Some 71% of landlords have not yet organised a carbon monoxide alarm in their rental property, according to a survey of tenants carried out by Axa Business Insurance.
The poll of almost 500 tenants also found that 68% of landlords have not yet organised an annual electricity check, while 54% are yet to install a fire alarm and 43% have failed to arrange an annual gas safety check.
Despite this, the research documented a largely harmonious relationship between the UK's tenants and landlords.
Some 59% of the tenants surveyed said they pay a fair price in rent and almost half said they have a good or very good relationship with their landlord.
Over a quarter of tenants said their landlord has done something ‘nice’ for them, while a fifth said they have done something ‘nice’ for their landlord in return.
However, when asked, 85% of respondents agreed that the government 'should do more to protect people who rent from private landlords'.
“There’s clearly a lot of good-will between landlords and their tenants and our research shows that rental home horror stories and negative stereotypes are few and far between,” comments Darrell Sansom, managing director of AXA Business Insurance.
“Having said that, we know that more and more people are slipping into the landlord role through circumstance rather than design, and it seems that despite a positive approach and good intentions, many are simply not aware of all of their safety responsibilities."
From October it will be mandatory for new tenancies that a carbon monoxide alarm is fitted in any room in a rental property that contains a 'solid fuel burning combustion appliance' and for smoke alarms to be fitted on every floor of any rented property where a room is used as living accommodation.
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"From October it will be mandatory for all rented properties to have a carbon monoxide alarm that is checked regularly and for smoke alarms to be fitted on every floor of any rented property"
This is simply inaccurate.
Pretty shocking, if true. Obviously this survey isn't representative of every landlord in the country, but the majority don't seem to be acting.
This is why information distributed to landlords, particularly first-time ones or ones who have fallen into it more by accident than designs, needs to be much better and much clearer, to make sure landlords know their responsibilities.
Agreed, Rob. It's quite clear the information needs to be disseminated better. At the moment, it's too haphazard and fuzzy. Landlords need to know, once and for all, what their obligations are. This is why licensing and training seem like a good idea to me. How else will landlords know what all the latest rules and regulations are?
Well the regulations are expected to come into force in October 2015... but anyway that's good for both parties , landlords and tenants... !!
If you're that concerned, go and buy one for 20 quid from Homebase and stop moaning.
The vast majority of PRS houses will be gas fuelled and thus not solid burning...this is something that is likely to change but has yet to be discussed and clarified. That is probably the reason not many have CO detectors as yet. We began ordering several hundred carbon monoxide alarms only to scale it back once we noticed this 'solid burning' part of the legislation.
The Private Rented Sector Code of Practice recommends the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in all properties with gas appliances as well as solid fuel (paragraph 4.3.6.2 refers). The Code was endorsed by the Government so it seems ludicrous that the proposed legislation is omitting the vast majority of PRS properties. In addition there is no mention of oil fired appliances of which there are many in rural rented properties.
Related Councils need to check property randomly from October when it will be compulsory for every rented property to have a carbon monoxide alarm that is checked regularly and for smoke alarms to be fitted on every floor.
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