Hi there, sorry if this has been asked before! Can I just double check what the legalities required when renting out a holiday cottage?
1. Fire safety check
2. Electrical testing
3. Gas safety check
Is there anything else I'm missing? And how often do I have to do these tests every year?
Legalities of a holiday home
Re: Legalities of a holiday home
1 - The requirement is that you have a Fire Risk Assessment in place - review at least annually or whenever you make a change that affects it, eg replacing soft furnishingsWelsh rose wrote:Hi there, sorry if this has been asked before! Can I just double check what the legalities required when renting out a holiday cottage?
1. Fire safety check
2. Electrical testing
3. Gas safety check
Is there anything else I'm missing? And how often do I have to do these tests every year?
2 - You have to be able to demonstrate that you're meeting your responsibilities to your guests for the safety of electrical appliances, and the safety of the electrical installation. Much has been written about formal PAT testing, which is not essential but the easiest way to demonstrate compliance. The installation is typically a five or ten year check, which you will probably need to have done at start up
3 - Don't know (no gas!)
Others include liability insurance cover.
If it's currently a dwelling you made need Change of Use approval from the planning department, and from building control (particularly if any alterations are needed).
Best thing to do is to look at the information here which covers what every rental owner in the UK needs to know and must observe.
Re ManxRed1's comment on public liability insurance. I would DEFINITELY recommend you have it. Several years ago I was sued for damages by a holidaymaker who had booked through my agent. She had put her hand through a pane of glass in a window and cut an artery. Claimed she could not work for x months as she was a self employed journalist.
My view was that she was trying it on - the windows were at/below floor level on a landing so she would have had to be lying on the floor to open them. And why they needed to be opened was a mystery. My view was that she was probably larking around or had drunk too much.
Any way, my broker and the insurance company dealt with all of it. It went to court and the judge took 25% off her damages due to partial responsibility. But she received £20,000! None of this worried me as I have £3,000,000 public liability insurance.
Beware if you get sued by 'no win no fee' solicitors. As in my case, they often leave the claim until the last minute allowed by UK law. This gives you only a few weeks to prepare for a court case.
My costs were new windows. As this had happened I had to replace the original 19th century beautiful windows in case some nutcase did it again.
Giraffe x
My view was that she was trying it on - the windows were at/below floor level on a landing so she would have had to be lying on the floor to open them. And why they needed to be opened was a mystery. My view was that she was probably larking around or had drunk too much.
Any way, my broker and the insurance company dealt with all of it. It went to court and the judge took 25% off her damages due to partial responsibility. But she received £20,000! None of this worried me as I have £3,000,000 public liability insurance.
Beware if you get sued by 'no win no fee' solicitors. As in my case, they often leave the claim until the last minute allowed by UK law. This gives you only a few weeks to prepare for a court case.
My costs were new windows. As this had happened I had to replace the original 19th century beautiful windows in case some nutcase did it again.
Giraffe x
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akwe-xavante
- Posts: 306
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I think that what is also important is that you document the things you do every year too.
You can religiously perform all the rigorous fire and general safety tests/checks every week if you wanted to but in the unlikely event that something serious happens you will have to prove that these checks actually took place when you say they were performed be it annually or more often.
The gas safety check is an easy one because the heating engineer will give you a gas safety certificate.
The PAT test is an easy one too because the PAT registered electrician will give you a PAT test certificate.
Produce your own check list of checks relevant to your own property in regards to fire risk assessment and general safety checks and allow for the addition of notes. Sign and date on completion and file away somewhere safe.
Saying "I perform fire risk assessments every year or bi annually every year on such and such a date(s)" to the health and safety executive is not enough without backing it up afterwards with a signed and dated bit of paper.
If you become aware that something has been highlighted as a safety issue or potential fire risk document it as it happens and document what you decided to do about it and then document what was done about it in the end and who did what and when.
Sign and date, file away safely.
You can religiously perform all the rigorous fire and general safety tests/checks every week if you wanted to but in the unlikely event that something serious happens you will have to prove that these checks actually took place when you say they were performed be it annually or more often.
The gas safety check is an easy one because the heating engineer will give you a gas safety certificate.
The PAT test is an easy one too because the PAT registered electrician will give you a PAT test certificate.
Produce your own check list of checks relevant to your own property in regards to fire risk assessment and general safety checks and allow for the addition of notes. Sign and date on completion and file away somewhere safe.
Saying "I perform fire risk assessments every year or bi annually every year on such and such a date(s)" to the health and safety executive is not enough without backing it up afterwards with a signed and dated bit of paper.
If you become aware that something has been highlighted as a safety issue or potential fire risk document it as it happens and document what you decided to do about it and then document what was done about it in the end and who did what and when.
Sign and date, file away safely.
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Welsh rose
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2016 10:19 am
