Don’t force agents to test alarms on first day of t...

The government has been urged to backtrack on proposals for letting agents to check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on day one of every tenancy.

Instead, agents and landlords should check before the tenancy begins - but not necessarily on day one.

That’s the view of Propertymark in its response to the official consultation on extending the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Regulations in England, just released to ARLA members.

The consultation ran for eight weeks until January 11 and concerned amendments to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 to require private and social landlords to install a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance is used, excluding gas cookers.

Propertymark submitted a written response to the consultation and met with officials from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to outline concerns from members.

The organisation’s four major demands of government were:

- Allowing agents to test alarms before the start of a new tenancy would provide some leeway for those landlords that have multiple properties and agents who can be managing multiple check-ins on the same day.

- In relation to appliances and fuel type, it is important that rules are aligned with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 where landlords must arrange an annual gas safety check on every gas appliance and flue by a registered Gas Safe engineer.

- A proper lead-in time is needed for any changes to regulations because greater flexibility on the time frame for implementing legislation ensures that the sector is less likely to fall foul of the regulations as landlords and letting agents will have a realistic period of time to both be informed of regulations and also to ensure they are able to comply.

- The government must not underestimate the ongoing impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and continued difficulty for the private rented sector to comply with new and existing legislation. This includes tenants who are self-isolating and access to property to carry out checks, maintenance work, or renovation. Collectively, these are adding additional obstacles for compliance.

Matthew Payne
22 January 2021 09:49 AM

Not a chance, can't think of any lettings related legislation introduced in the last few years that was amended after a "consultation", even with some real obvious humdingers in the line up.

Annoyed Landlord
22 January 2021 11:11 AM

Retired agent, you speak commonsense, but when has commonsense been apparent in any government decision?

As I was reminded today, Intellingence is knowing tomatoes are a fruit... common sense is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad!

Sián Hemming Metcalfe
25 January 2021 08:09 AM

As an inventory provider / owner and trainer for the industry; I can assure you clerks are not 'lazy' and do indeed test the alarms both at inventory, interim and checkout. Whether then the report is read and the issues acted upon are an entirely different matter.