New safety rules to further deplete our profits! surely not?
My letting agents are telling me that I need to comply with new rules relating to safety by the end of the year – is this a national thing or just in Scotland?
Despite not having a legionnaires check, EICR, PAT test, two smoke detectors (if on one floor) and an interlinked heat shield in the kitchen in my own house, I am to have these in all my rental properties!
This is working out to be around £500 per flat and I have quite a few flats giving me a bill in the tens of thousands – can this be right?
I am not a slum landlord, every property always had an EICR, PAT, gas safety test, a hard wired smoke detector and a co2 detector in each flat and thought this would suffice!
Not anymore!!!!!
Any way to ease the pain?
Ken
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Deposit Protection compulsory for sublet?
Member Since September 2015 - Comments: 23
9:32 AM, 2nd October 2016, About 10 years ago
I don’t think the Legionnella assessment is a big deal. The HSE website says “Most landlords can assess the risk themselves and do not need to be professionally trained or accredited” http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/legionella-landlords-responsibilities.htm.
I can see the point of requiring an EICR – the big deal is when it comes back saying for example that you should have earth wires added to all the lighting circuits, which is a lot of cost and disruption for the reduction in risk it brings… I wonder what proportion of rented properties in Scotland will be fully compliant with the electrical regs by 1st December.
Member Since April 2015 - Comments: 63
9:59 AM, 2nd October 2016, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “mia scot” at “01/10/2016 – 18:28“:
I would imagine that most agents will insist that your properties comply. Certainly the one I work for does. One of the advantageous of managing your own properties (as I do) is that you have more flexibility as to how to how you approach these things.
Regards,
Rod.
Member Since September 2015 - Comments: 23
10:09 AM, 2nd October 2016, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Rod Adams” at “02/10/2016 – 09:59“:
Well the agent who was managing the tenanted properties I bought from a well known financial institution hadn’t even bothered with gas safety certificates… We need some enforcement to create a level playing field.
Member Since April 2015 - Comments: 63
10:15 AM, 2nd October 2016, About 10 years ago
Pending compulsory registration and certification of letting agents should weed those ones out.
Regards,
Rod
Member Since February 2016 - Comments: 61
6:07 PM, 2nd October 2016, About 10 years ago
It is the PRHP website the agents are spouting from!
Member Since February 2016 - Comments: 61
6:19 PM, 2nd October 2016, About 10 years ago
Reply to the comment left by “Rod Adams” at “02/10/2016 – 09:59“:
Hi Rod
Can the company you work for really insist on all landlords complying with something that doesn’t seem to be law in others eyes?
Are they dumping landlords who interpret things differently?
Are letting agents getting into trouble if a landlord doesn’t comply?
In my eyes, this should either be legal or illegal then we would know exactly where we stand.
Strange how it is just in Scotland – not exactly a level playing field.
The joys of of being a landlord nowadays I suppose.
Anyone want to buy a high yielding portfolio? I’m done!!!!