A recent case which saw a landlord jailed as a result of illegally installing a boiler and then repeatedly attempting to fix it himself when it became faulty, is an extreme example – but one of many that show that some landlords and agents are putting tenants’ lives at risk by disregarding important health and safety issues.
Even small repairs could result in tenants withholding rent.
Recent research by housing and homelessness charity Shelter shows that one in nine renters say their health has been affected by their landlord or agent’s failure to carry out repairs or deal with poor conditions in their home. One in 10 people who rent their homes privately could be at risk from gas safety hazards; one in eleven are living in a home with electrical hazards; and people living in rented or shared accommodation are seven times more likely to have a fire.
What’s more, over a third of renting families have a problem with damp in their homes and nearly one in five have a leaky roof or windows. Michael Portman, Managing Director of LetRisks commented: “Many tenants are at risk from poor health and safety in their rented accommodation, and agents and landlords have a legal ‘duty of care’ and as such, should be making regular visits to their properties – ideally every three months - to check for health and safety problems and repairs.
They, or their agent, should also respond quickly when a tenant notifies of them of any faults in the property and should encourage open dialogue with their tenants so that any problems can be rectified quickly.
“The Defective Premises Act requires damages to be paid on the part of a landlord, where a tenant or resident is injured, or dies, as a result of a defect which the landlord is responsible for repairing (or simply has the right to come in and repair). This extends to paying compensation for personal belongings which are destroyed or damaged as a result. So it is imperative that agents check that a property meets all the safety requirements before it is let and if they are managing agents, that they make regular visits to the property and deal with problems quickly and efficiently. Landlords and agents should check that their insurance policy covers property owners’ liability are taken out to cover bodily injury to tenants.”
The most common dangers found in rental properties are:
- Severe unserviced and faulty boilers
- Bare wiring; damp and mould
- Broken windows
- Dilapidated sheds
- Overgrown gardens with concealed barbed wire, broken glass and holes in the ground;
- Large wardrobes and cupboards not securely fixed to the wall
- Damaged and leaning brick walls
- Locked windows with no keys provided to tenants
- No smoke alarms fitted.
There are recommended time scales for landlords to respond to a request for repairs. Depending on the problem, some need to be treated more urgently than others.
LetRisks suggests the following guidelines:
- Emergency response – gas and water leaks, serious electrical faults and any damage which could compromise the security of the property e.g. broken windows.
- 24 hour response - heating and water systems and other non life threatening electrical problems
- 72 hour response – kitchen appliances and other items that affect the daily life of a tenant.
- Less urgent responses would include things like broken lawn mowers, a fallen fence panel or a dripping tap.
For further information, please visit www.letrisks.com or call 02380 683900.
