When it comes to the safety of tenants within a property, landlords are responsible. This means making sure all potential hazards are serviced and well maintained, especially with appliances that produce carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is around us all the time and is one of the most poisonous gases. However, twenty people a year die from carbon monoxide poisoning and many of these accidents are happening in properties that have been let out. Many landlords are unsure of their responsibilities as the tenant is the one actually living in the property. However, every landlord has a responsibility when it comes to carbon monoxide and their tenants.
Places Carbon Monoxide is Found
Every property has carbon monoxide in small amounts which are harmless but it’s in larger quantities that cause poisoning. Carbon monoxide is often found around burning flames so before a tenant moves into your property; make sure you have properly serviced all these appliances. Boilers and furnaces are the most common sources of carbon monoxide. This is because they can easily be fitted incorrectly and without a proper chimney or a pipe to extract the fumes.
The most common places for carbon monoxide to appear are in flats that face inwards. This is because they are often poorly ventilated. If you are renting a property like this, make sure you take more regular checks to ensure the safety of your tenants.
Relying on Others
For many landlords, letting property is a full time job and once they’ve arranged their landlord insurance quote, they will have to arrange a lot of other work to take place as often they won’t be qualified to fit furnaces or boilers. This means professionals need to be called in. As a result the responsibility of fitting them properly is down to the person installing them. Be sure to ask lots of questions so you can be sure that they know what they are doing. If you feel they haven’t done a good job, get a second opinion from another professional; don’t run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Protection
One the of cheapest and easiest ways of ensuring against carbon monoxide poisoning is by having a warning device somewhere in the property, near to the appliance in question. This systems sounds an alarm when excess carbon monoxide is sensed in the property and the tenants can then leave the property to safety before any harm is caused.
Make sure your tenants are safe and don’t cut corners. Carbon monoxide is something that we all come into contact with daily but in large amounts it can be fatal. Don’t risk the lives of tenants if all it takes is a simple service.