As part of the licencing condition landlords are asked to provide a management statement outlining how they manage the property both in terms of repairs and maintenance and preventing and dealing with any management problems.
If you don’t have a management statement as part of your business, you can use this guide as a promote about what you should consider including in your statement.
Make sure you have provided:
- Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- Current electrical installation condition report.
- Plan of the premises.
- Current (within 12 months) and satisfactory fire alarm test certificate for the premises carried out in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, by a competent engineer, and in accordance with BS 5839.
- Energy Performance Certificate.
Please tell us about:
Repairs and Maintenance
- Your planned maintenance programmes. How frequently do you carry out non responsive maintenance such as upgrading heating systems, windows, door, bathrooms, kitchen and renewing furniture, furnishing and decorations etc?
- Your planned periodic inspections of properties. How frequently do you visit your properties and what are your processes to respond to repairs and maintenance issues revealed during the inspection process?
- How your tenants report repairs. Who does your tenant report repairs to. How do your tenants report repairs during office hours, out of hours, during holidays etc. What are your timescales to respond to emergency and non-emergency repairs?
Tenants responsibilities
- How do you let your tenants know how to report problems with neighbours? What information do you give your tenants about what they should do if they experience problems noise or anti-social behaviour.
- How do you let your tenants know what to do with waste and rubbish? What information do you give your tenants about how to manage waste, where their bins are, when their bin day is, how to manage bulky waste items.
- How do your tenants know that the property they rent has a Licence? How do your tenants know about their responsibilities under licence i.e. allowing access for property inspections and repairs?
Managing problems
- How do you choose your tenants? How do you carry out tenants’ reference checks?
- How do you manage complaints about the behaviour of your tenants? How do you record, investigate and respond to complaints made against your tenants? Who would you get involved to work with and support you? What is your escalation process for ongoing complaints?
Fire safety
- How do your let your tenants know what they should do in an emergency? What information do you give your tenants in use and maintenance of the smoke detection system? Do they understand what the different alarms means (smoke detection v’s carbon monoxide detection etc)? What are their means of escape? What should they do in the event of a fire?