Rented accommodation must comply with the basic legal minimum standards of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure property meets all statutory requirements set out in the Housing Acts, Environmental Protection Act, Landlords and Tenant Act and also Planning and Building Control Legislation.
Gas installations and appliances
Gas installations and appliances must be checked and maintained annually by a suitably qualified 'Gas Safe' registered gas installer and the installation must meet the requirements of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. In an emergency, for gas leaks, contact Transco free on 0800 111 999.
Electrical installation
All work should be in compliance with requirements for electrical installations, with the work being carried out by a NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting), ELECSA or NAPIT (National Association for Professional Inspectors and Testers) registered contractor.
Reporting disrepair to a private rented property
We have a legal obligation to protect tenants from living in dangerous and substandard properties.
Our housing enforcement team will work with tenants to ensure necessary repairs are undertaken within a reasonable time and the property is fit to live in.
The kind of problems we can help with:
- Repairs your landlord has failed to carry out. For example, you've reported a problem and your landlord hasn’t fixed it within a reasonable time
- Damp, mould or condensation
- Communicating with your landlord. For example, if your landlord doesn’t respond to your phone calls
Find out more on reporting problems with private rented properties
Energy performance certificates
From 1 April 2018 all privately rented properties must have an energy performance rating performance certificate of at least E.
The regulations will come into force for new lets and renewals of tenancies from this date.
For any existing tenancies will need to have an E rating by 1 April 2020.
Landlords
Unless you have an exemption it will be illegal for you to rent a property that does not have this minimum rating
More information
More information on the minimum energy efficiency standard regulations can be found on the Gov.uk website.
Landlords energy saving allowance
The landlord’s energy saving allowance is a tax allowance which lets landlord’s claim on their tax return against the cost of buying and installing energy saving items.