With Spring now upon us and Easter not far away, now is an ideal time for holiday let owners on the Isle of Wight to prepare their properties for the busy tourism season.
Ahead of the busy periods, local firm Valerien Property Services is encouraging owners of holiday lets to ensure they are meeting their legal requirements.
Managing Director Simon Butler says:
“When it comes to preparing holiday lets, many owners will be starting the process or are already getting ready for the busy Easter, spring and summer periods by completing essential tasks such as fire risk assessments, gas and electrical safety checks and more.
“There are however other perhaps lesser-known legal requirements owners must adhere to, including energy performance certificates (EPCs) and updated laws relating to smoke and CO alarms.
“For example, updated national smoke and CO alarm regulations now require CO alarms to be placed in any rooms containing a fixed combustion appliance excluding gas cookers. That includes gas boilers, fireplaces, log burners etc. Working smoke alarms must also be placed on every floor where there is a room used as living accommodation and must be tested prior to a tenancy starting.
“Owners also have a responsibility to the safety of their tenants however long they may be letting the property out for, and that would also extend to water safety. Legionella risk assessments are recommended to be carried out once every two years and are increasingly in demand at this time of year. We carry out the assessment, provide a report and certificate of compliance and also provide additional information on legionnaires disease.
Simon adds:
“Your holiday let may also likely need an energy performance certificate with a minimum rating of an E. A holiday let legally needs an EPC with a minimum E rating if it is let out for four or more months of the year, if it is being let to each tenant for less than 31 days and if it meets the definition of a furnished holiday let. Almost every holiday let on the Island will probably meet those requirements. There is also part of the guidance which states a holiday let will need an EPC if the occupier pays the energy costs. Given that most owners will build energy costs into the final bill, there is the argument that yes, the occupier is paying the energy costs. It is better to therefore have a valid EPC which must be a minimum of an E than not to avoid any problems and we can help with this and produce an EPC certificate quickly for the owner.
“If the property EPC rating is below an E, we can provide advice and guidance on how to improve the property EPC rating as part of our energy consultancy service.
As well as offering EPC certificates and consultancy, legionella risk assessments and vacant property checks, Valerien Property Services can also provide other important services such as inventories, PAT testing and alarm power check reports.
To get in touch with the company or to find out more, email [email protected], visit www.valerien.co.uk or call 07368 838213.
What a joke. Truly we are being throttled by over the top rules and regs, providing jobs for jobsworths.