Landlords in Neath Need to Heed These Rules and Regulations

In this three-minute read, we take a look at the most common rules and regulations that Neath landlords need to remember.

Being a landlord is a tricky business. There are nearly 200 different pieces of legislation covering the how, why, and when of managing a rental property. Here are just four that landlords are often not getting quite right.

Deposit protection

In England, Scotland, and Wales, the deposit must be registered with a deposit protection scheme. The 2021 UK Landlord Survey found that 81% of landlords find registering their deposit difficult.

The deposit must be registered within 30 days of receiving cleared funds. The schemes are government-approved and the tenant must be informed where the money is deposited and be served with prescribed information.

Energy performance certificates

Every rental property in the UK has to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). They are stored on an electronic register that is publicly available. However, they also have to be included in any advertising you do for your property.

Electrical safety regulations

In June 2020, strict rules about electrical testing for new tenancies in rental properties in England came into force. Inspections must be carried out by a qualified person on all fixed electrical installations.

Again in England, Since 1 April of this year, it also came into force for existing tenancies. A professional with an industry-recognised apprenticeship or Level 3 Certificate in Installing, Testing and Ensuring Compliance of Electrical Installations in Dwellings must carry this out. Any issues have to be resolved and the tenant must receive a copy of the inspection report within 28 days.

For Wales, we see this legislation coming down the road and we'll have something similar very soon.

Gas safety check regulations

If you have gas in your rental property, all appliances, pipework, and flues owned by the landlord must be checked annually.

As for the electrical safety tests, ensure that you use a qualified engineer and don’t plump for the cheapest. The report must be given to the tenant within 28 days as well.

TOP TIP: As with any time you need to visit, or arrange a visit to the property, make sure you give the tenant at least 24 hours’ notice. Keep a record of having given notice. If the tenant refuses access, you’ve then got the evidence that you tried.

Rent Smart Wales

If you own a rental property in wales, regardless of whether you live in wales, you'll need to be registered with Rent Smart Wales. If you self manage you'll need to take a course,understand your obligations, pass a test and pay a fee before you're granted a Landlord license. If you use a letting agent to manage your property (and if you live 200+ driving miles away from the property you must use an agent) you simply need to register as a landlord, register your properties and assign them to the agent.

If you’re a landlord in Neath and are not 100% sure on all the rules and regulations you need to abide by, get in touch with us at Alison George. A free, no-obligation chat will show you what you might need to tweak or if you’re on the right track.