The landlord community has hit out at delays in the introduction of new laws making it compulsory to install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in private rented homes.
The legislation, due to be introduced on October 1, 2015, provided local authorities with the power to fine landlords who fail to comply £5,000. However, the House of Lords rejected the draft legislation at its final stage on the basis that the proposed introduction was less than three weeks away, that the Government had not done enough to inform landlords of the changes, and that the legislation was poorly worded.
The British Property Federation (BPF) has warned that by the time the legislation is approved, landlords have just days to comply. It also fears that information about the change in legislation has been poorly disseminated, and many landlords may even be unaware of it.
Ian Fletcher, the BPF’s director of policy (real estate), said: “The original timeframe for the legislation was tight, but allowing time for a further debate in the Lords is going to make this even worse. Coupled with the fact that there has been no publicity on the changes, we are worried that many landlords are going to be caught out by the fine as a result of government’s disorganisation and lack of clarity.
“It is particularly frustrating that one of the reasons that this revocation has happened is because the introduction is worded poorly, as there has been no consultation on this.”
