective, what one person considers clean may not…

Before Completion Tenancy Deposit – If the current landlord has taken a deposit from the tenant, agree arrangements for transfer of the deposit. Any arrangements for the deposit must comply with tenancy deposit protection (TDP) legislation and the deposit must be registered with a government-backed scheme. The current landlord should create an addendum to the…

Tenants have a right to be charged for water on the basis of what they use. This means they have a right to have a meter installed free of charge, unless it’s not practical or is unreasonably expensive to do this.  Tenants also have the right to ask for a meter if their tenancy agreement…

*** A more up-to-date version of this article is available here *** The fire at flats in Park Farm Road Glastonbury last week was attributed to the electricity supply (article here) whilst the exact cause may not have been caused by a faulty installation this incident does remind us of the importance of checking electrical…