# Seeking Landlords advice



## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

Very much off-topic but I know MHF has several Landlord members and I would love to have a phone chat about central heating maintenance. British Gas are proving quite difficult to chat to.
In my recent searching, I also see information about electric safety checks so that's another subject I need to inquire about.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

In NI we have to arrange all of that annually. It needs a certified person to document it and give us the paperwork. It is costly. Holiday rentals are subject to slightly different, more stringent requirements in NI. If it's a holiday rental it includes pat testing every electrical appliance and labelling it. Strict and onerous fire requirements are also applied. 

It wasn't so strict in Scotland. England may be different and regions may differ again. One Fire Authority may interpret the regulations differently from another. 

Our FA issued guidelines which they insisted must be adhered to on pain of prosecution, even though when compared to the actual regulations they had applied the harshest and most costly interpretations. For example the regs said interconnected sensors were required. As many as three in the kitchen (Smoke, heat and Co2) and that they all be interconnected by hardwiring and attached to a standby power source as well as mains. The regulations just said interconnected so that those using wifi of bluetooth would do the job. Overkill, but in a way you can't blame them for covering their arses.

It's a bit of a minefield for us, but research did show that in NI it is taken to extremes. Don't get me wrong I'm all for health and safety being adequate but what they wanted from us was chronically overdone and hugely costly, including changing all the doors for fire doors and fitting emergency lighting and illuminated exit signs in an ordinary bungalow. That was the holiday rental though, and they say that's different so that apply the hotel and boarding house regs to it. Our residential rentals were a bit simpler. 

I found web some forums where landlords chatted. They were useful. I didn't take note of their names, sorry.

It's a wonder anyone bothers with holiday rentals in NI at all these days.

Good luck.


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## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks for that *erneboy*. 
Maybe I should visit a Landlord forum. I parted with my rented house 5 years ago - this enquiry is for a friend.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I am a landlord but as I pay an agrent to manage my property I rely on them tocomply with regulations.


I suggest your friend contacts an agent as a prospective new landlord and asks them to lay out the regulations he has to comply with. They may already have a printed sheet detailing them.


Geoff


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

We also use agents. It just happens that I'm aware of what's required.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

erneboy said:


> We also use agents. It just happens that I'm aware of what's required.


Alan

If you were answering me, my post was to the OP in answer to his Q in the thread title, on behalf of his 'friend' who seems is not aware of what is required, thus the start of the thread.

Geoff


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Yes, I'm not sure what else it could have been really Geoff.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

I don't know if it applies across the water but in NI landlords need to be registered - at a cost of around £70 for 3yrs.


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## Gretchibald (Jul 22, 2011)

jiwawa said:


> I don't know if it applies across the water but in NI landlords need to be registered - at a cost of around £70 for 3yrs.


If the property is owned jointly , only one of you needs to register though.


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## baldlygo (Sep 19, 2006)

When I say friend I really mean my dearest that I live with here in France. It is difficult to explain our position without giving financial details which I would not want to advertise openly.

Basically, she received a £250 bill for a yearly gas test direct from the tester. The tenant had not realised she had been paying £40+ for years for British gas Homecare 3 which should have covered this bill.

It was a shock to me that over the years she was paying out so much for her "peace of mind" and not getting anything back. I am now looking at other insurance type bills and find she pays considerably more than I do in all of them except her car which has a special low milage rate.
It has opened up a can of worms - or maybe a minefield (hope not  )
.
I have since read more regards Electric Tests - a new law that came in earlier this year. Any new or renewed tenant contracts must have an Electrical Test Report with copies to landlord and tenant. Long-running tenancies are allowed up to April 2021 to get an Electrical Safety test done. Checks last for 5 years so are not quite as onerous as the yearly gas test.


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## waspes (Feb 11, 2008)

Cant help with the elec testing as I live in Wales and we dont have to have that tested [YET].
I get a local tradesman to test the gas boiler's in my property's, also if you have a gas cooker that you supply and or a gas fire, then they must be tested as well. I pay around £45 for the landlords certificate.

Peter.


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