As a landlord in the Milton Keynes area, ensuring the proper functioning of your property’s plumbing and heating systems isn’t just good business – it’s your legal obligation. This guide aims to give a brief overview of what UK landlords need to know about the plumbing and heating in their properties.
Legal responsibilities
We would strongly urge you to seek the services of a qualified solicitor when seeking legal advice for landlords. This article does NOT constitute legal advice. It is a guideline only, to inform you of the general things your responsibility covers and what to expect. Details and laws are always subject to change, and although there’s a good deal of common sense in this area, it’s likely that laypeople will miss some specific changes as time passes. Ideally, you should choose a solicitor that specialises in property, or which has a team devoted to landlords’ issues to ensure you’re meeting the most up-to-date regulations.
Understanding and adhering to legal responsibilities is vital for landlords. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is a cornerstone piece of legislation that outlines landlords’ obligations to ensure properties are safe and habitable. This includes maintaining the structure and exterior of the property, as well as installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity. As plumbers and boiler engineers, it’s the water and gas that we’re mostly concerned with, so that’s what this article will focus on.
The whole Act is a hefty read, and is updated frequently to take into account new legislation, social attitudes and technologies. In other words, if you familiarised yourself with the Act ten years ago, there’s a good chance that some of your understanding will be outdated. Fortunately, if you visit the official government website page for the Act, it lets you click on the amendments that have been made over time. That means you don’t need to read the whole thing every time new amendments come in.
One of the most important regulations landlords must follow is the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. It requires an annual safety check of all gas appliances, fittings and flues by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This ensures that tenants are safe from dangers such as gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning. Unlike private home ownership, this is not an optional action to take every year – you cannot legally rent out your property unless you comply. Failure to comply not only puts tenants at risk but can result in severe legal and financial penalties.
When considering water supply, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations should be your main reference. These regulations ensure that plumbing systems prevent waste, misuse and contamination of the water supply. Landlords must ensure all installations are compliant with these standards to avoid potential hazards and, again, legal issues.
Finally, landlords are required to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which gives potential tenants information about the property’s energy efficiency. A direct impact of this requirement on heating systems is that landlords must ensure their heating installations are efficient and serve to keep a decent EPC rating. Not only is this a legal requirement, but it also attracts energy-conscious tenants. There’s specific advice for landlords on the government website.
Responsibilities to tenants
Maintaining a harmonious relationship with tenants isn’t just good for business – it makes your life so much easier. Don’t forget – they live there every day, so are well placed to keep you posted on any issues such as boilers making strange noises, high energy bills or such like. That’s particularly useful if you’re a hands-off kind of landlord.
This relationship is helped by you, the landlord, fulfilling your obligations when it comes to repairs and maintenance. Landlords are expected to keep plumbing and heating systems in good working order and respond promptly to any issues. Emergency repairs, such as burst pipes or central heating failures, should be addressed immediately to minimise discomfort, potential damage and litigation.
Providing tenants with clear information about the operation and maintenance of plumbing and heating systems is another key responsibility. Crucially, that includes instructions for using central heating and hot water, tips for conserving water and energy, using smart thermostats properly, and emergency contact information.
Tenants who know all this are better equipped to prevent accidental misuse and damage to the property’s systems. They’re also less likely to constantly be on the phone to ask you about thermostat settings, TRVs and boiler timers. Print out the information and attach it to the wall in a prominent place, preferably near the boiler or thermostat.
Handling tenant complaints efficiently is a key aspect of maintaining a good landlord-tenant relationship, which goes much wider than plumbing and heating. A methodical approach to addressing concerns not only lessens tenant distress – it also enhances your reputation as a responsible landlord, which means they’re more likely to stick around, reducing the costs of tenant churn and midnight exits. Keep records of all communications and actions taken, ensuring transparency and accountability for both parties.
Ensuring system efficiency and safety
Regular inspections and maintenance are vital not only from a legal standpoint – they’ll prolong the lifespan of your heating and hot water setups, too. Routine checks help identify potential issues before they become major problems, and that saves you time and money in the long run. Regular servicing by qualified professionals also ensures that systems operate efficiently, which could have a direct effect on your property’s profitability and desirability.
One thing that might benefit you is to consider making upgrades to older systems. It can significantly improve efficiency and safety, and could save you the shock of a major bill if something goes wrong. It might be tempting to let a boiler go on to the bitter end, but you’ll almost always find that an emergency replacement will be more expensive than a planned, budgeted one – and that’s assuming you can get a swift appointment with a heating engineer.
Today’s modern heating solutions, such as energy-efficient boilers or smart thermostats, offer greater control and can lead to substantial savings on energy costs in the long run. Deciding when to invest in new technology can be a financially sound decision that adds value to your property.
