A number of fire and electrical safety checks haven’t been carried out at council houses managed by South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire, a new report has revealed.
The Grantham Journal reported on the findings of an independent assessment by the Regulator for Social Housing, which found that the council has failed to meet the required standards on electrical, fire safety and asbestos checks at the properties it manages.
For instance, the report revealed that annual fire risk assessments haven’t been carried out at the properties since 2017. It also highlighted that fire alarm testing hadn’t been conducted in sheltered accommodation.
Other issues identified by the report included electrical testing not being carried out this year, and checks on fire extinguishers and emergency lighting not being carried out recently enough either.
Speaking to the news provider Karen Bradford, South Kesteven chief executive, apologised for the failings in these areas, adding “I would like to reassure our tenants that we are working hard to put things right”.
This highlights the importance of keeping on top of all of the maintenance and testing associated with fire safety systems in any kind of rented property. Hiring a professional fire and security services firm to help you manage this could be the best way of keeping on top of your obligations as a landlord.
A recent poll by Inside Housing among social landlords found that fire safety costs have increased dramatically for many landlords in recent years, with over half of those questioned stating that these expenses are expected to “significantly” or “very significantly” impact their financial performance in the coming year.