Fact sheets and FAQs

A ministerial working group, established in 2020, sought to review the existing issues with cladding and found that the process for remediation was overly complex and was preventing the sale of homes. The Act is designed to help facilitate more buildings to have their cladding remediated to higher standards, so they are less likely to lead to further loss of life in the event of a fire.

In Scotland, the Tolerable Standard states that properties should have an adequate piped supply of wholesome drinking water. Statutory guidance on the Repairing Standard, which came into effect on 1 March 2024, now specifies that the property should be free of lead pipes from the boundary stopcock to the kitchen tap.

The Repairing Standard was introduced through the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and is the minimum level of repair a house must achieve to be used as privately rented accommodation.

Tenants, letting agents and landlords all need to contribute to preventative measures to reduce the impact on living conditions and properties. Taking reasonable steps to tackle damp and mould is not only about looking after your health, it is your responsibility as a tenant.

On 28 July 2021, the UK Government published its National Disability Strategy, which sets out the their vision to improve the everyday lives of disabled people. Nearly half of disabled respondents to the UK Disability Survey reported having at least ‘some difficulty’ getting in and out of where they live.

In 2019, mortgage lenders across the UK began to seek assurance on the safety of external wall systems as a condition of approving applications. In recent years there has been concern that flats in high-rise blocks wouldn’t represent good security and that owners could be liable for remediation costs.

The PRS accounts for nearly 20 per cent of all households in England and houses more families than social housing. It's therefore good practice for letting agents have the confidence to respond appropriately and know what signs to look out for.

Gas Safe registered engineers have a responsibility to advise landlords when they find dangerous gas installations in a property.

Landlords in Scotland must ensure that all properties they let to tenants have a carbon monoxide detector fitted regardless of when the tenancy started.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 amended the Repairing Standard to make it a legal requirement for landlords to carry out electrical safety inspections, which includes testing portable appliances in private rented property.

Landlords became legally responsible for fitting carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in their properties from December 2015. The aim is to reduce the risk of CO poisoning and the resulting loss of life and serious injury.

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations came into force on 6 April 2015. They apply to the landlord of a domestic residential property, where construction is being carried out.

Landlords must assess and control the risk of exposure of tenants to legionella to ensure the safety of their tenants, but this does not require an in-depth detailed assessment.