Landlord requirements for private BTL but not social housing

[Deleted User]

I have to have a Selective License from the Local council for my BTL. I have to have an annual gas inspection, then an energy efficiency inspections and an electrical safety inspection.


I don't mind any of this as anything to keep people safe has to be a good thing.


However I've just found out and it doesn't sit well with me that I have to provide all this and yet council social housing has none of these requirements.


Are we saying that those in social housing are of less value people than private renters ? Why is it deemed necessary for one group of people's living accommodation and not another.


Surely it should all be the same.

Comms69

BBH123 wrote: »

I have to have a Selective License from the Local council for my BTL. I have to have an annual gas inspection, then an energy efficiency inspections and an electrical safety inspection.


I don't mind any of this as anything to keep people safe has to be a good thing.


However I've just found out and it doesn't sit well with me that I have to provide all this and yet council social housing has none of these requirements.


Are we saying that those in social housing are of less value people than private renters ? Why is it deemed necessary for one group of people's living accommodation and not another.


Surely it should all be the same.

The council will carry out their own inspections. Assuming you are qualified you can do the same.

theartfullodger

If you don't like the rules find another business.

Owner/occupiers don't need gas Safety certificate - why not get cross with them privileged capitalists?

AdrianC

Because the council are presumed not to be cheapskates, trying to maximise their profit by cutting corners.
Private sector landlords, unfortunately, often are.

00ec25

BBH123 wrote: »

I have to have a Selective License from the Local council for my BTL. I have to have an annual gas inspection, as does any LL, inluding LL who "merely" have lodgers, not just only LL with full blown tenants and/or LL requiring licences. then an energy efficiency inspections as does any LL letting to tenants and an electrical safety inspection not required outside of licensed property, but any LL failing to have one leaves themselves open to being found at fault if anything happens.


I don't mind any of this as anything to keep people safe has to be a good thing.
agreed
However I've just found out and it doesn't sit well with me that I have to provide all this and yet council social housing has none of these requirements. because you are comparing chalk and cheese

Are we saying that those in social housing are of less value people than private renters ? Why is it deemed necessary for one group of people's living accommodation and not another. oh dear, such a disconnect from reality

Surely it should all be the same.

so on that basis owner occupiers (without lodgers) are third class citizens since they can do nothing

konark

The electrical safety inspection is advisable but not compulsory.

I think the 'selective license' may be just a London thing?.

When my mum had a council house a guy used to call every year to check her appliances etc and give her a certificate, so the council do check.

00ec25

konark wrote: »

I think the 'selective license' may be just a London thing?..

no. Housing Act 2004 gave any England/Wales council the discretion to introduce selective licensing as part of it planning controls. Councils can decide that areas are being "blighted" by rental properties so can impose licensing to ensure that "standards" "improve"

Scotland does whatever it does

LocoLoco

BBH123 wrote: »

I have to have a Selective License from the Local council for my BTL. I have to have an annual gas inspection, then an energy efficiency inspections and an electrical safety inspection.


I don't mind any of this as anything to keep people safe has to be a good thing.


However I've just found out and it doesn't sit well with me that I have to provide all this and yet council social housing has none of these requirements.


Are we saying that those in social housing are of less value people than private renters ? Why is it deemed necessary for one group of people's living accommodation and not another.


Surely it should all be the same.

I don't know about the legality of these situations but we are currently renting from a housing association after many years of private renting and our property is the best maintained and safest we have ever rented. We have yearly safety inspections. Our flat, despite being built in the sixties, I believe, is very warm and cosy, with double glazing, a well insulated loft and they've just installed a new boiler that apparently has a Triple A rating and is one of the most efficient and eco friendly that you can get. Our guttering is cleaned out every year (I've never had this done for me at a private rental) and when our new boiler stopped working a few weeks after it was installed they had a chap out first thing on the Monday morning (it was a water pressure problem and easily remedied). They gave us a voucher to buy paint so that we could decorate when we moved in so for the first time in twenty something years I am in the process of putting my own mark on my own home and as my son is disabled we are on a priority list for assistance if there's any major problem or we are without power or something like that.

I've no idea whether they have to do all of that by law or whether it varies from council to council but I feel infinitely more valued here than I ever did as a private renter, added to which I'm not constantly worried about being given notice to quit and for the first time in a long time I feel like I have a home rather than just somewhere to live. It's a very nice feeling

anselld

AdrianC wrote: »

Because the council are presumed not to be cheapskates, trying to maximise their profit by cutting corners.
Private sector landlords, unfortunately, often are.

Unfortunately the reality of these schemes is that they are used by the Councils to milk funds from Landlords who are already complying with their legal obligations to pay for pen pushers to check and file paperwork.

Not much sign of them improving standards or clamping down on the rogue Landlordss who still ignore the schemes.

seven-day-weekend

I have had a BTL for nearly two years and have never had a Gas Safety Certificate.























It's all electric

Crashy_Time

Some landlords getting fed up with the whole game now, want compo........


https://www.propertytribes.com/buy-let-interest-only-we-were-mis-sold-t-127631755.html