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When you have a boiler in your own home, it’s obviously in your best interest to have it serviced at regular intervals. It decreases the probability that you’re left with a broken boiler and without heating in the cold, winter months, and mitigates a range of serious health and safety risks. When it comes to rental properties, it goes beyond self-interest – it becomes a practical and legal responsibility to ensure that the boiler is regularly serviced.
Your legal responsibility
First of all, it’s important to state that servicing boilers in your rental properties is a clear legal responsibility. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you’re required to ensure that you service the boilers at least once a year. Outside of these routine services, you are also required to ensure that any necessary repairs are carried out within a ‘reasonable’ timeframe. It is not the tenant’s duty to maintain these things, and you can face legal repercussions if you fail to act in accordance with the law.
Why should boilers be serviced regularly?
Aside from your legal responsibility, there are a number of practical reasons why boilers need servicing at regular intervals.
Increasing the boiler’s lifespan
When properly looked after, boilers should last for between about 10 and 15 years. This lifespan can, however, be dramatically decreased if the boiler isn’t serviced properly by experts from a provider such as Able Plumbing. New boilers aren’t cheap, and as a result, it tends to work out as a false economy to simply leave them until they break and then buy a new one.
Maintaining a safe environment
When left for inappropriate intervals, boilers can become incredibly dangerous. If they’re not properly maintained, they can start to leak various gasses, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning or even explosions. These are both serious events that all landlords will want to avoid. Regular servicing is necessary to check for any of these issues, replacing any leaking components and checking over all of the important seals.
Keeping your tenants happy
It’s generally a lot easier to have a good relationship with your tenants if their heating system works. It saves you the hassle of having to look for new occupants on a regular basis, and avoids having the property left vacant for prolonged periods of time. Keeping boiler breakdowns to an absolute minimum can help to maintain good relations with your tenants, avoiding all sorts of further complications.
There are clearly a number of very important reasons why it’s a good idea to get your boiler serviced at regular intervals. Besides it being a clearly legislated legal responsibility towards your tenants, it can also help to avoid a range of other potentially costly issues. Not only will you extend the lifespan of your boilers, but regular servicing can also help to keep your tenants safe and happy. Once you’ve found a reliable local plumbing service provider, it’s best to book regular, annual servicing, to ensure that you don’t inadvertently neglect your legal and practical responsibility.