Landlord Advice
Advice for landlords about safety standards, management standards and housing legislation
Our Private Sector Housing Team provides advice and support to private landlords and agents in Fenland.
This page offers some guidance to help inform landlords of Assured Shorthold Tenants about the legislation to which they must comply; safety standards, tenancy management and other associated legislation.
Please note that landlords need to be aware of the legal status of their tenants, which is determined in law and not by the named written agreement the landlord chooses to issue.
As a private landlord, you will be most likely to be renting a dwelling to:
- one household; a single person, couple, or a group of people who are all related to each other (extended family); or
- renting the whole house, or individual bedrooms, where not all occupants are related. This may be considered as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), which is regulated by additional legislation.
How to Let Guide
The Government has produced a How to Let Guide for people who are considering letting a house or flat in England to tenants in the private rented sector while living in another property. The guide is available on the GOV.UK website.
Landlord Alert - Electrical Safety Standards
With the introduction of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, landlords need to ensure the 'fixed' electrical installations in their rented properties are routinely inspected and tested at least every 5 years. In order to comply, landlords will require a 'Electrical Installation Condition Report' (EICR).
Key dates / when the regulation applies:
- Applies to all new tenancies in England from 1st July 2020
- Applies to all existing tenancies in England from 1st April 2021
Essentially, since 1st July 2020, landlords have been required to obtain a report for all new tenancies, and landlords with existing tenancies have until 1st of April 2021.
For more information, visit the Government's Guide for landlords: electrical safety standards in the private rented sector.
Safety standards
If you're a private landlord, or are thinking of becoming one, there is legislation governing safety standards. This is to ensure that you are providing a safe and healthy home for your tenants.
- Fire safety
- Electrical safety
- Gas safety
- Carbon monoxide
- Repairs
- Bins and recycling
- What we will do if we get a complaint from your tenant
- Enforcement and HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System)
Management standards
In addition to safety standards, Landlords and Agents must comply with management legislation which is detailed below. It is proven that effective, visible management of private rented properties can prevent resource intensive management and unnecessary financial pressure to landlords. In densely populated urban areas with private rented accommodation being the predominant tenure, ineffective housing management can result in community tension. It is therefore in the landlord's best interest to set tenant expectations from the tenancy start date as it increases the likelihood of a stable long term tenancy. It is good practice for landlords and agents to risk assess their tenants upon application as it can inform the scheduling of tenancy inspections required to assess house conditions and occupancy. Effective application protocol will reduce the landlord from being a victim of tenancy fraud, which could result in the property being occupied as an inadvertent HMO and non-compliance of housing legislation.
Associated legislation
Landlords and agents must also ensure that they comply with periphery legislation governing private rented accommodation. This is detailed below:
Landlord and Agent updates
We invite all Fenland landlords and agents to attend our quarterly Landlord Forums. These are designed to provide legislative updates relevant to the Private Rented Sector. Guest speakers include representatives from Cambs Fire & Rescue service, professional Landlord's Association, Department for Works & Pensions, local Planning Officers and Private Sector Housing Officers.
Two of our previous Landlord Forums are available to view via YouTube:
If you would like your contact details adding to our mailing list, please email privatesectorhousing@fenland.gov.uk.
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