Buy to Let Safety Rules Changing 1 October 2022
Buy to let landlords must fit carbon monoxide alarms in rooms lived in by tenants with a fixed combustion appliance from October 1 2022.
Fixed combustion appliances include gas heaters, boilers and wood-burning stoves.
The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 update older regulations by extending the rules from appliances burning wood or coal to gas appliances. However, gas cookers are excluded from the rules.
A new clause also makes landlords responsible for replacing carbon monoxide or smoke alarms reported as not working by tenants.
The stricter regulations align private rented homes with safety standards that apply to social housing.
The new regulations only apply in England, but Wales will bring similar rules from December 1 2022.
Smoke alarms should meet British Standards BS 5839-6, while carbon monoxide alarms should comply with British Standards BS 50291.
Landlords should test the alarms work on the day a tenant moves in and keep a record of the test.
Tenants are responsible for periodic testing.
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