Legal updates

Here at Open Doors we regularly attend training courses and meetings to stay up to date with the legalities of the letting industry.

First up is the new Gas Safety regulations which maybe coming into force in April 2018.

The proposed amendments to the current position are:

• To introduce flexibility in the timing of landlords’ annual gas safety checks; and
• To clarify that only gas defects should be recorded.

The flexibility is in advance of the end date……… if your current certificate is valid until June for example, you will be able to have it tested up to two months in advance, and the new certificate will be valid until June the following year.  This will allow us to block Gas Safety inspections by geographical area and should result in savings on cost.  Please click on the following link for the full information

https://painsmith.co.uk/possible-gas-safety-changes

Electrical Safety Standards – The report in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has been published.

Under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 the Secretary of State has the power to introduce secondary legislation for electrical safety standards in the PRS.

PAT testing supplied by the landlord is not a legal requirement at present and is unlikely to be after any secondary legislation is passed.

Here at Open Doors we recommend that an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) should be carried out and a copy given to any new tenant. It is a legal requirement that Landlords should ensure the electrical installations are safe, and if there is an accident, the HSE would ask how you knew it was safe.  Currently an EICR will last for 5 years, should they bring in annual testing you will still be covered for 5 years and may therefore save money.

Please click on the following link for further information

https://painsmith.co.uk/electrical-safety-standards/