Landlords and the Law - What You Must Know!

5th February 2024

Landlords and the Law - What You Must Know!

If you rent out one Buy to Let, three or four properties or a substantially bigger property portfolio, that makes you a landlord. 

Some see it as managing a hobby investment, while for others it's their main business, but for all there are some harsh realities that need to be taken into account.

There are now more than a 150 pieces of legislation covering the Lettings sector that landlords need to be aware of. It's a big list right now and it's getting bigger all the time.

Sometimes it can seem that there's so much red tape covering different aspects of our lives. However, when it comes to the private rental sector rules and regulations really do matter.

So if you own one or more rental properties you need to be in compliance with a lot of different rules.

Habitat

The main body of law that covers the safety of tenants who live in your property is The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

This sets out laws about a landlord's obligations to ensure properties must be "free of serious hazards" and under what circumstances they have to fix things, or face the prospect of penalties.

Obviously there's quite a lot of repairs and maintenance issues that can crop up - any homeowner knows this, but a landlord has responsibilities that go beyond his or her own interests.

Safety issues

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 requires landlords and/or their agents to carry out safety checks of gas appliances each year.

An engineer registered with Gas Safe must be used to install and maintain all gas equipment and carry out the annual safety check.

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 is similar and requires all electrical installations in rental properties to be inspected and tested at least every five years by a "qualified and competent" engineer.

Other safety requirements include obligations to make sure there is a minimum of one smoke alarm on each floor of the property and a carbon monoxide detector where any solid fuel burning appliance such as a fireplace or wood burner might be.

If the property is let as furnished there are also laws that cover safety regulations for all furniture and furnishings.

EPCs 

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are enforced by The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations.

This legislation means a rental property must have a minimum EPC rating of E and all ratings have to be included in marketing details.

The EPC rating reflects the overall energy efficiency of a property and certificates can only be issued by an accredited assessor.

Lettings management

There are so many official responsibilities when it comes to being a landlord that it really is hard work to make sure you comply with them all.

Our fully managed lettings services give you peace of mind, knowing that you are fully up to date with laws that might apply to you at both national and local levels.

It's our job to know about all the new legislation that is introduced and any changes made to existing rules. Then we make sure you have all the information you need to keep on the right side of the law.

If you own rental property in Brighton and Hove we really can help make landlord life as stress free - and as profitable - as we can!

Talk to our Lettings specialists today – call Rob and Winnie on 01273 321 000 or email [email protected]

Testimonials

  • Very pleased with the excellent service throughout. Professional, friendly, efficient and no hard sell. Achieved above asking price. Thank you!

    Mr Witten Lewes Road

  • The Woodingdean team were very friendly and approachable.

    Mrs Palmer Pitt Gardens

  • A very positive experience - I had most contact with the Fiveways office and they were so friendly and helpful.

    Ms A King Balfour Road

  • Very impressed with the service. Sharon Wareham works tirelessly, very professionally and is always there for advice. 

    Miss Matthews Kipling Avenue

  • Cannot express our appreciation enough of all the efforts made by the Woodingdean team - they were fantastic.

    Mr John Mogridge Woodingdean

  • An efficient, professional and friendly service. Helpful and a pleasure to do business with.

    Mr Beddington Brading Road

  • I have bought and sold 7 properties, and this was the best experience of an estate agents services I have found.

    Mrs Shepherd Hertford Road

  • Excellent service from the Lewes Road branch. Martin Timms secured a quick sale & at a good price & Paula Carter worked really hard to secure...

    Ms Schulte Bear Road

  • Paula is amazing!

    Ms Aspnall Gladstone Place

  • Superb service as usual, I would always recommend you.

    Ms S Hike Blackthorn Close

  • Thank you Paul and Archie, you gave an excellent service, as well as Kelly. I look forward to working with you again. 

    Mr White Fiveways

  • Thanks for an excellent service. 

    Mr King Hove

  • Thank you for everything!

    Ms Tucker Willow Close

  • The whole team were very committed from start to finish.

    Mr Pilgrim Lewes Road

  • Maslens as a whole were really friendly and professional. I have to thank and congratulate Paula Carter for being superb at her job and exceeding m...

    Ms Warren Hove

  • All the staff I dealt with were excellent. Sharon worked really hard to complete the sale.

    Mrs Bent Falmer Gardens

  • Brilliant. Well done to Sharon and the Woodingdean team.

