Tips for Landlords: Fitness Standards and Repair

News at Howard Independent Estate Agents | 23/01/2023

Letting and managing a rental property can be rewarding. But it is also time consuming, hard work, and sometimes even a little confusing. So we asked the Howard Property Management team to give us the low-down on the top 5 things a landlord should consider when letting a property.

1.Is the property 'fit'?

The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 is a law which came into force on 20th March 2019, and puts a legal obligation on landlords to ensure all residential rental properties are provided and maintained in a state fit for human habitation.

2.How to measure 'fitness' - The HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System)

A rental property’s ‘fitness for human habitation’ can be measured using an evaluation tool called the HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System). 29 categorised hazards are listed, including damp, excess cold, excess heat, and lack of space. It can be found within the ‘Housing Health and Safety Rating System Guidance for Landlords and Property Related Professionals' on the GOV.UK website.

3.Gas Safety

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 confirm it is a criminal offence to let premises with gas appliances, installations and pipework that have not been checked by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer. Checks should be carried out every 12 months and a certificate given to the tenant within 28 days. In addition, there are certain circumstances in which the law says that you cannot seek possession against your tenant using section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 - and not issuing a gas safety certificate to your tenant is one of them!

4.Electrical Safety

Introduction of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations in June 2020 now requires mandatory testing and inspections for all fixed electrical installations within a let property, at least every five years by a qualified person, and a certificate to be issued to the tenants. All let properties were to comply by 1st April 2021.

5.Common Maintenance Issues

The most common maintenance issues reported by tenants are faulty boilers, leaks, mould, condensation, faulty showers, broken windows and locks, faulty smoke alarms, pests and vermin, appliance breakdowns, blockages, being locked out and even noisy neighbours… what a list of horrors! It is not surprising that many landlords opt to employ an agent like Howard to relieve the stressful parts of property management.

About us

Howard Independent Estate Agents is a local, independent business with unrivalled sales, lettings and property management knowledge, and years of experience in the Bristol market and surrounding areas.

The Property Management team at Howard are friendly, qualified, and experienced. Our fully managed service has many benefits for landlords. Here are just some of them;

Scheduled property inspections and regular communications with your tenants to nip any issues in the bud.
A 24 hour online issue reporting system, providing help and guidance to your tenants even out of hours.
Access to a portfolio of trusted contractors and professional tradespeople, many of whom we have known for decades.
We will ensure compliance by diarising and arranging annual safety inspections and 5 yearly electrical safety testing.
And when it comes to our full management service, property maintenance is just the tip of the iceberg. We will also collect rent, chase arrears, manage tenancy extensions, plus much more.

If you would like to know more about our fully managed service, or if you have any questions about lettings and management in general, please contact Vicki Jenkins or Chris Baker on 0117 9238238.

All information is correct at time of writing but may be subject to change.