As a landlord, you have a responsibility to take care of your tenants that you must fulfil. Under this obligation of protection, you have a moral requirement to guarantee that the property is protected from fire hazards and that all owner fire prevention laws are properly complied with.
In this post, we will discuss what laws you need to be informed of, what fire hazards might place your property at danger, and what types of Landlord certificates you need?
What Type of Safety Rules Do Landlord Needs to Meet?
There are a range of laws and regulations that specifically affect your duties as a landlord, including:
General Fire Safety at Your Rental
The Housing Act 2004 essentially includes the general fire protection standards that renters ought to comply with. This involves ensuring sure that no fire hazards are put where fires may occur, such as tea towels left on the stoves, and maintaining escape routes secure.
You may be thinking, ‘How am I expected to make sure the property is still safe because I don’t live there?’ Well, the solution is simple: do as much as you can possibly do.
Providing the occupant with appropriate fire protection material in writing and asking them to be careful of exit paths, electrical appliances, and holding fuel items close to fuse boxes or boilers can help reduce the possibility of fire.
Do Landlord Need Fire Risk Assessment?
Of course, educating the tenants about the possible fire hazards will only bring you there so fast. The easiest approach to guarantee that the property is fire-safe is to do a fire risk evaluation. Fire risk management is not a legal prerequisite for regular private rentals, but it can provide you with an additional degree of security and reassurance.
Landlord Fire Safety Rules
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 note that all properties in the private rental sector shall have a smoke detector on each floor with a living space. At the outset of the tenancy, all smoke detectors must be in working order.
While the landlords are liable for delivering smoke detectors, the occupant is responsible for ensuring that they continue to operate following the initial inspection.
Landlord Fire Safety Regulations and Furnishing
In every home, fire is a risk – but the risk is far higher if the furniture is easily flammable. (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 protect upholstered furniture from fire, including:
- Beds, headboards, mattresses and bunk beds
- Sofa chairs, futons
- Sofas, armchairs, footstools
- Nurseries decor
- Garden furniture ideal for indoor use (not parasols or deckchairs)
- Scatter pillows, pillows and seat pads
- Padded seating
- Loose and spread furniture cover
Under the Rules, all of the furniture provided by the landlord in the rental property referred to above must:
- Get a fireproof filler
- To be able to pass a match-resistant inspection or to be equipped with a fire-resistant shell.
- Be willing to pass a cigarette resistance test (if new) to be labelled with a fire safety alarm.
- These checks indicate that the object would not burst into flame by touch with a match or a cigarette.
Regulations do not cover:
- Beds are (including mattress protectors and duvets)
- Furniture of curtains Carpets manufactured before 1950
Landlord Fire Safety Regulations: Electricals
As an owner, ensuring that the electrical equipment in your property is secure should be a top priority. In 2017/2018, more than half of the accidental domestic fires in England originated electrically – 71 per cent of which were started by appliances.
Electrical testing London that the electrical equipment is not a fire threat, you can send an Electrical Installation Status Report (EICR) every five years. This entails a trained expert checking the installations in your home for any evidence of corrosion, injury or possible hazard.
Landlord Fire Safety Regulations: Smoke Alarms
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 note that all properties in the private rental sector shall have a smoke detector on each floor with a living space. At the outset of the tenancy, all smoke detectors must be in working order.
While the homeowners are liable for delivering smoke detectors, the occupant is responsible for ensuring that they continue to operate following the initial inspection.