Electrical safety
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) 2020 require that landlords have property electrics checked at least every five years by a properly qualified person.
The electrics must meet standards and landlords must give their tenants proof of this.
Further information can be found on the UK Government website.
Private housing smoke and carbon monoxide regulations
On 1 October 2015, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 came into force.
The regulations have since been amended and updated. They can be found on the UK Government website.
Energy efficiency in privately rented homes
There are rules around the energy efficiency of privately rented homes and Energy Performance Certificates. We are able to offer advice on how to stay within the law and improve the energy efficiency.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) provides potential buyers and tenants with a sign of the energy efficiency of a property.
To get an EPC, you must contact an accredited energy assessor. They will assess the property, produce a certificate and load it onto the national database for a fee.
You can find more information on how to get an Energy Performance Certificate on the UK Government website.
All privately rented properties need to have an Energy Performance Certificate.
It is an offence not to provide the tenant with an EPC at the beginning of a tenancy.
It is not possible to serve a Section 21 to end an Assured Shorthold Tenancy, where a deposit has been paid, if the tenant has not been given an EPC or a gas safety certificate. Regulations aim to improve the energy efficiency of privately rented properties.
As a landlord you must ensure all your properties have a valid EPC.
Properties with older EPCs might have already undergone work to meet the standards. In this case, the current EPC may no longer reflect the energy efficiency of the property.
Landlords should check their EPCs and consider renewals if they have undertaken the appropriate works.
You can find an existing Energy Performance Certificate using the certificate finder tool on the UK Government website.