Safety regulations
Whatever type of tenancy you have it is essential that proper notice is taken of Safety Regulations.
Gas appliances
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 (amended 1996) and other regulations, all gas appliances in tenanted premises must be checked for safety at intervals not exceeding 12 months, by a Gas Safe Register gas engineer, and a safety certificate issued. It is essential to maintain records of the dates of inspections, of defects identified, and of any remedial action taken.
Electrical equipment
Under the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, the Plugs & Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994 and other regulations, electrical installations and equipment in tenanted premises must be safe. While there is no certificate required as in the case of gas, and a visual inspection may indicate that appliances look satisfactory, our advice would be to engage the services of an electrician to carry out this check.
Furniture
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993 & 1996) provide that specified items supplied in the course of letting property must meet minimum fire resistant standards. The regulations apply to all upholstered furniture, and beds, headboards and mattresses, sofa-beds, futons and other convertibles, nursery furniture, garden furniture suitable for use in a dwelling, scatter cushions, pillows, and non-original covers for furniture. They do not apply to antique furniture or furniture made before 1950, bed clothes including duvets, loose covers for mattresses, pillowcases, curtains, carpets or sleeping bags. Therefore all relevant items as above must be checked for compliance, and non-compliant items removed from the premises. Ideally, most items which comply must have a suitable permanent label attached. Items purchased since 1.3.90 from a reputable supplier are also likely to comply, in which case we will need to see the receipt.
General
The General Product Safety Regulations 1994 specify that any product supplied in the course of a commercial activity must be safe. In the case of letting, this would include both the structure of the building and its contents. There could be some obvious signs of potential or real danger such as any wall deformity, broken glass, sharp edges etc., and also to leave operating manuals or other written instructions about high risk items, such as hot surfaces, electric lawnmowers, etc. for the tenant.
