Private Tenants

Safety of Property

Your landlord has a responsibility in terms of making sure that the accommodation is safe. The electricity supply, plumbing, water and heating systems should all be in good condition. If you have any concerns regards the safety of any item in the property then you should speak with the landlord, it is important that you do not move into the accommodation until these concerns have been addressed.

Insurance
Gas
Electricity
Furniture and Furnishings

Insurance

It is normal for the landlord to maintain comprehensive buildings and third party liability insurance. The landlord will not normally be responsible for insuring your possessions and you should obtain your own contents insurance to cover the cost of replacing your personal items. It is worth checking the position regarding insurance with your landlord if it is not mentioned at the time of signing the tenancy agreement.

Gas

Your landlord must ensure that all gas appliances, fitting and flues provided in the accommodation are safe. There must be an annual safety check carried out on each gas appliance/flue by a CORGI registered gas installer. The checks need to have taken place within one year of the start of the tenancy/lease date. The tenant should receive a copy of the safety certificate from the landlord upon moving in to the property.

Electricity

The landlord should ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken to make sure that electrical appliances supplied as part of the let are safe for your use.

Any instruction booklets or warnings on the safe use of the appliances should be passed to you when you move into the property. You should look out for any danger signs such as broken plugs, taped or loose wiring, missing or damaged covers.

Furniture & Furnishings

It is the landlords responsibility to make sure that any furnishings supplied meet the flammability requirements under The Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.

Many domestic fires start with soft furnishings catching fire, and the highly poisonous fumes that are given of man-made foams and coverings have caused numerous deaths.

From the 1st January 1997 all upholstered furniture and furnishings included in rented accommodation must comply with the fire resistance requirements. The only exception is where a property was first let prior to March 1993, providing the same tenant has been in occupation since this time the furniture supplied can remain in the property until the tenant leaves or a new tenancy agreement is put in place.

If you are living in furnished accommodation then you should check that all upholstered furniture has sewn-in label to show that it is fire resistant. Each item of furniture or furnishings will have a label attached to it stating compliance with regulations. Mattresses have a different labelling requirement: look for 'complies with BS7177'.

If you have any concerns about the safety of any gas appliances, electricity appliance or furniture supplied by the landlord as part of the accommodation please contact The Trading Standards Service who will be able to give you further information and advice.