Safety in rented property

Your landlord must keep the property you live in safe and free from health hazards.

Gas safety

Your landlord must:

• make sure gas equipment they supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue
• give you a copy of the gas safety check record before you move in, or within 28 days of the check.

Electrical safety

Your landlord must make sure:

• the electrical system is safe, for example sockets and light fittings
• all appliances they supply are safe, for example cookers and kettles.
• Under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 there is a requirement that from the 1 April 2021, landlords will need to have an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) performed on all properties with existing tenancies

Fire safety

Your landlord must:

• follow safety regulations
• provide a smoke alarm on each storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a solid fuel burning appliance (for example a coal fire or wood burning stove). The requirement for carbon monoxide alarms is a new regulation which applies from the 1 October 2022 (The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022)
• check you have access to escape routes at all times
• make sure the furniture and furnishings they supply are fire safe
• provide fire alarms and extinguishers if the property is a large house in multiple occupation (HMO).