My alarmist estate-agent

[mointainwalker]

I rent out a house in the UK managed by an estate agent.

A few days ago I got a panicked call on my voice-mail saying that a tenant was trappped in a bedroom because the "lock had jammed " ( there is no lock only handle ) , that there was "a serious health and safety situation " and that it might be necessary to get an emergency locksmith.

When I replied the next day I told him not to send me alarmist messages talking about serious H&S *******s when someone was being mildly inconvenienced. She was let out by a house-mate putting the handle back on the spindle !

He has now replied as follows.

had no intention of alarming you, merely advising of a serious incident with potentially serious ramifications. Whilst the property is not a house in multiple occupation (HMO) there is a requirement that it provides adequate protection for the occupants in the case of fire

Can someone tell me what requirements a rented house built in 1989 not HMO has to have for fire protection if any and if this differs from a normal house ?

Basically I think his reply is likely to be face-saving BS and I want to pull him up if this is the case and tell him to stop wasting my time with his excuses.

This is incidentally the best agent of several I have had, unfortunately the fellow now handling my house for day-to-day repairs is not up to the standard of his previous colleagues.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

The house should comply with the Building Regulations it was built to comply with and was signed off with BC at the time. Or if any works have been carried out that were notifiable it should comply with the relevant Regs for that too. I think that from 1992 any smoke alarms had to be mains powered. Before then they do not lawfully need alarms rented or otherwise but is obviously advisable.

Its common sense though that the doors should be free to open and in fairness if a fire were to occur and you could not open the door I think that may be just reason getting a little concerned don't you think? Fires always happen to someone else afterall ....

 

[mointainwalker]

Freddy

I am not commenting or complaining about the need to get the door fixed, simply that the agent is getting ridiculously panicky and apparently (from your answer) making things up i.e. there is no specific requirement as he claims below

[/quote] there is a requirement that it provides adequate protection for the occupants in the case of fire

Battery-powered alarms are fitted. No modifications carried out since build.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Freddy

I am not commenting or complaining about the need to get the door fixed, simply that the agent is getting ridiculously panicky and apparently (from your answer) making things up i.e. there is no specific requirement as he claims below

there is a requirement that it provides adequate protection for the occupants in the case of fire

Battery-powered alarms are fitted. No modifications carried out since build.

Job done then.

 

[^woody^]

Under L&T law for a residential tenancy, a landlord is not even responsible for internal doors, let alone the catches and handles on them - unless the tenancy agreement specifically mentions these

As for the estate agents comments "adequate protection in the case of fire", this is misleading and alarmist.

A landlord need not provide any "adequate protection" from fire other than operable windows and external doors - but that is as part of the tenancy agreement and not a specific criteria for H&S or fire precautions.

Presumably the property was built to some or other building regulations in force at the time, so that is it as far as "adequate protection" is concerned. As long as the property has not been subsequently altered to make it worse then that is the all the landlord need do.

And if the property is a house, there are no special fire precaution regulations applicable anyway under building regualtions

Your agent should know about L&T law if he is managing properties as a profession

 

[gregers]

obviously in your agents world things dont break or fail at any given time.

 

[paulandfrodo]

this is why I don't use agents. They don't care who goes in or if a problem occurs who fixes it or how much it costs!

I'm currently looking at HMO at the moment on a refurb I am doing... Oh joy !

 

[mysteryman]

I was called out years ago by a letting agent because the central heating wouldn't work. I turned the room thermostat up and submitted my callout charge. He refused to pay. I told him that he had called me out to fix a problem he was unable to fix. He never did pay.