Safety in rented property
Your landlord must keep the property you live in safe and free from health hazards.
Gas safety
Your landlord must:
- make sure gas equipment they supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue.
- give you a copy of the gas safety check record before you move in, or within 28 days of the check.
Electrical safety
Your landlord must make sure:
- the electrical system is safe, for example sockets and light fittings.
- all appliances they supply are safe, for example cookers and kettles.
- Under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 there is a requirement that from the 1 April 2021, landlords will need to have an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) performed on all properties with existing tenancies.
Fire safety
Your landlord must:
- follow safety regulations
- provide a smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance (for example a coal fire or wood burning stove). The requirement for carbon monoxide alarms is a new regulation which applies from the 1 October 2022 (The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022)
- check you have access to escape routes at all times.
- make sure the furniture and furnishings they supply are fire safe.
- provide fire alarms and extinguishers if the property is a large house in multiple occupation (HMO).