    Ms Curtis The Ridgway

  • Service exceeded my expectations overall at all stages of the process - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you. Thanks. 

    Ms Greene Lewes Road

  • Best Estate Agents ever experienced - professional, approachable, competent and exemplary. 

    Mr & Mrs Guest Riley Road

  • We were very impressed with the Nick from start to finish. 

    Mr & Mrs Smith Lewes Road

  • We were very pleased with services provided by the Fiveways office.

    Mr & Mrs Sawyer Shaftesbury Road

  • Paul was absolutely brilliant. 

    Mrs Tasker Fiveways

  • Harvey was helpful and easily reachable at the beginning of the process and Sharon kept us informed and was always happy to help.

    Ms Murch & Ms Mapa Ticehurst Road

  • Sharon was excellent - kept us well informed, thank you so much!

    Ms Waters Cowley Drive

  • It was a long, drawn out process that the people at Maslen helped me through, without the impression that it was a chore. So extremely professional...

    Mr McLagan Lewes Road

  • Very comprehensive and professional. Nice people to work with and highly recommended. 

    Mr Alderton Ladysmith Road

  • Very pleased with the service. Many thanks to Sharon and the boys!

    Mr Flynn Woodingdean

  • Compared to your rivals, your service was excellent

    Ms McGrigor Milner Road

  • All agents at Maslen were extremely helpful and polite from the beginning to the completion of sale. 

    Mr Johnson Fiveways

  • Best Agents in Brighton.

    Mrs Field Tarner Road

  • Ben was particularly enthusiastic and helpful. Martin, Paula, Sam and Will are all hard workers.

    Ms Goodey Franklin Road

  • Paul Wilkinson was extremely helpful and efficient. The only problem was the vendors solicitor and Paul warned me of this. A good transaction all r...

    Mr Lavender Fiveways

  • Paula was fabulous and we felt really informed and supported. 

    Mr & Mrs Walker Lewes Road

  • A good team at Woodingdean helped us through a stressful time.

    Mr & Mrs Penton Sycamore Close

  • Excellent service as always

    Mr Field Ringmer Road

  • You were amazingly helpful throughout - a real pillar of strength with a very difficult sale.

    Mrs Parkin Fiveways

  • It was an amazing experience, everyone involved were fantastic. 

    Mr & Mrs Knight Woodingdean

  • The whole team were excellent, each one of them felt like family. Sharon had a lot of sorting to do at times but coped very well, a true profession...

    Mr Vernon Woodingdean

  • Thanks David, all very professional.

    Mrs Flowers Foxdown Road

  • Sharon was amazing! She kept us up to date the whole way through the process. We cannot fault Sharon or the rest of her team. 

    Mr & Mrs Ashley Woodingdean

  • Exceptional service throughout the process - should we decide to sell in the future we wouldn't hesitate to use your agency. You're a cut above the...

    Ms Windels & Mr Barham Fiveways

  • Excellent customer service throughout. I will definitely recommend you, and use you again. Thank you.

    Ms Longley Kingsbury Street

  • I wish we had used you to sell our property! Nice to meet honest people, who are genuinely interested in helping. Very pleased.

    Mrs Porter Taunton Road

  • Quality advice about when and how to sell, which was spot on. Thank you.

    Miss Coleman Buller Road

  • We were delighted with the service received from all the staff with whom we had contact,

    Dr Crichton The Ridgway

  • Many thanks to Nick. It was an easy process thanks to you! I'm extremely satisfied with how the sale went, great job.

    Ms Mayanobe Aymer Road

  • Very impressive - professional and friendly, both Martin Timms and Paula Carter were excellent at keeping in contact with sensible advice based on...

    Mrs O'Connor Hove

  • Very professional service. Thank you!

    Miss New & Mr Jackson Buller Road

  • The sale was dealt with swiftly, professionally and successfully. Thank you Maslen!

    Mrs Lincoln Hove

  • A completely painless experience from start to finish. Thank you.

    Mr Woolven & Mrs Bessant-Woolven Lewes Road

  • In February 2016 I was looking to buy and sell very rapidly. Competition among buyers at the time was very high. Sharon @ the Woodingdean branch sh...

    Ms Helen Lyons Woodingdean

  • From start to finish the sale was dealt with in a thoroughly professional manner.  

    Mr Gibbs Lewes Road

  • Very impressed with the efficient and friendly service, the staff were a pleasure to deal with. 

    Mr & Mrs Gill Lewes Road

  • All very professional, kept updated throughout. Very pleased - Would recommend. 

