6th
Aug 2017
According to an insurance company's latest survey more than 50% of UK landlords have carried out fire safety checks in their rental properties since the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The survey was carried out with five hundred private landlords and found that 32% had tested their fire alarms and 15% had used contractors to carry out a fire risk assessment.
50% of HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) landlords had checked their fire alarms in the last month and 35% of landlords with flats had done so as well.
This sector also had the highest percentage of contractors being hired to carry out professional assessments - 39% of HMOs and 22% of flats.
Landlords also made thorough checks of the building materials that were used and made sure that they spoke to tenants regarding the checks, and a further 17% of landlords had recently installed carbon monoxide alarms.
For the obvious reason, London landlords were the most proactive in the UK with 72% carrying out at least one type of fire safety checks since the disaster, however only a third of landlords in Wales had taken some form of action.
The survey uncovered one major concern about gas safety. Although all of the landlord respondents had carried out a gas safety inspection in their rental properties, 83% had carried out the last inspection in the last twelve months. Most landlords are aware that the legislation requires a mandatory yearly check carried out by a registered Gas Safe engineer on all gas appliances in their rental properties. Those landlords that had not done this in the required timescale, 11% admitted that their last check was carried out between 12 - 18 months ago and 4% shockingly claimed that it had been three years since they had arranged one.
Alex Huntley, Head of Operations of an Insurance company, said: “Fire safety is clearly on the agenda for landlords in the UK, with a little over half taking positive action in the last month alone. Landlords have a legal obligation to protect tenants under fire safety regulations, particularly those with large or shared properties.
"Gas safety is also of paramount importance, and although on the whole the survey has shown a positive and responsible response from landlords, they must understand their obligations; fire and gas safety must never be left to chance."
News Archive »