Landlords – how compliant are you?

Having recently surveyed the results from our online Landlord Health Check it was encouraging to learn that 39% of Landlords who answered 19 compliance-safety questions about their property(ies) scored over 90%, BUT an alarming 17% scored less than 10%!

You may have heard me mention previously – there are over 170 pieces of legislation relating to the private rental sector, designed to protect both tenants AND landlords – many of which have been introduced as a result of tenants suffering harm from poorly maintained properties and unacceptable living standards.

The growing private rental sector seems to be constantly in the limelight, and the subject of many horror stories – after all, nobody listens to the good news! Legislation is under constant review and more is being introduced each year, with more on the horizon. Most of it does make perfect sense and is for the greater good, making homes safer and moving with our ever-changing times, but even I have to admit, some of it makes us wonder why – but comply we must!

The problem is, there are so many compliance checks that landlords need to do – it is no wonder some landlords concentrate on the obvious ones whilst forgetting about the smaller issues – until something happens and it’s too late! Me – I live and breathe lettings legislation because that’s what I’ve done for the last 30+ years and it’s my passion, but landlords and investors usually have a ‘day job’ or other important responsibilities and can sometimes be more reactive than proactive.

As the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus said: Prevention is better than cure.

More results from those who have completed our Landlord Health Check include –

• 4.3% have not updated their Gas Safety Certificate in the last 12 months 

• 8.7% do not have carbon monoxide alarms

• 4.3% have not had an electrical installation condition inspection carried out in the last 5 years

• 13% admitted they would not comply with an HHSRS hazard compliance check list

Our Landlord Health Check is available for any landlord to complete, not just those who are registered with us. It’s designed to help landlords think about their rental properties and remind them of their responsibilities. It doesn’t cover all 170 pieces of legislation of course, but the general health and safety of your tenants is paramount. And, legislation aside, the more you look after your tenants and care about their comfort and well being, the longer they will want to stay and make it their home.

Click here to check your compliance.