Insurance News
Safety regulations key for Olympic landlords
20th March 2012
Prospective landlords looking to let rooms to short term tenants during this summer's Olympic Games are being reminded by the London Fire Service that they are still bound by safety regulation laws.
All properties have to meet a certain criteria if their owners are to be legally allowed to let them, and these include being fitted with hardware such as fire alarms and having clear exits maintained that can be easily accessed in the event of an emergency.
Carrying out a fire risk assessment is essential to complying with the law, and allows homeowners to make necessary adjustments to provide for the safety of any potential tenants - another factor that will be essential for any newcomers to the letting game when the Olympics come round towards the end of July.
Guests also have to be briefed about the plan for evacuation in the case of an outbreak of fire, and this shows that there are a wide range of aspects people will have to consider before taking the step of advertising their spare room for occupation during the Games.
Experienced landlords will already be well versed in the need for fire safety measures and policies such as freeholder insurance when letting multiple rooms, and it is important that those who are looking to benefit from the demand for property throughout the Olympics are also just as well informed.
However, in an interview with LBC Radio 97.3, the London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation - Steve Turek - said that people do not need to go to exhaustive lengths to show that they have performed the necessary checks in their homes.
"What they must be able to demonstrate is that they have carried out a thorough process to identify the risks, think about how they may affect the paying guests and then make sure people know what to do in case of fire."
In this respect, while people need to be aware of the law, they do not need to be put off of letting their property during the games.
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