Rules for Maintaining Your Rental Property in the UK
Many landlords and landladies look for ways to make their rental properties stand out and have more value. It’s understandable, as property can be a very promising investment.
That said, one mustn’t lose sight of their obligations. Landlords and ladies have numerous responsibilities, including those revolving around maintaining the property. Keeping the home in good order isn’t just about looks and appeal, either, but the safety of the residents too.
Some landlords and ladies can muddle their way through the more dutiful side of the job. So long as they’re making a profit, they may shirk the bulk of their responsibilities and have tenants live in misery.
Such an approach isn’t valid. So, if you’re a landlady trying to maintain a delightful property, the rules below might help you in that aim.
Setting Contractual Terms
Tenancy agreements are a great way to set the record straight early on. Reviewing things here allows you to set, amend, and adhere to rules for maintaining your rental property.
Setting expectations is crucial. Terms in the contract may allow you to visit the property for inspection and determine the notice period for doing so. It may also be sensible to prohibit the installation of certain appliances you deem to be an unnecessary risk. You can set the working conditions for your role as a landlady in alignment with government policy.
You can also use the contract to clearly define who’s responsible for any needed repairs. In most situations, those obligations will fall to you as the landlady. If you fail to do them, you can be taken to court for numerous legal proceedings, where the tenants will likely have gathered lots of evidence of your neglect. Still, these matters can sometimes be disputed, so the contract is an early opportunity to mitigate misunderstandings.
Professional Property Management Services
Engaging professional property management services can significantly streamline the rental process and ensure smooth operations for both landlords and tenants. With rental management services, you can delegate various tasks, including tenant screening, rent collection, and property maintenance, to experienced professionals.
By entrusting your rental property to Burnaby rental management experts, you gain access to their expertise in navigating local rental laws and regulations. They can assist in drafting comprehensive tenancy agreements that protect your interests while fostering positive landlord-tenant relationships.
Furthermore, rental management services alleviate the burden of day-to-day property management tasks, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your investment portfolio or personal endeavors. With their proactive approach to property upkeep and tenant communication, you can mitigate potential conflicts and ensure a high standard of living for your tenants.
Ensuring Electrical Safety
Landlords and landladies have many duties to perform when it comes to electrical safety. It’s important that you understand what’s required of you. You can hire a local electrician near me to assist you with your electrical wiring and put it in the right places that are safe for everyone.
Rental properties that are rewired or newly built require an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), with copies provided to tenants. Sometimes, your local authority may also request a copy, which you should oblige. It’s a matter of law that landlords and landladies have their electrical installations tested and inspected at least once every 5 years after the certification is authorised.
That said, more frequent tests may be required if electrical appliances are in more condition. It’s your job as a landlady to monitor things, open communication lines with tenants, and hire the necessary experts where necessary.
If the EIC only covers a portion of the rental property, you will need an Electrical Safety Certificate (EICR) for the rest of the abode. The costs for an EICR certificate can vary depending on the size of your home, but entities like HEXO Electrical Testing can provide you with an accurate and fair quote quickly. There will be no surprises with the EICR certificate cost, and everything will be transparent.
Guaranteeing Gas Safety
Similarly to electrical safety, gas safety must also be accounted for too. Measures can depend on what appliances you have installed in your rental property, but usually, there are a few duties to perform here.
Obligations include:
• Informing tenants of which chimneys and flues are suitable for installing gas appliances and which aren’t.
• Including flues and chimney lining in your gas safety check to fulfil Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 obligations.
• Notifying tenants of annual safety checks of a qualified and registered gas engineer.
Though you’re not responsible for appliances that tenants have installed themselves, any connected pipework and other associated areas of the installation. You can consult government resources if you have any doubts, as they can provide complete clarity on your obligations.
Maintain Your Records
There are many duties to maintaining your rental property such as central air conditioning system installation or ac repairs. While it can be tempting to forget about administrative procedures the instant they’re over, it’s not recommended you do so.
Instead, it’s advised that landlords and landladies maintain accurate records of repairs, maintenance, and safety checks for at least two years. Such can provide assurances to tenants, help you balance the books, and more accurately retain data on how all rental property’s appliances perform. It will help you demonstrate compliance with regulations, too, and help you disprove any accusations of negligence.
Physical copies of your paperwork can be a good idea, but having the bulk of your information stored safely on a password-encrypted cloud server is best. Further security measures include firewalls and facial recognition. Digital copies of your landlady records can be printed out and shared at the click of a button, and you’re also far less likely to accidentally delete or destroy them. Backups can be created.
You can also access your records from any computer or smart device. So, if there’s an emergency while you’re away from your residence, you can access your landlady records so long as you have an internet connection. Ultimately, the cloud can make managing rental properties so much easier and far less stressful.