Detecting Danger

Your house should be the absolute safest place you could possibly be – with the doors locked and the windows shut there should be no danger of any incidents. However, the way our houses are designed and built and the way we go about our lives means that even in the home there can be accidents involving gas leaks, fire or break-ins. There are mechanisms for detecting all of these so how can you make sure you’re minimising the risk for your tenants?

Fire Alarms

It will be regulation for most rental properties to have a fire alarm and without one you will find it very difficult to make a case for a landlord insurance claim in the event of an incident. However, installing an alarm isn’t enough on its own: you need to be checking the batteries and testing it regularly. Check that your alarm system is appropriate for your property: HMOs will require much more sophisticated systems.

Carbon Monoxide

One of the dangers that we seem to have only recently become aware of is carbon monoxide leaks. Usually these will come from the boiler or heating system and can kill within hours. A CO alarm is essential for modern landlords and you should not let a property without one – they tend to be given away for free by gas companies anyway.

Burglaries

Finally, a burglar alarm remains a good way of deterring break-ins if it’s set and well used. Make sure your tenants know how to enter their own code and are comfortable in using the alarm – there is no point having one if it doesn’t get set. These alarms can vary in terms of sophistication and you don’t often get a lot of extra for more money, so buy within your budget.

A good alarm system is very easy to implement and should make all the difference to your tenants’ safety. Make sure it’s right from the off and, aside from a little maintenance, you won’t have anything to worry about in the future.