A landlord health and safety checklist

As a landlord, it’s your legal responsibility to protect the wellbeing of your tenants, carrying out all the necessary health and safety checks in each of your properties. So that you can make sure that all bases are covered, we’ve provided a complete checklist to help eradicate any potential hazards.

Fire safety

In the unfortunate instance that there’s a fire in the building, it’s essential that tenants should be able to escape quickly and efficiently without harm. Apartment building

400;">There are a number of fire regulations that landlords are legally obligated to follow to ensure the safety of a property:

Install a smoke alarm on each story of the building, which must be tested to ensure that they’re working correctly at the beginning of each tenancy
Fit a carbon monoxide detector in any room that has a solid fuel burning appliance
Provide a safe escape route that makes exiting the building easy and fast
Ensure that each building is fitted professionally with a suitable fire door
Make sure that fire doors are maintained correctly
Furnishings that come with the property must be fire resistant, with the certification to prove it

Gas safety

Gas safety should also sit high on your health and safety checklist. As a landlord, you must keep the following in mind:

Ensure that any gas equipment supplied is both installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer
Annual gas safety checks must be performed by a registered engineer
Issue a copy of the gas safety check record to the tenant when they move in, or alternatively within 28 days of the check

Electrical safety

As a landlord, it is your legal responsibility to ensure that the national standards of electrical safety are met (which are displayed in the 18th edition of ‘the Wiring Regulations’):

The electrical system must be safe, such as sockets and light fittings
Supplied appliances must be safe to use, such as kettles and cooking appliances
All electrical installations must be inspected and tested ever 5 years by a qualified individual
A report must be provided following the check, which should include results and the date for the next inspection – this must also be provided to the tenant, the local authority, and to the individual who will be completing the next inspection

The above policies are highlighted in detail in the government’s Guide for landlords: electrical safety standards in the private rented sector.

Damp and mould

It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that there is no damp or mould in the building, which could potentially affect a tennant’s health, alongside reducing a property’s value. It’s essential that any damp and mould is reported by an expert, and solved quickly.

Security

A landlord must provide a safe and secure home for their tenants, which includes ensuring that all locking mechanisms are functional, and that any possible entrances into the building – be it doors or windows – are in good condition. If any damage is spotted, it’s vital that the issue is fixed immediately.

Water and heating systems

Tenants must be provided with heating and hot water at all times – a lack of which is considered a hazard, particularly during colder seasons.

Here at SSS Industrial Doors, we’re here to help ensure that homes and workplaces alike are equipped with robust industrial doors, all of which are certified, and fully CE and UKCA marked. Have a chat with our team today to find the best, secure entrance solutions for any building.

A landlord health and safety checklist - SSS Industrial Doors