When tenants are living in your rental property the room they spend the most time in is actually the bedroom. Sleeping around 8 hours a day therefore they need to feel safe whilst they are relaxing and enjoying their sleep. Here are some tips for your tenant to stay safe and for your property to be protected:
Don’t throw clothes in a pile at the end or side of your bed as you are potentially creating a fire hazard ! Clothes are obviously flammable and can also block exit routes or potentially trip you up if you need to exit in a hurry !
I personally try not to charge mobiles or tablets at night when I'm sleeping however if you need to then don't charge them on your bed or under your pillow as they could overheat and cause a fire.
Make sure that you aren’t overloading extension leads or your wall sockets as this is the reason for many fires.
If you have a bedside lamp fitted then make sure you have the correct fuse fitted as often when the fuse is replaced the tenant fits a 13amp fuse when it should be a 3amp fuse. This can be very dangerous as it does not offer the protection you require and if a fault occurs the cable can actually overheat, melt or catch fire as the fuse may not do its job.
Although the younger generation don't really use electric blankets now if your bedroom has one then examine it for any signs of wear and tear. Electric blankets can be a high risk appliance used in the bedroom.
Lastly what we find all the time is wiring diagram safety cards on plugs. In itself this isn’t a major issue as the chances of the plug getting so hot the card catches fire is very slim although still has the potential to happen. The biggest issue is that the card is a couple of millimetres thick meaning the connection between the pins and the socket isn’t as good as it should be, which could prove dangerous, mainly as the earth connection could be compromised.
Your property should also have interlinked smoke alarms fitted to protect the tenant this is law in Scotland. As is a valid EICR report and lastly and up to date PAT Testing Certificate.
If you require a Landlord PAT Certificate in Edinburgh or The Lothians contact us on 07570 080429 or email lothianpattesting@mail.com.