Maintaining the condition of your rental properties is essential for safety and compliance, as well as for maintaining a positive connection with your renters and a solid reputation as a landlord. Servicing the boiler is one of the most important elements of keeping your home in good condition. The legal requirements for boilers in rental buildings, the duties of landlords and tenants, and the significance of routine boiler maintenance are all covered in this article.
Legal Obligation of a Landlord: Boiler Servicing
According to Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1985, landlords or property managers are in charge of maintaining the boiler as well as the building’s exterior, structure, and other structures. To guarantee that renters have regular access to heating and hot water, the law requires landlords to maintain their boilers in good working condition.
Additionally, all gas appliances and flues installed in rental houses need to undergo a yearly gas safety inspection by a Gas Safe licenced engineer. All flues, piping and gas appliances must be kept regularly maintained by landlords, and they have to keep a record of the gas safety inspection. Additionally, landlords must give copies of the most recent gas safety check certificates to both their current and potential renters.
Importance of Boiler Servicing
The primary reason for complying with the suggested boiler maintenance schedule is safety, which comes before legal duties. Missing a scheduled maintenance date could have disastrous effects, as a defective boiler can result in a deadly explosion. You cannot afford as a landlord to break the law.
A well-maintained boiler will decrease the likelihood of an expensive breakdown, lengthen its lifespan, and enable your tenants to pay less for heating.
What Is Included in a Boiler Service?
A Gas Safe registered engineer performs a boiler service, which normally includes:
- A visual inspection of the controls, wiring, and other components of the boiler.
- Taking off the boiler cover allows you to see and clean its inside parts.
- Checking the ventilation vents and flue to ensure proper positioning to enable adequate waste gas expulsion.
- Searching for leaks in seals
- Monitoring the boiler’s pressure
- Conducting tests to look for errors
- Efficiency evaluation of the boiler
- Whenever necessary, reset the controls
- identifying issues that need repair
A boiler service performed by an expert technician in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines should cost you about £100. Do not forget that a yearly service will protect any warranty you may have on your boiler.
Who is responsible for boiler maintenance: landlords or tenants?
The boiler needs to be maintained by the landlord. The Landlord and Tenant Act (1985) mandates that landlords maintain sewage systems, water, gas and electricity supply facilities in good working order. The same applies to space and water heating systems, which fall under the landlord’s responsibility.
However, it is common for tenants to be in charge of daily maintenance, including keeping the heat on when necessary and reporting issues. Some tenancy agreements additionally state that the renter is in charge of keeping chimneys and flues in working order.
The boiler’s proper functioning depends in part on the tenants. Tenants are required to conduct routine inspections to make sure everything is functioning properly, as specified by the landlord in the tenancy agreement. They must also promptly disclose any issues so that landlords have a chance to address them.
Among are the things renters should watch out for:
- In addition to any recent price increases, energy costs were higher than usual.
- Not getting heated enough or not getting hot enough as usual
- The boiler is leaking
- The boiler produces strange noises
- Any unusual odours coming from the boiler that might indicate a gas leak
- The water is heating more slowly than usual
The only time the landlord is not obligated to fix a boiler is when the renter has purposely damaged it through abuse.
When do you need to fix a Boiler problem?
The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1985 states that fixes should be done in a “reasonable amount of time.” In fact, this will give you enough time to react to the tenant’s notice of a problem, find an engineer, and schedule the work.
If the boiler totally breaks down and your tenant has no heat or hot water, this is an emergency and should be fixed within 24 hours.
This is even more important if there are little kids in the house or if it is very cold outside. If landlords think it will take a while to fix the heating, they should think about giving tenants other ways to heat their homes, like space heaters.
Make sure your boiler is in excellent condition
In addition to regular maintenance, there are other ways to get the most out of your boiler and reduce the number of repairs and money you have to spend.
Inform Your Renters
Whenever a new renter moves in, make sure they are aware of the fundamentals of how the boiler operates and what the ideal pressure is. Inform them that if they want to keep the pipes from freezing during the winter, they must run the boiler regularly. In the winter, they should keep the heating on low if they will be gone for a lengthy time.
Maintain proper ventilation
For safe operation, boilers need adequate ventilation. Make sure your tenant understands the significance of keeping vents free to allow for enough ventilation and check to see if any of them are blocked by objects.
Radiators should bleed
To guarantee optimal efficiency, it’s a good idea to bleed each radiator once a year. Your boiler will function properly if any trapped air is released, allowing the heated water to flow freely. Get a professional in if you’re unsure how to handle it, and you’ll have confidence that the heating system in your home is operating properly.
Summary
Boiler maintenance is an important aspect of keeping up with your rental home. The safety of your renters and the efficient operation of your property depends on it, in addition to being a legal necessity. You can make sure that your boiler remains in good working order and reduce the likelihood of expensive breakdowns and repairs by being aware of your duties as a landlord and educating your renters. To maintain your boiler operating at peak efficiency, don’t forget to schedule an annual service of your boiler with a Gas Safe licenced professional.
Recent Comments