Safety responsibilities

Part of: Landlord responsibilities

As a private landlord you have certain safety responsibilities

Gas safety

You must:

  • make sure gas equipment you supply is safely installed and maintained by a Gas Safe-registered engineer
  • have a registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue
  • give a copy of the gas safety check record to your tenant before they move in, or within 28 days of the check

Electrical safety

You must:

  • make sure the electrical system is safe
  • make sure all appliances you supply, such as cookers and kettles, are safe

Fire safety

You must:

  • follow safety regulations
  • follow the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 guidance that came into force on 1 October 2022. From that date, all relevant landlords must:
    • make sure at least one smoke alarm is installed on each storey of their homes where there is a room used as living accommodation. This has been a legal requirement in the private rented sector since 2015
    • make sure a carbon monoxide alarm is equipped in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers)
    • make sure smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are repaired or replaced once informed and found that they are faulty
  • check your tenants have access to escape routes at all times
  • make sure the furniture and furnishings you supply are fire-safe
  • provide fire alarms and extinguishers if the property is a large house in multiple occupation (HMO)