Good morning,
Hope that you are well and received the email from landlord registration regarding the repairing standard update. If you have not I suggest you log into https://www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk/ to check that the details held for you are the correct ones.
Glasgow Property Letting were in Edinburgh on Wednesday 8th November for https://scottishlandlords.com/events/scottish-letting-day/. The first since 2019. Usually I come away from these events with a buzzing head thinking how to tell our landlord clients all the information we need to without over whelming.
I will be posting information on https://glasgowpropertyletting.com/blog/ as it is released, but I wanted to advise you of the changes to the repairing standard.
This is the first major change in 36 years since the tolerable standard was created in 1987, which the repairing standard of 2007 evolved from. In 2015 the Electrical Installation and condition Report and Portable Appliance testing was included in this and in 2017 the Scottish Private Rented Tenancy agreement we have as the standard tenancy agreement came into force. In March 2019 a reviewed Repairing standard was discussed, but we know what happened after that to delay things. March 2023 saw the repairing standard published, which comes the standard we have to adhere to in March 2024.
The main points to note
You may have noticed on your statements a mention on Scottish water carrying out Lead testing. Any property built before 1969 has a risk of lead pipes. At the start of October 2023 I sent emails to tenants asking them to contact Scottish water to arrange for this lead testing to be carried out. There is currently a discrepancy between Scottish water minimum levels ( 10 micrograms of lead per litre) and the Scottish Government minimum levels of 3 micrograms of lead. If we have received the letters back from Scottish water, via the tenants they have been uploaded onto your landlord portal. If you have not seen an entry on your landlord statement regarding water testing and your property was built before 1969, please let me know and we can have the tenant arrange for the testing.
The legionella risk assessment is now at least every 2 years, which is fairly standard and not a lot else to say about that.
The Electrical installation and condition report – An RCD, or residual current device, is a life-saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. The Scottish government now require that at least one MUST be in the property. Other agents have brought forward the due dates for EICRs to have them compliant by March 2024. Susan, Robin and I will go through the EICRs and see which ones are due and ones due in the next year if they have an RCD.
The previous repairing standard did not include other fuels, such as oil, liquid gas or biomass. These have been included in the repairing standard update, although I feel the guidance is open to interpretation as “manufacturer guidance.”
A fixed heating system must be in place. Which means the plug in panel heaters do not comply, these would need to be hard wired in place. Also there is now a minimum temperature, which there was not before. It is a minimum of 21 degreed in a bedroom and 18 degrees in other rooms. My questions that I posed to the Scottish Government is that “If a tenant naturally is often hot and prefers a cold living environment , how does that reflect on the landlords obligations?” I am still awaiting clarification.
Kitchen Surface area was something that was written about when dealing with Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) and has now crossed over as there must be enough kitchen surface area for a kettle and toaster to be placed while food being prepared. Also there must be enough space in the kitchen for two people to pass without bumping into each other. Again, I question the practicality of some of these changes.
Safe access to common parts – I think that it is fairly self explanatory and makes sense, although I am sure there will be case studies and amendments to this.
Safe and secure common doors – This makes sense, but when we have so many factored buildings in Glasgow I do not think it will impact us greatly, and may be more prevalent in Edinburgh,
Consent to work on common parts – As you are aware as a letting agent we cannot get too involved in communal issues, and I think that factors will be updating their mandates and terms of business to incorporate this change.
I have had a read through the repairing standard and will go through it and make notes for the grey areas and questions I have, if you have any questions, please let me know. I may not be able to answer them, but I will ask the Scottish Association of Landlord who can go directly to the Scottish Government.
Email that was sent to landlords from landlord registration
From: Landlord Registration <noreply-landlordregistration@glasgow.gov.uk>
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2023, 18:57
Subject: Private Landlord Newsletter and Free Information Event
Dear Landlord,
I am delighted to be sending you details of the latest Citywide Newsletter for Private Landlords.
In the newsletter you will also find details on how to register for a free information event being held to explain the changes to the Repairing Standard effective from 1St March 2024.
Free Information Event – Repairing Standard
Confused about the upcoming changes to the Repairing Standard or want to learn more about it? Join us for a free and informative event with Under One Roof and Glasgow City Council.
Full details are in the newsletter, and you can click on the links below to book a session.
28th November City Halls, Glasgow.
Contacts
Please contact me on plsupportofficer@glasgow.gov.uk if you wish to discuss any articles in the newsletter or have any questions regarding the Private Rented Sector.
If you require information about your private landlord registration, please email
privatelandlordregistrationunit@glasgow.gov.uk
Kind regards
Glasgow Private Landlord Registration
Take care and wrap up warm.
Kindest Regards
Michelle ODonnell
Branch Manager
0141 726 0714
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