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 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)
- 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).
Report a housing standards complaint
You can report a housing standards complaint quickly and easily online.
Once your complaint has been submitted, we will be in touch to discuss with you within 5 working days.
Report a housing standards complaint
Once reported to us, we will carry out an assessment on the whole property. The inspection concentrates on the threats to personal health and safety and not the quality of decoration or workmanship.
After the inspection, if needed, we will contact the landlord with the required actions to be taken.
View more information on how to rent a safe home on the GOV.UK website.
View our Housing Enforcement Policy for more information.