Can I enforce safety checks on commercial tenant?

Can I enforce safety checks on commercial tenant?

9:08 AM, 9th October 2017, About 7 years ago 4

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We have one commercial lease (office building) wherein our tenants have denied their responsibility to carry out annual Gas Safe checks and Electrical Installation Condition checks.

Do we have any recourse against them apart from invoking forfeiture of the lease for breach of covenants?

Since these are statutory obligations, can we ask any regulated body to enforce these requirements on them?

Thanks

Sunil


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Comments

Neil Patterson

9:12 AM, 9th October 2017, About 7 years ago

Hi Sunil,

I am not sure where the responsibility is split between the landlord and tenant for Health and safety checks and I suppose it depends on the contract.

However as a business they must be compliant with the Health and Safety Executive regulations and responsibilities.

HSE >> http://www.hse.gov.uk/

terry sullivan

12:02 PM, 9th October 2017, About 7 years ago

are these statutory in relation to non-residential? i do not know but wiring check is not mandatory in residential--only annual gas safety cert?

user_ 7167

12:26 PM, 9th October 2017, About 7 years ago

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Chris Wheelwright

12:53 PM, 9th October 2017, About 7 years ago

Sunil
I do not believe these checks are mandatory except insofar as they relate to your tenants duties under Health and Safety legislation, as Neil has said.
Assuming the property is let on a Full Repairing and Insuring basis I am not sure why you need be concerned ? If there is an issue of dilapidations this would be dealt with at the end of the lease. It is difficult to pursue a claim during the course of the tenancy unless you can show that there is a clear diminution in your freehold reversionary interest.

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