What Changes in a Rental Property Should Trigger a Review of Your Safety Records?
What Changes in a Rental Property Should Trigger a Review of Your Safety Records?
Property records are most useful when they still reflect the property that is actually being let.
It is easy for property reports and assessments to become something that is filed away once the visit is complete.
But rental properties do not stay exactly the same. Tenants change, appliances are replaced, boilers are upgraded, bathrooms are altered and properties can sometimes sit empty between lets.
When something significant changes, it is worth asking a simple question: do the records I already hold still accurately describe the property?
A change of tenant
A change of tenant does not automatically mean every report needs to be started again, but it is a sensible point to look over what is already on file.
The way a property is occupied can affect how some risks are managed. A shower that was used every day by one tenant might become a little-used outlet under the next tenancy, while a spare room with an en-suite may no longer be used regularly.
It is also a good opportunity to check whether any recommendations from previous reports were completed and whether the information held about the property is still current.
We covered some of the practical checks that can be useful at this stage in What Should a Landlord Check Between Tenancies?.
New or replaced landlord-supplied appliances
Electrical appliances rarely remain unchanged throughout the life of a tenancy.
A fridge may be replaced, a microwave added or an older kettle removed. If the appliance list changes, the PAT testing record may no longer represent everything currently supplied with the property.
That does not mean every small change creates a major compliance exercise. It simply means the new appliance should not be forgotten when records are next reviewed or testing is arranged.
Thorn provides PAT testing for landlord-supplied appliances and can also coordinate this with a Legionella assessment where both services are needed.
Changes to the water system
Alterations to the domestic water system are particularly relevant to an existing Legionella Risk Assessment.
A new boiler, hot-water cylinder, storage tank, shower or altered pipework can change the arrangement that was originally assessed.
Even apparently simple work can matter. Removing an old fitting, adding a new outlet or leaving redundant pipework behind may alter where water flows or where it can remain stagnant.
Friday's article, Combi Boiler, Hot Water Cylinder or Water Tank: Why Does It Matter for Legionella?, explains why understanding the actual water-system arrangement is an important part of the assessment. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="0"}
Alterations and refurbishment work
Property improvements can also make older records less useful.
A refurbished kitchen might include different electrical appliances. A new bathroom could mean different showers or outlets. A utility room may be altered and pipework rerouted.
The important point is not that every decorating job demands a new assessment. It is whether the work has changed something that an existing report or assessment relied upon.
Periods when the property has been empty
Vacancy does not physically change the plumbing, but it does change how the system is being used.
When a property is occupied, water normally moves through taps, showers and toilets as part of everyday life. When the property is empty, that normal use stops and water can remain within outlets and pipework.
This is why occupancy and periods of non-use are considered as part of a Legionella assessment, alongside the design of the water system itself.
The useful question is not simply, “Is the report still in date?”
Also ask whether anything significant has changed since it was produced. A report that accurately described the property two years ago may be less useful if the property, appliances, water system or way it is occupied have changed since then.
Recommendations that have been completed
Existing reports can also identify work that should be followed up.
Once that work has been completed, keep a record of what was done. Depending on the nature of the change, it may also be appropriate to review the original assessment so that the paperwork reflects the updated situation.
This is particularly useful when managing several properties, where relying on memory can quickly become difficult.
A simple habit for landlords and letting agents
You do not need to constantly reassess a property simply because something minor has changed.
A better habit is to treat significant property changes as a prompt to look at the records you already hold.
Ask whether the appliances are still the same, whether the water system has been altered, whether occupancy has changed and whether recommendations from earlier reports have been completed.
If the answer suggests the existing information no longer represents the property, that is the point to consider whether a review or updated assessment is appropriate.
Thorn provides landlord PAT testing and Legionella Risk Assessments across Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire, with Legionella assessments carried out by an Elmhurst Energy Approved Legionella Risk Assessor. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="1"}
Has something changed at your rental property?
Ask Wendy can help you work through whether PAT testing, a Legionella Risk Assessment or both may be relevant, and explain what information is useful before arranging a visit. :chatgpt-content-reference{index="2"}
Ask Wendy Landlords & Letting Agents