Weymouth landlords asked to sign up to Safer Renting scheme
Dorset Council's launched a scheme, starting in the seaside resort
More landlords in Weymouth and Portland are being asked to sign up to a scheme, to improve standards of rental properties and help landlords to keep within the laws.
Safer Renting |newtab)has been set up by Dorset Council in the last year, with 75% of landlords contacted signing up.
But the authority wants to increase that further.
Landlords taking part are asked to confirm that they meet common legal requirements, such as possessing a current gas safety certificate, electrical condition report and providing a smoke detector on each level of the property.
Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, Health & Housing, Councillor Jane Somper said:
“This front facing service is helping landlords comply with their legal requirements and improve standards and safety in rented properties. It also means we can target those properties which are rented, but where the landlord has not told us about the conditions and can act accordingly.
"I would appeal to landlords in Weymouth and Portland to complete the online form on our website if they haven’t already done so, to be sure they are complying with the law.”
Signed up landlords are given bespoke advice on how to make improvements and better comply with regulations.
This could be a checklist of required certificates and paperwork, while in some cases, the council and landlord will agree that an inspection is necessary to help resolve any issues.
The Safer Renting scheme also links landlords to the council’s Dorset Landlords group, which holds regular meetings and provides information and advice on current best practice and the very latest legal requirements.