stair bannister - renting - should i have one

evosy1978

hello,

not long moved into our rented house via an estate agent. the staircase does not have a rail/bannister, my girlfriend is pregnant an has just commented that she would like one to aid her coming down the stairs, ... Someone mentioned to me that it should be provided by law????/

Can anyone help and tell me if this is true and where I stand and if i gota pay for it myself..

thank in advance.;)

Doozergirl

If you want one then you would have to approach your landlord and I suspect pay for it yourself.

There is no law that states whether you should have one - modern building regulations would stipulate what should be there but old houses do not need to meet modern regs.

theartfullodger

Not directly required, but the ..[SIZE=+1]The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (England) Regulations 2005[/SIZE] ..
see...

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20053208.htm

list 29 areas of risk one of which is..

Falling on stairs etc
21. Falling on stairs, steps or ramps where the change in level is 300 millimetres or more.

It would be unlikely this one point would cause problems, but if there are other untypical risks maybe the council would be interested...

Talk to your agent/landlord calmly & gently and ask their views... maybe drop in the local council having a look - but expect if you get heavy to be served notice2quit...

? Does Landlord know there is another human on the way & is he happy with it??

These new regulations are not easy to understand or get enforced unless there is a clear and major danger (eg gas escaping, bare wires.... serious damp...)

Cheers!

Lodger

theartfullodger

modern building regulations would stipulate what should be there but old houses do not need to meet modern regs.

- but HHSRS regulations apply to new, old, ancient and unknown age properties equally!

Cheers!

Lodger

Doozergirl

theartfullodger wrote: »

- but HHSRS regulations apply to new, old, ancient and unknown age properties equally!

Cheers!

Lodger

Right. So one missing bannister and the full weight of the law comes down on the landlord?

It talks of the local authority's obligation with class 1 hazards and their discretion under class 2. Not sure what a missing handrail is but doubt it comes under 1 or 2 either.

I suspect that the only rules that genuinely apply are those of common sense.

Blacksheep1979

Did you not notice this when you looked round the property?

evosy1978

Doozergirl wrote: »

I suspect that the only rules that genuinely apply are those of common sense.

I didnt understand this bit??

As for the bannister, when coming down the stairs if their was an accidental trip or in girlfriends case a stomach cramp, spasm etc etc (anyhting pregnancy related) and she or i fell, theres nothing to grab onto which could in affect save from anything nasty happening . just the way im looking at it..

thanks for all imput, im gona go and buy one at the weekend.

Fire_Fox

Don't install a banister without your landlord's permission, and for God's sake make sure you purchase the correct rawlplugs and screws.

Doozergirl

evosy1978 wrote: »

I didnt understand this bit??

As for the bannister, when coming down the stairs if their was an accidental trip or in girlfriends case a stomach cramp, spasm etc etc (anyhting pregnancy related) and she or i fell, theres nothing to grab onto which could in affect save from anything nasty happening . just the way im looking at it..

thanks for all imput, im gona go and buy one at the weekend.

Common sense meaning getting permission and putting one up rather than jeopardising your tenancy by pulling out random health and safety legislation that doesn't actually have to be enforced unless there is a clear and present danger.

That's what I meant. It's fair enough that you want one, I'm not criticising that, just that it's quicker and therefore safer to just go out and buy one.

If your girlfriend does get a cramp, do tell her to sit down though instead of throwing herself down the stairs. I can assure you that even a woman in labour will make it down onto her bum before she takes a stunt dive An actual fall is a different matter perhaps but the fact that your girlfriend mentioned it rather than demanded one suggests that she knows how to look after herself. Most of us girls do, despite being 'inflicted' on occassion with pregnancy.

Welshwoofs

evosy1978 wrote: »

As for the bannister, when coming down the stairs if their was an accidental trip or in girlfriends case a stomach cramp, spasm etc etc (anyhting pregnancy related) and she or i fell, theres nothing to grab onto which could in affect save from anything nasty happening . just the way im looking at it..
.

No offence....but I'm a woman.

Women have been getting pregnant for hundreds of thousands of years - even before we had stairs! (shock, horror!). Women managed to be pregnant living in caves, in mud huts and even in comparatively recent times, working 12 hour days in the field.

It's not an illness, it's a biological state which doesn't require the woman to be wrapped in cotton wool and treated like bone china.

I'm quite sure your g/f will manage without a bannister...after all she could just as easily trip over a curb or get run over by a bus

evosy1978

Welshwoofs wrote: »

Women have been getting pregnant for hundreds of thousands of years - even before we had stairs! (shock, horror!). Women managed to be pregnant living in caves, in mud huts and even in comparatively recent times, working 12 hour days in the field.

It's not an illness, it's a biological state which doesn't require the woman to be wrapped in cotton wool and treated like bone china.

Why are you writing such irrelavant information, are you bored? The post is about who pays for the bannister????

Your sure you know that my g/f will manage without the banister??? !!!!!!, who are you, do you really know us? Our curcumstances? ...........


and no offence............ but im a man

anyway... she commented shed like one to aid her walking down the stairs, think i mentioned this earlier. (this to me is demanding that it be done ) ive no problems with doing it just wanted to see who pays for it, obviously me but ill be speaking to the landlord first.

and thanks for the advice ill be sure to tell her not to throw herself down the stairs especially if shes carrying one of the other babies....