If you’re a landlord, you’re legally required to meet certain standards before letting your property. In the past, letting properties wasn’t regulated and properties could be let in all manner of disrepair if there was a market for them. Rogue landlords would only ever get caught if a tenant brought a complaint against them in court, or if some kind of accident happened within the property. However, an increasing number of councils now issue licences for landlords and carry out regular inspections. So, if you’re a landlord, ensuring the maintenance of your property has become more important than it ever has before.

London boroughs operating landlord licensing schemes

There are many boroughs across the country operating landlord licensing schemes. These include (but may not be limited to):

Harrow, Hillingdon, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Brent, Camden, Islington, Haringey, Barnet, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham, Bexley, Greenwich, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Croydon and Kingston Upon Thames but there are others. To check whether you need a landlord license to let your London property, visit the Mayor of London website.

Landlord responsibilities

As a landlord, the law requires you to:

• keep your rented properties safe and free from health hazards
• make sure all gas equipment and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained
• provide an Energy Performance Certificate for the property
• protect your tenant’s deposit in a government-approved scheme
• check your tenant has the right to rent your property if it’s in England
• give your tenant a copy of the How to rent checklist when they start renting from you

How BPF Online can help landlords

There are lots of ways that BPF Online can help you to keep your property compliant with your responsibilities as a landlord – particularly the need to ensure your property is safe and free from hazards.

Our door viewers, spy holes and locks can help you keep your rental property safe and secure.

We also stock items such as washing line prop ends to help you give tenants options for drying clothes outdoors and reduce the likelihood of getting stubborn mould and damp issues inside of the property that can be costly and difficult to deal with.

We stock hinges for door and cupboard repairs, and multiple locks including keyless locks, digital locks and rotary push locks for padlocks, so you can safeguard your property and anything in it. And, the more items you buy at once, the more you can save.

We also stock a wide range of items for maintaining the fittings in a rental property such as handles for drawers, cabinets and cupboards and felt pads or glides for furniture to protect your floors.

Of course, all these items aren’t just useful for landlords of rental properties but also for owners of holiday homes, property portfolios and developers.

For more advice on any of these products or to find out the savings you could make when buying from BPF Online, contact our helpful advisors on our chat at www.bpfonline.co.uk.