How to prevent emergency property issues as a landlord

Emergency property issues are costing landlords billions every year, according to research from Direct Line.

The average cost of a callout in the UK comes to around £765, with landlords having to fork out approximately £2,141 over the whole year.

It’s an unfortunate part of being a landlord, as these emergencies are usually unforeseen and time-consuming or costly to fix.

The most common issue for landlords to fix is plumbing, closely followed by gas or heating.

Thankfully, on average, plumbers have the best arrival time out of all contractors, with a typical response time of 13 hours from first contact.

Whilst gas and heating engineers take twice as long to respond at 21 hours.

As a landlord, it is a legal responsibility as well as a moral obligation to make sure your tenants feel safe in your property, making it all the more important to help prevent the need for emergency callouts and issues – where possible.

Although these tips won’t give you immunity from all problems, they will go a long way to preventing problems further down the line.

Clean your pipes often – hair, grease and other gunk can build up in your drains over time, potentially causing a blockage.

Using a non-corrosive drain cleaner is a great idea to clear the grime in your pipes.

Annually service your boiler – whilst it might sound unnecessary to have your boiler checked every year, a qualified heating engineer will be able to spot minor issues that need fixing before the situation escalates.

Insulate your pipes – during winter, it’s important to ensure your pipes don’t freeze, as this could cause them to burst.

Insulation can be cheaply purchased from many DIY stores and is easy to install.

Check your fuse box is in date – it is easy to forget about your fuse boxes, however, they contain essential features that prevent electrical faults and fires.

If your fuse box is close to expiring, hire a qualified electrician to ensure the property is safe.

Change the smoke alarm batteries – whilst this isn’t an issue that requires an emergency contractor, it could require the emergency services if left neglected.

Smoke alarms are crucial to alerting people in the property of a potential fire and could be the difference between life and death.

Batteries are cheap to buy and easy to install, making it a simple job to protect your tenants and your property.

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