When Renting in Edinburgh, Landlord’s Legal Responsibilities Include Soft Furnishings, Gas Safety, electrical safety and More

Author: LauraCampbell | Posted: 10.02.2012

There are a number of responsibilities to be fulfilled once you acquire the status of a landlord. There are many legal requirements which the landlord has to comply with.

Law requires the landlord to properly maintain the property and also ensure that the major repairs are carried out on the property. This includes anything that might affect or cause damage to the exterior and structure as well as the heating, hot water, sanitary and electrical conditions. Besides these there are also other responsibilities on the landlord regarding gas and electrical safety, soft furnishings, shared houses and tenants with disabilities. The landlord must fulfill these requirements as well.

Soft furnishing:

The landlord must ensure that all the soft furnishings in his/her property comply with the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) Safety Regulations 1988. They must also be in compliance with the fire safety. The landlord must check for fire safety label on all his furnishings.

Gas safety:

According to the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, the landlords must ensure that all the gas appliances and fittings are safe for tenants use. He must also make sure that maintenance, installation and annual safety checks are carried out by a registered gas installer. The landlord will be given a certificate if everything in his property is in good condition. This certificate must be passed on to the tenant. Moreover the landlord should take steps for gas safety checks to be carried out annually on his property.

Electrical safety:

The Electrical Equipment and Safety Regulations require the landlord to ensure that the electrics are safe and have operating instructions. Safety notices must be handed over to the tenant before the tenancy begins. Moreover the landlord should get the electrics of the property regularly checked by a qualified electrician.

Tenant with disabilities:

The law also requires the landlord to make reasonable adjustments in his property in order to accommodate a disabled person.

Shared houses: Where there are shared houses or houses in multiple occupation, these have to be licensed under special rules. Under these rules the landlord is required to ensure that the property meets these extra fire and electrical safety standards. These rules also set a limit to the number of people who can occupy a particular property.

These are the legal responsibilities of a landlord. He should take positive measures to ensure that they are complied with. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.

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