Back to School, Back to Basics – Part 1
/It’s September and that has meant back to school for not only millions of children across the UK, but all the ‘big kids’ too - the students who are back at university to take up their places on undergrad and postgraduate courses.
It’s the first year of a true ‘back to normal’ end-of-summer/start of the school year cycle since Covid and demand has been soaring. We’ve even let a few properties in the final stages of renovation such that they’ll be occupied from Day 1!
With so many new move-ins happening, it’s a great time to go back over the basics and ask: What exactly do you need to do in order to let your property?
Pre-Rental Certifications & Legalities Required On Move-In
It’s a given that you’ll have made sure your rental property is fit for habitation and is maintained in good condition, but do you have the correction certifications in place?
To let a rental property, you need to make sure you have at least valid energy performance, electrical installation and gas safety certifications in place:
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC): These have been around for 15+ years since Home Information Packs and the regulations in 2007. You need one to market your property! Certificates remain valid for 10 years and the minimum rating is currently E. Many have been done and many have since expired! In any case, you can check for your EPC on the government’s register.
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR): Valid for 5 years, these have been a legal requirement since April last year and are needed before a tenant moves into a rental property. Watch out, the initial inspection may uncover electrical faults that require further investigation or remedial works. Read more details here.
Gas Safety Certification (GSC): Still in force and the longest standing certificate requirement – nearly 25 years for good reason. Conducted annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer (formerly CORGI), GSCs or CP12s are also a legal requirement if there is one or more gas appliance in the property.
You’ll also need to ensure smoke alarms & carbon monoxide detectors are in place and working and can read our recent post for more information on the recent changes to regulations.
If the rental property is a flat in a purpose-built building, there are additional fire safety regulations to consider and the most up-to-date information is always available on www.gov.uk.
You may also want to get a test for Legionnaires Disease and whilst PAT testing appliances isn’t legally required for private rentals, if a tenant is placed by a local housing association scheme, they may request this and both are good practice.
Finally, always make sure to check if your rental property falls inside of a mandatory licensing area. These vary between boroughs in London, with differing costs and application processes.
Coming up next week - Back to Basics Part 2 with some other things to consider for tenants moving in… and if you would like to discuss any aspect of preparing your property for rental, book a quick call with us.