Since the recent deadline to Peterborough City Council for Selective Licencing Applications, we have now seen the licensing conditions that the Council expects you to adhere to. This information will have been or will be issued to each Landlord, together with draft licences and subsequently with the actual licence.
We thought it would be helpful for us to summarise what we think the most important aspects, that to date, may not have been high on your priorities for the property.
However, we must stress that compliance with the terms in full remains the sole responsibility of the Licence Holder and not your Managing Agent.
The most important points we feel, are as follows:
1. If white goods require replacement they must be energy efficiency rating ‘A’ or ‘A+’.
2. Freestanding cookers (either gas or electric) must be fitted securely to the rear wall with a ‘safety chain’. During our usual periodic visits it is not practical for us to check if you have a safety chain, but we will happily let you know when the property becomes vacant, or if you want to visit the property in the meantime to check you can do so of course.
3. Any openable windows above ground level where the window sill is less than 1100mm above floor level in which case the window opening should be fitted with a restrictor to limit the
opening to no more than 100mm. Any windows with glazing within 800mm of the floor or
any doors with glazing within 1500mm of the floor will require safety glass to BS 6206 or the whole pane of glass coated with a proprietary safety film.
4. Window locks and keys must be provided for all ground floor windows, and any other windows that would be accessible by a ladder. All external doors must be fitted with a minimum 5 lever mortice lock/latch set or a multi locking system for modern uPVC double glazed doors compliant with BS3621:2004.
5. Carbon monoxide detectors (CO2) are now to be fitted to all properties that have a gas supply (one detector to be fitted in each room that has a gas appliance). They must be in accordance with BS 50291: 2001. The detector must be fitted in a suitable place (wall mounted is recommended) in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, usually at least 3 meters away from the appliance. Each detector must be tested quarterly.
6. You are required to provide a Domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report for your rented property, typically, historically this has not been carried out by Landlords as it is not a legal requirement. However, as it is part of the conditions you do need to carry this out, the council allow you 12 months from granting of the license for you to arrange this. The fixed electrical wiring and installations must be certified safe by a qualified electrician and the report must be carried out at least every five years, unless specified differently from a previous inspection. Other suitable reports may also be an Installation Certificate or an existing Periodic Inspection report.
7. All roof/loft spaces must be insulated with a minimum 270mm in areas that are accessible from the house. Dormer cheeks (vertical side of dormer), ceilings and roof slopes can be over-boarded with insulated plasterboard to obtain greater energy efficiency if no insulation is evident. Loft hatches must also be insulated and draught proofed.
We have reliable contractors that can deal with any of these points so if you would like us to instruct them on your behalf please do not hesitate to contact us.
In respect of points 3 & 4 in particular, we have an offer from our door and window specialist to carry out a free inspection covering Section 13, parts a) and b) of the requirements (this is the document titled ‘Selective Licensing Scheme Conditions Schedule 4 – Housing Act 2004). If you would like us to arrange this just let us know.
These points are just a snapshot of the document, you should take time to read through your attached documents from Peterborough City Council when you receive your draft licence, if you would like to talk to us about this please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best regards
The Letters Team
