Landlords should prioritise organising an inventory alongside completing the PRT lease agreement. An inventory is essential not only for furnished properties but also for unfurnished ones, as it documents the condition of the building, including doors, windows, appliances, cupboards, bathrooms, gardens, and sheds. Typically, any costs relating to damage are recovered from the tenant’s deposit, which is managed by an approved tenancy deposit scheme. The scheme serves as the adjudicator; therefore, landlords must provide evidence in the form of a thorough inventory report.
What is Legionella diseases and why do I need to have a Risk assessment completed? Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia caused by the inhalation of small droplets of contaminated water containing legionella. All man-made hot and cold water systems are likely to provide an environment where legionella can grow. The law is clear that if you are a landlord and rent out your property (or even a room within your own home) then you have legal responsibilities to ensure the health and safety of your tenant by keeping the property safe and free from health hazards. You must have a Legionella Risk Assessment completed.
All privately rented properties in Scotland must not have lead pipes, fittings, or tanks in the drinking water supply from March 2024. To comply with Scotland Repairing Standard, lead pipes and lead-lined storage tanks or fittings should not be present in the drinking water supply of any privately rented property from the boundary stopcock to the kitchen tap. If in doubt the landlord must have a water test completed, we only use laboratories that are UKAS accredited to BS17025. Some services will use laboratories that do not have this accreditation. The risk of using a non-accredited laboratory is that the test result may not be accepted by those tasked with enforcing landlord duties, such as the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) or the local authority’s landlord registration or HMO departments.