Landlords have several responsibilities, and not keeping them can get you into trouble. If you own several rental properties, you need to be aware of the various regulations that you have to meet. They are mostly for the safety of the tenants. They can also help protect your property from accidents and disasters. Following them will also be to your advantage. Here are some regulations you have to be aware of.
Property License
Depending on where you are, you might need a license to rent out a flat. It all depends on the local council. They usually implement the licensing scheme to crack down on rogue landlords. They don’t want you to skip out on paying the local fees and taxes. Additionally, they are there to ensure that tenants get a good deal. Landlords who want a license will need to go to the local council and check if they will require inspections and licenses. Skipping out on a license when you need it may result in a rent repayment order to the tenant, so it is better to secure everything before they move in. It is also your responsibility as a landlord to get the license and not the tenant’s, as some people might think.
Fair Tenant Screening
It is a requirement that you do a check on tenants whether they have a right to rent. This applies to everyone, not who you feel like it. Anyone over 18 who rents your property as a main tenant, sub-tenant, or even a paying house guest has to pass the tenant check. This is mainly to see whether a tenant has the right to rent your property. It should be done 28 days before the tenant takes residence.
Ensuring Tenant Safety
There is also your responsibility for the safety of your tenants. There are a lot of safety rules that you have to know. The most prominent one is the requirement of an electrical inspection and a report from a qualified electrician. Gas safety should also be a priority. Both of these need regular reports to prevent future accidents. Fire safety regulations are also important to keep. They usually involve installing smoke detectors, fire escapes, and fire extinguishers. Besides the current regulations, it is also important that landlords keep up-to-date with any changes in the laws. This ensures that you are not missing out on anything.
Telling Your Tenants All The Relevant Laws
Your tenant should also be aware of the various laws that concern their tenancy. This includes all your responsibilities as a landlord, as well as their legal responsibilities as a tenant. This clears everything up and ensures that they are not surprised about things. It also ensures that they can’t use the defense of not knowing the law. For example, you want to be clear about the security deposit. In the UK, the deposit goes to a government-approved deposit scheme. This assures that the security deposit is administered by an honest third-party. Additionally, the government requires that you send out a How to Rent checklist to your tenant. This should help clear things up and prevent any misunderstandings or shortcomings.
Fully Fixed Facilities
One of the rights that a tenant has is that they are assured of good facilities in their rented place. You must ensure that everything is in good condition. Bad floors, faulty appliances, and more will only cause you problems. This is even more of a problem if they cause accidents. You might be liable if you are not careful. Keeping everything in good condition also means that everything is more attractive to potential tenants when your property is empty. It is also your legal responsibility to repair things if they get broken, so you should be ready for it.
Energy Performance Certificate
It is now a requirement that whenever a building is sold, built, or rented, there needs to be an energy performance certificate. The certificate details the costs and energy usage of the property. It will also have recommendations on how to make the building more efficient. You’ll have to present the EPC to your tenant so that they will be aware of how much they will be paying in their energy bills. This could be a good thing since they might be willing to work with you to implement any cost-saving energy improvements.
Ignoring any of these can result in you being in legal trouble. But more than that, a lot of these regulations were put into place to prevent incidents like electrical fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. You might be in even more trouble beyond any legal violation. Be a responsible landlord, and do your legal responsibility, so everyone is happy.