Property standards in private rented sector scheme

External property standards

Roof

  • Roof to be water tight and free from defects, loose or missing tiles

Guttering

  • Pipes to be secured to walls, gutters free from blockages and in good repair

Garden

  • Clear of rubbish with vegetation, shrubs and trees to be cut back
  • Fences to be in good order
  • Gate/s to operate and gate posts/pillars to be secure
  • Sheds or ancillary buildings to be in good repair safe otherwise to be removed or
    made unavailable to occupiers

Rubbish

  • Bins to be provided

Internal property standards

Doors

  • External locks to be in good working order and secure
  • External door to open freely and have a bell fitted

Staircases

  • Gaps between spindles to be no more than 100mm and gaps in staircases to be
    filled in
  • Two way light switch to be provided in stairwell

Walls and ceilings

Damp

Property to be free from damp, mould, condensation and peeling paper

Condensation

  • Condensation will occur, at some time, in all homes.
  • Condensation problems due to structural features should not be so pervasive as to constitute a health hazard or be a statutory nuisance

Plaster

  • To be sound and not to show movement when examined

Decoration

  • Surfaces to be painted or papered
  • Paint to be clean and free from obvious markings and dirt
  • Wallpaper to be in good condition and free from defects
  • Wood to be free from rot and painted to a reasonable standard with gloss paint

Room standards

Kitchen

Sockets

  • Two double sockets at worktop height
  • Two low level sockets (for fridge and washing machine)

Cooker

  • Gas hob (preferred)
  • All rings to operate
  • If free standing, cooker to be chained to wall
  • Oven to be clean and with shelves
  • Landlord to provide safety certificate (as part of gas safety)

Sink

  • Tiling of splash back to a minimum of 300mm (two tiles high)
  • Sinks and worktops to be sealed around edges with silicone sealant
  • Waste pipes and taps to be defect free with no leaks or drips (must be sealed so as not to allow ingress of vermin)
  • Taps should be easy to operate

Units to be provided

  • Two fitted floor units (excluding the sink unit)
  • Minimum of two drawers per unit
  • Units to be free from defects

Fridge

  • Clean and in good working order

Washing machine

Washing machines not essential but if provided:

  • Appropriate fittings to allow installation of a washing machine
  • Non-return valve to be fitted to the waste pipe

Floor covering

  • Must be free from defects
  • Gas Stopcock – location to be identified

Living area and bedrooms

Carpet

  • Carpet to be clean and of reasonable quality, free from defects (tainting and excessive wear)

Curtains

  • Curtain rails to be securely fitted above all windows
  • Curtains to be clean and free from defects
  • Preferred nets to be fitted to all windows

Light fittings

  • If provided, free from defects

Windows/glazing

  • Any windows above ground level, which open outwards and could present a danger to a child should be fitted with restrictors
  • Windows in bathrooms and toilets must be glazed with obscure glass or be treated with plastic film to provide some level of privacy
  • New or replacement glazing installed after April 2002 should be energy saving sealed double glazing and comply with building regulations. To prove compliance
    it should have:
  • A certificate showing that the work has been carried out by an installer registered to the FENSA scheme
  • A certificate from the local authority confirming that the installation has approval under the current building regulations
  • All glazing, which is under 800mm/2.8 feet from the floor (greater than 25cm in any direction) to be re-glazed with toughened glass or have safety film properly applied to prevent shattering if it breaks

Ventilation

  • The general requirement for ventilation is that all main habitable rooms (living rooms and bedrooms) should have at least one twentieth of the floor area available as windows that can open. This also applies to kitchens, bathrooms and WC cubicles if they rely on natural ventilation
  • If, a kitchen, bathroom or a WC is an internal room it should have mechanical extract ventilation
  • If mechanical ventilation is required in a kitchen it should be capable of one air change per hour
  • If mechanical ventilation is required in a bathroom and/or WC it should be capable of three air changes per hour. A light switch should actuate it and a fan should have a twenty minutes overrun when the light is switched off

Insulation

  • All accessible loft spaces should have a minimum of 100mm Rock Wool insulation, (or equivalent) properly laid
  • All hot water tanks should be foam lagged or have a good quality cylinder jacket, which has been properly fitted
  • All water pipes considered to be liable to damage by frost should be adequately protected with lagging

Certificates required

  • A current gas safety certificate, this must have no items marked as requiring urgent attention or investigation
  • A current electrical safety report, this must have no items marked as requiring urgent attention or investigation
  • A 3 star service contract for the heating and hot water system (preferred)
  • A certificate of buildings insurance if requested
  • Documentary proof of ownership of the property if requested
  • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

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