    Mrs Hammond Hove

  • First class service. Friendly and professional.

    Mr Thorne The Avenue

  • Good team. Straightforward. No nonsense.

    Mr Standing Newmarket Road

  • Nick and Paula are total stars! They were incredibly supportive and present throughout. Thank you!

    Miss O'Haire Hove

  • Excellent Service from start to finish.

    Mr T Mole Cromwell Road

  • Graham Griffin provided us, and continues to provide us, will all-round excellent advice. We trust his knowledge and expertise.

    Mr Blackmore & Ms O'Sullivan Financial Services

  • Hugely impressed with Ben & his team.

    Mrs Mead Upper Lewes Road

  • I found the service to be courteous, friendly and efficient.

    Mr Upton Buller Road

  • Sharon, Harvey and James were all excellent - very professional. Totally opposite to what I have experienced with other agents. Maslen have restore...

    Ms Lyons Woodingdean

  • Very happy with the service we got from you guys, everyone we dealt with was extremely friendly, professional and helpful. Thanks!

    Mr Brown Titian Road

  • Sold within 2 weeks for asking price "excellent!"

    Mr Grundy Bishops Road

  • Paula was absolutely amazing!

    Mr & Mrs MacKay Lewes Road

  • Sharon was excellent, she kept us informed at all stages and was a really calming objective influence in the process.

    Ms Frederick Channel View Road

  • Very pleased with the experience. I would definitely recommend you and use you again.

    Ms D Edmonds Horton Road

  • Very helpful and patient team.

    Mrs Shea Selborne Place

  • Paula's role was brilliant. Having someone office based and available was so appreciated and her promptness an impressive service - every Estate Agent...

    Ms Wynn-Jones Baxter Street

  • Excellent communication and advice throughout. It felt very reassuring to be in good hands.

    Mrs Brooker Buller Road

  • A very committed team who made the sale process very easy.

    Ms Rees Ticehurst Road

  • Already recommended you! Thank you.

    Mr Edwards The Ridgway

  • The staff were very helpful, an excellent service. I would recommend you to others.

    Miss Hockly Fiveways

  • Ben and Paula were calm and reassuring throughout a very difficult process!

    Ms Easterbrook Bear Road

  • Thank you. We found all the staff knowledgeable and really pleasant to deal with. 

    Ms Ansloos Lewes Road

  • Very impressed with all dealings with Maslen. Paula Carter was in particular very knowledgeable and helpful. 

    Mr McBlane Hove

  • The team worked very hard over a long period to ensure my sale went through - excellent service!

    Mr Patrick Gladstone Terrace

  • I was new to the area and viewed a lot of properties with a lot of different agents. Maslens were by far the best I came in contact with, so when i...

    Mr & Mrs Heer Lewes Road

  • Thank you Maslens, you were all excellent!

    Miss Jasper Taunton Road

  • Very good service and communication. Paula was excellent.

    Mr & Mrs Scarboro 1 Pevensey Road

  • Great service, always polite and friendly. Excellent contact and info all the way.

    Mr Wells Bishops Road

  • Our local office manager, Sharon Wareham was warm and friendly and kept us up to date at all times.

    Mr Hope The Brow

  • Very, very happy we chose you, felt right from the start! Thank you!

    Miss Blackadder Coniston Court, Holland Road

  • I would recommend Maslen to anyone. 

    Mrs Tripp Woodingdean

  • Extremely efficient. Nick and Paula are excellent. The weekly phone calls were much appreciated. 

    Ms Gray Lewes Road

  • We cannot recommend Maslen's estate agents enough.

    Many thanks to Paul, Donna, Janette and the...

    Linda & Les Wigmore Close

  • Very thorough & very informative.

    Mr Michnowicz Waldegrave Road

  • First class service from a first class team.

    Mr & Mrs English The Ridgway

  • Fantastic service. By far the best agents we have ever used, I cannot recommend you highly enough.

    Mr Field Mafeking Road

  • As always, an excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Field Lewes Road

  • Please thank Paula at Lewes Road - Excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Nuthall Lewes Road

  • Outstanding service from Sharon. James is an asset to Maslens & Harvey was so helpful and polite.

    Ms Cianchetta Selhurst Road

  • A really good experience.

    Mr Tibble Lewes Road

  • Sharon and her team could not have done more in what was a difficult sale. 

    Ms Daly Woodingdean

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