What
is a tenant responsible for in a dwelling with solid fuel
heating.
Although a landlord cannot make a tenant responsible for
the entire solid fuel system by putting clauses in a
tenancy agreement. Atenant must help to look after a
fire & appliance if they are using it.
A
tenant is responsible for using a solid fuel heating system
in line with the manufactures instructions. (landlords
must provide literature for the relevant appliance)
Using
only appropriate fuels for the fire / appliance.
Informing
the landlord / agent as and when defects arise with the
fire & appliance.
Although most respectable landlords / agents now take
their responsibilities seriously and maintain solid fuel
systems many landlords / agents may still try to enforce
a tenants to maintain fires & appliances for them.
> Landlord and
Tenant obligations (PDF taken from the Consumer
Direct website)
> Landlord
and Tenant obligations (Original web page)
If
you are one of these tenants you can inform the office
of fair trading via
the consumer direct website here and report this unfair
and illegal practice.
Chimneys
servicing gas appliances need to be cleaned annually
As well as making sure that all gas appliances are serviced
annually it is also the landlords responsibility to make
sure that the flue ways are cleaned annually by a qualified
chimney sweep
To help stop the amount of people dying each year from
carbon monoxide poisoning the health and safety executive
has documentation stating that all gas flues need to be
swept annually by qualified chimney sweeps and that this
responsibility cannot be passed on to the tenant.
Beware of the silent killer,
HSE's reminder during CO Awareness week
Carbon monoxide awareness
Law and HSE enforcement
