Standards for rental accommodation

Natb2017

Registered User
Messages
2
I’m getting a property ready for the rental market and I’ve looked through the regulations but I have a few questions regarding the regulations if anyone can help me.
First is in regarding to heaters in every room bathroom and shower room...
what about a downstairs toilet( just toilet and sink no shower or anything else) would this need a heater as it doesn’t currently have one...
What about a utility room( contains washer/dryer and the oil boiler) room is fairly warm when these are running does this room also need a heater?
Second regarding ventilation for a bathroom/ shower room currently there’s just vents in these room do I need to put in extractor fans?
Third for the vermin proof refuse storage. There is a plastic shed in the back garden is this sufficient or do I need something else....
 
First of all as a long term landlord, may I respectfully suggest that you may not be temperamentally suited to this business, if you are concerned by these issues at this stage.

I do not think that you need heaters in all rooms. Just a heating system that can be controlled by the tenant. If you are letting the house as a unit this just means the tenants have control of the heating. In shared accommodation, each tenant must be able to control the heat in their room.

I think an extractor fan with a 15 minute cut out is required in a bathroom. In any case I strongly recommend having one. They reduce the chances of mould. Money well spent.

Any basic plastic bin is vermin proof.
 
The downstairs toilet and utility would generally not be classified as habitable rooms, and so these will not need heaters.
 
First of all as a long term landlord, may I respectfully suggest that you may not be temperamentally suited to this business, if you are concerned by these issues at this stage.
.

One of my tenant's won't put on the heating in the shower room as it costs too much electricity. Leading to mould. One of those pull cord blow heaters. When I'm renovating I'm going to take that out, put in a heated towel rail and have the extractor linked to the light switch.

As for vermin proof, that's the first I heard of that. But my ground floor tenant keeps the bin in the hall as he's put so much 'stuff' on the way to the back door he can't bring out the bin. It's disgusting, totally against regulations but none of the other tenants are complaining so what can I do. It's a terrace so I'm thinking of 'stealing' some of the footpath to store the bins tidily at the front, and hopefully the council won't notice !
 
Supply portable electric heaters which can be moved as required by the tenant.
Oh my goodness don't do that ! You're looking at a fire hazard or a tenant tripping over it or all sorts. I discovered to my horror recently that one of the shower rooms had an actual socket that I'd never noticed before.

In any case I'm pretty sure portable heaters are not what the regulations specify.
 
One of my tenant's won't put on the heating in the shower room as it costs too much electricity. Leading to mould. One of those pull cord blow heaters. When I'm renovating I'm going to take that out, put in a heated towel rail and have the extractor linked to the light switch.

I have something in the back of my head that you need to have a separate switch for the fan and that it can't be connected to the light switch. I can't remember where I heard this or even if it is true. Just check it out before you do it.
 
I have something in the back of my head that you need to have a separate switch for the fan and that it can't be connected to the light switch. I can't remember where I heard this or even if it is true. Just check it out before you do it.

This is indeed true
 
I’m getting a property ready for the rental market and I’ve looked through the regulations but I have a few questions regarding the regulations if anyone can help me.
First is in regarding to heaters in every room bathroom and shower room...
what about a downstairs toilet( just toilet and sink no shower or anything else) would this need a heater as it doesn’t currently have one...
What about a utility room( contains washer/dryer and the oil boiler) room is fairly warm when these are running does this room also need a heater?
Second regarding ventilation for a bathroom/ shower room currently there’s just vents in these room do I need to put in extractor fans?
Third for the vermin proof refuse storage. There is a plastic shed in the back garden is this sufficient or do I need something else....
I wouldn't worry about it, council are now inspecting properties & you get 6 weeks to make any amendments. Friend in work needs to install carbon monoxide alarm, fire blanket, window restrictors & has 6 weeks to complete.
 
This is indeed true
I thought it was the other way around. That you MUST have the fan connected to the light switch. At least for an en-suite with no natural light. Idea being that you shouldn't be using the bathroom without also activating the fan.
Just a vague idea - I might well be wrong.
 
I wouldn't worry about it, council are now inspecting properties & you get 6 weeks to make any amendments. Friend in work needs to install carbon monoxide alarm, fire blanket, window restrictors & has 6 weeks to complete.

I've only ever heard of those inpsections taking place on properties rented to HAP tenants. For older properties, adequate ventilation is often the biggest challenge, as the forms I've seen from two LAs require an effective free area of at least 6500 sq mm in each habitable room.
 
Last edited:
I've only ever heard of those inpsections taking place on properties rented to HAP tenants. For older properties, adequate ventilation is often the biggest challenge, as the forms I've seen from two LAs require an effective free area of at least 6500 sq mm in each habitable room.
My first tenant went into HAP in early 2016. No inspection since, nor indeed for the the last two decades.
 
Correct, the legislation says they must be permanently fixed.

Do you think a heated towel rail is covered under that. I see they want us to suppy microwaves, that's the one thing I don't supply. It doesn't say anything about the bathroom fan being linked to the light switch.

The legislation is difficult to get thru. An easy guide would be much better. I think the council sent me something once, a picture of a house and what bits you must have.
 
I've only ever heard of those inpsections taking place on properties rented to HAP tenants. For older properties, adequate ventilation is often the biggest challenge, as the forms I've seen from two LAs require an effective free area of at least 6500 sq mm in each habitable room.
This was rented firsttime in 2017 privately unless a tenant has applied for HAP in the meantime?? Its in fingal area so maybe they're ramping up random inspections.
 
Do you think a heated towel rail is covered under that.

Yes, a towel rail would meet the criteria.

It doesn't say anything about the bathroom fan being linked to the light switch.

Yep, they remain a little vague on this point, I guess so they can rely on whatever the building regs of the day state. In the properties I've seen HAP reports on, an opening window was considered adequate ventilation in both cases.
 
This was rented firsttime in 2017 privately unless a tenant has applied for HAP in the meantime??

If they were on HAP, the landlord would know all about it as there is paperwork you need to complete before it's approved, and rent payments will be made by the local authority.
 
I thought it was the other way around. That you MUST have the fan connected to the light switch. At least for an en-suite with no natural light. Idea being that you shouldn't be using the bathroom without also activating the fan.
Just a vague idea - I might well be wrong.

For rental standards, the shower fan must be independent of the light switch
 
For rental standards, the shower fan must be independent of the light switch

There's nothing in the regs (linked above) that states that, they just state 'Adequate ventilation shall be provided for the removal of water vapour from every kitchen and bathroom. '

Separately, under building regs, TGD F deals with ventilation requirements. Where there is a window with an opening of sufficient size to provide purge ventilation, that meets the requirements. For situations where mechanical extract ventilation is required, connection to the light switch is fine, but in some instances a timed over-run of 15 minutes is required.
 
. For situations where mechanical extract ventilation is required, connection to the light switch is fine, but in some instances a timed over-run of 15 minutes is required.

That's a very good tip - tks. My problem is the tenants won't open the windows, particularly in winter, and they won't put on the heater either.

I've a crazy qoote from an electrician of a ball park 14 to 20K to rewire an old terraced house. It's divided into two but would be the size of a normal 3 bed ish over 2 floors. Now I'm waiting for a builder for more extensive works including the electrics, and if his quote is anything like that I'll have to decide not to renovate.

According to the builder:

Converting the electricity to two separate units would require compliance with severe health & safety regulation (this would be a significant cost - the builder will provide a quote for both scenarios).
 
Back
Top