House checks!

Started by grahame, Mar 29, 2022, 02:56 PM

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grahame

I am gathering data about checks in the UK ... lots of stories ... here's one as a starter.  It looks like the Government is making some rules and then the local authority interprets and adds ...

QuoteNot sure this is the right place, but just a head's up for any potential UK host's. The government will be carryout safety checks on the property. See below. If your gas system has not been safety checked within the last 12 month. It will need testing, get it booked in! British Gas is a good place to start.

What do I need to do to make sure my home is suitable for my guest?

All accommodation will be different and while there is no set expectation, your accommodation needs to be free from serious health and safety hazards. You should make sure your home is safe for your guests and that it is in a suitable condition.
You should also consider how many people you can accommodate so they have sufficient space. Two people should not be in one room unless they are: adult cohabiting partners; a parent and child; two siblings of the same gender if aged over 10; two siblings regardless of gender if aged under 10. Individuals who didn't previously know each other should not be given the same room.

Further to this we ask that accommodation:

be kept clean and in a reasonable state;
*have adequate kitchen and bathroom space;
*have access to drinking water;
*have a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building e.g. fire doors or escape routes as appropriate (further information on making a home safe from fire;
have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g. a coal fire, wood burning stove);
*have sufficient heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature;
have safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a Gas Safety check within the last year (see more information);
*have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure;
*be almost entirely free of damp or mould;
*have doors and windows at entry level that lock properly;
*be easy and safe to move around in, without excessively steep staircases that may cause harm.

Followed up by

QuoteWe have just had our home check by our local authority, this extensive list on this post is not what all councils are asking for. Here are my takings from our visit this morning :
They are looking at the bedroom our guests will be staying in to make sure there is sufficient space for them, at the same time they are checking that all other bedrooms in the house are large enough by the 1985 Housing Standards Act (forgive me if this isn't the exact name of it) to accommodate all persons who will be living in the home. Children under 10 are classed as half a human. So for our example, we will have 4 adults, 2 over 10 and 3 under 10, so our bedrooms need to be large enough to accommodate 7.5 humans total.
They are then taking into account your living space, to make sure there is enough room for us all.
With regards to Gas Safety each council is taking this advice differently, ours is not expecting us to have a gas safety check that we would have to pay out for.
We were asked about fire alarms and C02 detectors.
They made sure we had central heating and drinking water.
They did not check our doors or windows, they made no comment about our steeper than normal Victorian staircase or anything else in our home.
I have been freaking out about this check due to posts like this one I am commenting on.
It appears most councils are using their common sense in their approach, they just want to make sure that there is sufficient space in your entire home for all of the humans that will be living there.

Melksham Town Councillor (South Ward) - special interests including travel and transportation, economy and climate. Retired IT trainer, helping with the Ukraine UK forum