Landlords have a professional duty to their tenants, where they are responsible for keeping their property in good working order. As the landlord is the owner of the house, they have to take care of any serious repair work or problems with the building’s infrastructure, whilst the tenants will need to keep the house tidy and in fair condition to avoid causing unnecessary damage.
The boiler is an essential part of any property, where this provides the home with heating and hot water. As such, if something is amiss with the boiler or heating system, then tenants are likely to notice this straight away. As a landlord, you have various legal responsibilities when it comes to boiler maintenance - read on to find out more about how you should proceed.
Your Responsibilities
There are various legal duties that a landlord must adhere to when renting out their property. For a home to be seen as liveable, it must offer running water and corresponding sanitation fixtures including pipes and drains. Therefore a property needs to have a working toilet, a shower or bathroom and at least one sink for washing up.
These facilities also need to be repaired and maintained by the landlord so that they remain in good working order. This is written into the 1985 Landlord and Tenant Act, which details the legal relationship between these two parties. Under this Act, landlords are required to repair installations that supply water, gas or electricity, where this includes boilers.
Preparing For A New Tenant
As a landlord, it is vital that you prepare your property well in advance if you’re looking to secure a tenant. This means undertaking thorough checks of key appliances, where this kind of preventative maintenance can help you to avoid problems once your tenant has moved in.
Boilers and hot water cylinders should be included in these checks so you can ensure that everything is working properly. Radiators, taps and drains should also be inspected before your tenant arrives. Additionally, all your gas appliances should be inspected on a yearly basis by a Gas Safe engineer, where this can help you to spot any problems before they become more serious.
Urgent Repairs
Even if you’ve carried out all the appropriate checks, you may still experience emergency faults with your appliances, especially if they’re more than ten years old. As a landlord, you are responsible for specific faults in the property, including problems that result from normal wear and tear. When it comes to minor repairs such as drips or blockages, this may be the responsibility of the tenant, depending on the terms stipulated in the lease agreement.
It is important to remember that serious or urgent repairs will be your responsibility as a landlord, especially if the problem is preventing your tenants from accessing basic sanitation facilities. You must carry out these repairs or enlist a professional to do so within a reasonable timeframe, particularly if your tenant is being inconvenienced by the fault.
An urgent or serious issue could include a broken down boiler, blocked toilet, burst water mains, ceiling leaks or flooding. Any issue that could make the property unsafe or unusable should be resolved within 24 hours wherever possible.
If toilets and sinks are blocked due to problems with the drainage system or pipeworks then this is the landlord’s responsibility. Other cases where tenant misuse has caused the problem may be up for negotiation, where it would be at the landlord’s discretion whether they are willing to front the repair costs.
Landlords are also responsible for the repair and upkeep of radiators, pipework, fittings and valves. These elements should be inspected regularly in addition to boiler inspections, especially as winter approaches.
How Can A Boiler Engineer Help?
Some landlords may have the skillset to handle straightforward plumbing repairs, where this can make it easier to resolve urgent problems in a short timeframe. But when it comes to handling gas and heating appliances, it is always advisable to enlist professional help for safety and for legal compliance.
As such, you may wish to find a reputable gas or boiler engineer to work with. These specialists can handle a range of repair and preventive maintenance tasks, where the landlord will be expected to arrange a call out and cover any costs.
Some essential services that your boiler engineer will be able to provide include:
Routine Inspections
It is essential that your boiler is serviced regularly by a Gas Safe engineer. During one of these inspections, your engineer will be able to check that all internal components are working correctly, including the boiler’s valves and gauges. Your engineer will also be able to clean and clear out any blocked pipes during this inspection, meaning you won’t need to arrange a secondary appointment.
Fluid Levels
Fluid level checks are another important part of boiler maintenance, where your engineer will be able to inspect the levels of gas and water within your system. They will then top these fluids up if they’re running low, ensuring that your boiler can run efficiently.
Repairs & Replacements
Your boiler engineer will also be able to diagnose more serious faults. Some issues will be straightforward to resolve, but your engineer may need to order a new part, which can take longer.
Additionally, there is a chance that your engineer recommends that you fit a brand new boiler, especially if your equipment is old and out of warranty. Making this intervention should help you to save money in the long run by improving the energy efficiency rating of your building.
Record Keeping
Beyond this, boiler engineers are equipped to take detailed readings from your system, which is an important part of the record keeping process. You may need to draw on these records if you enlist the help of a new engineer or if you’re looking to sell the property.
Once your engineer has these readings, they may also adjust the boiler’s pressure valves and alter some of the system’s internal mechanisms so that your equipment is functioning at its best.
Gas Leaks
The reason why you need a qualified gas engineer to handle your boiler is that faulty systems can pose a threat to occupants of the house. This high risk level arises if there is a gas leak, which can go unnoticed for an extended period of time. Your boiler engineer can use fault finding equipment to uncover any leaks, where they will usually resolve these on the spot.
All Gas Services Lincoln: Plumbing Maintenance & Support For Landlords
At All Gas Services, we provide specialist boiler engineering checks for landlords, helping to simplify your property management duties.
As a landlord, it is your responsibility to make sure that your boiler is regularly serviced and that it remains in good working order. Our expert engineers can provide thorough inspections, as well as full boiler replacements and heating system installations to help you to keep your tenants safe and happy.
At our leading heating company, we can also provide property maintenance, fire and cooker installations and new kitchen appliances. We look after a wide range of properties throughout Lincoln and the surrounding areas, where we can handle all house sizes and boiler types.
Get in touch with us directly today to find out more about our comprehensive range of services.
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