Landlord responsibilities for your rented house boiler
The majority of landlords look after their tenants by ensuring that appliances are safe. Boiler maintenance falls into this category, and in this article, we examine a landlord’s responsibilities regarding boiler care.
The right side of the law
The law states that landlords are responsible for repairing heating and hot water systems, sanitary fittings, gas appliances, wiring, pipes and ventilation. Landlords are also responsible for servicing gas appliances.
Copies of such checks should be filed and given to tenants at the start of their tenancy. Gas safety checks paperwork should be kept for 2 years.
Servicing
As set out in The Landlord and Tenant Act (1985), boiler servicing is the responsibility of the landlord. The one exception is if the boiler has been damaged by the tenant. Importantly, landlords are required to act swiftly, as no heating or hot water is considered a hazard in law.
Cover for your boiler
Replacing your boiler can be a costly affair. Fortunately, boiler breakdown cover can be incorporated into a specific landlord insurance policy. This is definitely something we would recommend, as with it, if you have an issue, there’s a qualified engineer ready to take your call.
Tip top condition
Servicing the boiler in your rental property ticks two boxes, the legal one and also the maintenance once – ensuring that bigger boiler problems won’t creep up on you.
Bleed your radiators
Radiators need to be regularly maintained to ensure they remain in tip top condition – this means they need to be regularly bled. If you are unsure how to do this, then there are lots of online tutorials which can help. Some Aluminium Radiator products are easier than others but generally thee not that hard to do. An expert will now which iones to do first to stop air bubbles appearing in your home.
All about education
Make sure that when you have new tenants, you go through the essentials of the heating system with them, including the pressure gauge. That way, you will hopefully keep any problems at bay.
Air flow
Keep your boiler in a ventilated area and make sure the vents are visible, with no items blocking them. Don’t starve your boiler of oxygen, as otherwise you will be storing up trouble for yourself in the future.