As a landlord - Dominic jobson
As a landlord I needed to ensure that I was being fully responsible for my properties and my tenants.
When CORGI took over the testing and certification for gas appliances in 1998, I remember thinking it was just more red tape and expense but now my views have completely changed.
I think the legislation has done a great job in removing dangerous gas equipment from flats and houses across the country. I know all my properties are regularly tested and inspected by fully qualified CORGI engineers and if something does go wrong, then a) it's usually minor, b) I'll have recourse to the engineer and c) I won't legally be held responsible as I've fully complied with the regulations.
I welcome the call for electrical safety inspections for rental properties and feel they will have much the same effect as CORGI. They'll make dodgey DIY-ers and disreputible landlords think twice and offer tenants and responsible landlords like myself greater security.
In 2003 I brought in the electricians at fuseboxheroes to test and inspect the electrics in all of my properties. The initial full inspections found out precisely where problems lay and identified where the installations needed to be improved. In most cases I needed new consumer units and I found fuseboxheroes to be the best in town. I found the estimates for the other remedial work to be both informative and detailed. I also found fuseboxheroes to be polite, professional and very friendly.
Since the initial improvements and testing undertaken, I have conducted the visual inspections myself. I do this on a yearly basis and I keep a record to prove due diligence (see this website's Landlord section).
If I find any problems with damaged sockets or switches, I either replace them myself, or if it seems more involved I call in the electricians.
Dominic Jobson - Brighton and Hove Landlord
For a more comprehensive information visit http://www.landlordlaw.co.uk/