Energy Performance Certificate
• From 1 October 2008, an EPC was required whenever a building in the social or private rented sectors is let to a new tenant. An EPC is carried out by an accredited Domestic Energy Assessor to ensure it meets all legal requirements and is valid for 10 years.
• Landlords must provide an EPC free of charge to prospective tenants at the earliest opportunity and must provide a copy of the EPC to the tenant who agrees to rent the property (if requested). The purpose of the EPC is to show prospective tenants the energy performance of the dwelling they are considering renting.
• EPC's are valid for 10 years and can be reused as many times as required within that period. It is not necessary to commission a new EPC each time there is a change of tenant.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998
• Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 and later amendment, it's the landlord’s responsibility to make sure all gas appliances (boilers, cookers and gas fires) are maintained in good order and checked for safety every 12 months by an engineer registered with Gas Safe.
• Landlords are now obliged to provide tenants a copy of the safety check report within 28 days of it being carried out. The regulations also state that you must retain the safety check report for two years. All gas appliances in properties let by Avtar Properties must be checked for safety before a tenancy begins and must be rechecked annually.
The Electrical Installation Regulation (BS 7671: 2008, 17th Edition)
• The landlord must provide an Electrical Certificate to Avtar Properties, Generally the electrical certificates are valid for 5 years maximum although this may be less if the electrical installation is old.
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1998
• Ensure that any furniture and furnishings that the landlord has supplied meets the fire resistance requirements unless they are renting the property on a temporary basis whilst for example, working away from home.
• This applies to domestic items which contain upholstery including beds, headboards, mattresses, sofa-beds, garden furniture which can be used indoors, scatter cushions, seat pads, pillows and loose and stretch covers for furniture

Smoke alarms
• Avtar Properties insist that all the properties we management must have a minimum of a mains interlinked smoke alarm on each floor including uninhabited basements where applicable, in larger properties and licensed HMO’s it may be necessary to have a full hardwired monitored system.
Fire extinguishers and Fire Blankets
A fire extinguisher and kitchen fire blanket might also be a wise precaution.
It is now recommended that fire extinguishers should not be used by untrained persons i.e. residents/tenants, therefore do not place them in common areas. LACoRS recommends fire blankets in kitchen bedsits and a general purpose extinguisher on each landing in HMO.
An annual safety check (risk assessment) is a wise precaution for any landlord  even where it is not strictly required to meet the regulations, i.e. in single lets. Documenting this on a change of tenancy or on an annual basis will provide adequate evidence of due diligence on the landlord's or agent's part in the event of an incident. Doing this also provides landlords with an opportunity to inspect their tenanted premises and keeps tenants on their toes. It is also a legal requirement under the fire safety order to periodically review the fire risk assessment.

Licensable HMO
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) comprising three or more storey’s and occupied by five or more persons (in two or more households) and who share an amenity (e.g. kitchen, living room, bathroom etc) are required to be licensed by the landlord
If the property consists of a mixture of self-contained flats and flats where the tenant has to go out of their flat usually through a communal area to make use of an amenity as described above(whether for their exclusive use or not), then this may require a HMO license. In addition, lets above commercial premises may require a HMO license.
Please contact the HMO Licensing Team if you are unsure whether a property requires a HMO license.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
The local authority will assess whether a property is up to an acceptable standard using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This is an assessment system of the state of a property which looks at a whole raft of different 'hazards' in the property from the state of the exterior of the property to dampness and sanitation and assesses whether the property is in an appropriate condition.