HYBR’s Healthy and Safety Checklist

Landlords have a duty of care to keep their tenants safe. Here is HYBR’s checklist for you, it’s good to be aware about the parameters of a landlord’s duty and legal responsibilities. 

Fire safety  

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It’s highly unlikely you’ll set off the smoke alarm when you’re cooking beans on toast, but a working smoke alarm is absolutely necessary. The odd candle, a recipe cooking gone wrong or the straightener left on, can happen and smoke alarms save lives. 

Fire extinguishers and blankets should be provided especially in a house share and student accommodation. Some fire extinguishers are appropriate for specific fires, so it is worthwhile knowing them. 

A stable environment 

A landlord should provide you with a stable and functional environment. They should address any leakages, mould and damp. 

You should get access to water, the taps should dispense water (you’d be surprised) and the boiler/radiators should work. 

In other words, things should be working to allow you to enjoy the property and if they aren’t, contact your landlord to fix it. 

Electrical safety 

All the sockets should be affixed to the wall and not loose, and the lights should be functioning. 

Electrical cuts can happen but these should be rare and your landlord is required to ensure the property’s electrics are safe. 

A landlord has multiple responsibilities to maintain a safe and stable environment for their tenants. Sometimes a student’s inexperience in the housing market blinds them to their rights and the environment that they deserve to live in. Be on the lookout for these mentioned above, they’re the basic factors to a stable home.