Legal News
District council issues landlords with reminder about new legislation to protect tenants (9 May 2016)
Date: 09/05/2016
Purbeck District Council in Dorset has issued a reminder to landlords about new legislation which came into force in October 2015.
Since October 2015, all private rented property must be fitted with smoke detectors on every storey and carbon monoxide detectors in high-risk rooms –
for example, where solid fuels are used.
Landlords also have a legal duty to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at the beginning of each new tenancy – failure to do so may lead to a fixed penalty notice.
At the beginning of each new tenancy, landlords must also give their tenants a new information booklet produced by the government called How to rent – as well as an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and a current Gas Safety Certificate if there are gas appliances in the property.
Tenants also have rights which prevent retaliatory eviction by landlords in the event that a tenant complains about the state of repair of the property – letting agents representing landlords must now be registered with an official dispute resolution scheme approved by the government.
Environment Manager, Public Health and Housing Services at Purbeck District Council, Richard Conway, said:
“Although the majority of private landlords in Purbeck have already ensured their properties are compliant, we are making this reminder to ensure all private landlords are meeting the requirements set down in law.
“Council officers will investigate all complaints made by tenants in the privately rented sector.
“Officers will issue fixed penalty notices for a landlord who has failed to install smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, or if a letting agent has failed to register with an official registration scheme.”
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