Additionally, enhancing insulation, draught protection on doors, windows and floors, and weatherproofing throughout the property usually improves heating efficiency. Don’t forget that proper insulation reduces the demand on heating systems, so the savings are twofold.
All in all, keeping your plumbing and heating systems in good condition is not merely about compliance; it’s about creating a safe, efficient and cost-effective environment for you and your tenants. By taking proactive steps towards maintenance and system upgrades, landlords can enhance tenant satisfaction and protect their investment.
Deciding who pays for gas and water
The question of whether to include utilities like gas and water in the rent is an important consideration for landlords. There are several ways to approach this, each with its own set of advantages and drawbacks.
Including utilities in rent
One approach is to incorporate utility costs into the rent. This can simplify the billing process and offer tenants the convenience of a single monthly payment. It’s appealing to tenants, particularly if they are concerned about ever-changing utility costs. However, landlords need to carefully calculate average usage to ensure they’re not left out of pocket, and it’s wise to re-evaluate this periodically to keep in touch with changing energy prices.
Tenants can be wary of this arrangement as differences in usage between summer and winter can be quite large, so a flat monthly fee can look unfair. Explain that the cost is averaged out over the year, just like with any utilities payment plan. Landlords might want to include certain stipulations in the tenancy agreement, too, such as maximum amounts of included energy usage per month, quarter or year, after which the tenants will be charged a surcharge. That said, having utilities included in the monthly rent can sometimes be an attractive selling point in a tenant’s market.
Separate billing
Alternatively, landlords may choose to have tenants pay for utilities directly, in their own names. This places the responsibility on tenants to monitor their own usage and can lead to more energy-efficient behaviours, which can help with the lifespan of your equipment. Any failure to pay, along with resulting fines, court appearances or disconnections, will be entirely their responsibility. Also, it protects landlords from unexpected spikes in utility costs or usage.
Whichever route is chosen, clear communication and agreement are crucial to avoid misunderstandings. This should be explicitly detailed in the tenancy agreement to ensure both parties are aware of their responsibilities.
Hiring professional plumbing and heating engineers
When it comes to maintaining plumbing and heating systems, employing qualified professionals like Able Plumbing Solutions is non-negotiable. Our expertise ensures systems are safe, reliable and up to standard.
Whoever you choose, it’s vital that you hire Gas Safe registered engineers for any gas work, and appropriately certified plumbers for plumbing tasks. Such credentials are a must to ensure safety and compliance with the law. Checking references and previous work can also provide assurance of quality service.
Do you want a regular contract or just rely on ad-hoc services as and when issues arise? As a landlord, you might want to consider establishing regular maintenance contracts with trusted professionals. This approach ensures regular maintenance and inspection, potentially catching issues before they escalate into costly repairs. While this might represent a regular expense, it often proves cheaper than dealing with emergency breakdowns. This arrangement tends to suit landlords with multiple properties.
Ad-hoc services might work for those who prefer addressing issues as they arise. While this may appear cost-effective initially, the unpredictability can lead to inconvenience and potentially higher costs during emergencies. However, if you just have just one or two properties, which are generally well maintained, it can work out cheaper in some situations.
Some landlords may find it beneficial to work with property management companies for comprehensive management services rather than dealing directly with plumbers, electricians, cleaners, builders and so on. These companies can handle all maintenance, from regular checks to emergency repairs. While there’s a cost involved, it can remove some of the burden on landlords, especially those managing multiple properties or living far from their rented premises.
Other considerations
Aside from routine maintenance and professional services, there are additional steps landlords can take to enhance their property’s plumbing and heating.
- Water conservation: Implementing water-saving technologies such as low-flow showerheads and dual-flush toilets can significantly reduce water usage. These small changes can lead to substantial savings on water bills if you’re on a water meter, reducing overall running costs.
- Renewable and off-peak energy options: Exploring renewable energy solutions is another decision you might want to make. Installing solar panels can reduce reliance on mains electricity, lowering long-term costs and increasing the property’s attractiveness to eco-conscious tenants. Gas heating setups that have cylinders (i.e. system and heat only) might benefit from immersion heaters that let you warm the water overnight, possibly from renewable sources. Although the initial investment can be significant, government incentives and the potential for increased property value can offer decent returns.
- Managing multiple properties: For landlords managing several properties, establishing a regular, methodical approach to maintenance and upgrades is vital. Keeping on top of routine inspections and using trusted contractors all helps to streamline operations, ensuring consistency and avoiding nasty shocks.
Plan ahead and keep your property working efficiently
Whether you are landlord to one property or twenty, the plumbing and heating are one of the most important elements of your management, along with structural safety and security.
Nobody will rent a property without heating or reliable water, so making sure you stay on top of maintenance and addressing repairs promptly will keep things ticking over in that department. With returns being more marginal than many outside of the industry realise, you can’t overstate how important this routine action is for your portfolio.