Mandatory requirements of a Landlord

We at Short Let Space champion best practice in the short term rentals and holiday lettings sector. There are several mandatory requirements that you need to fulfil as a landlord, whether you are renting a whole house, a room or part of a house to a paying guest. when needed.

Whilst you as the landlord is ultimately responsible for making sure your home is meeting the legal requirements, SLS will keep on record all compliance documentation to help give peace of mind to your guests.

Landlords Gas Safety Certificate.

This can be obtained from your Gas Engineer when you have your gas boiler serviced. The appliance certificate requires an annual renewal.

Portable Appliance Testing on all electrical appliances

It is not a legal requirement to PAT test your property, however, you are LEGALLY required to ensure that all electrical appliances in your holiday let are SAFE. The easiest and most effective way to ensure they are safe is to have a PAT test.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

As of July 2020 this is a legal requirement to have renewed every 5 years.  It is a formal document that is produced following an assessment of the electrical installation within a property. It must be carried out by an experienced qualified electrician or approved contractor.

Insurance

Suitable Landlord Insurance of your buildings and contents which includes an element of public liability.

Carbon Monoxide and smoke detectors

The new legislation ( the Fire Safety Order by Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022) advises that it is PREFERABLE that all smoke and heat alarms should be mains powered with a tamper-proof standby power supply consisting of a battery. However, wireless smoke, heat and CO2 detectors can be installed – these have to meet the BS5839-6 Grade D1 standards – which means the batteries are sealed and last up to ten years and they work with radio signals, so no internet is required. These should be tested every month or so .

Fire risk assessment. 

Holiday cottages are required to comply with the Fire Safety Order by Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022. With the new regulations now in place as of 1st October 2023.

We recommend having a professionally conducted Fire Risk Assessment (FRA), and to check this as periodic intervals yourself. Ensure that all potential fire risks are identified and appropriately managed. Document the findings and any necessary actions. We have clear policies in place to ensure that there are no “additional risks” in place for your property. This includes: a no candle policy in all properties, ensuring that there is extra lighting for escape routes, and fire resistant doors where applicable.

We do have a recommended fire safety assessor and if you are looking for help with this, please contact us.