Minimum Property Standard for Member Accreditation Schemes

Fire Safety

Members should comply with the fire safety standards specified by whichever scheme they are accredited with, which in some cases will exceed the legal minimum standard.

Members of the Leeds Rental Standard should comply with the following guidance/regulations as a minimum:

  • Leeds City Council’s Fire Safety Principles for Residential Accommodation guidance as a minimum, which offers practical advice for fire safety, across a range of property types. Where there is doubt on the suitability of a fire safety scheme, guidance should be sought from the relevant accreditation scheme.
  • The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, ensuring that a carbon monoxide alarm is provided in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers) and that there is adequate fire detection installed.

Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

Members must ensure that they comply with HMO licence conditions, including:

  • attendance of an HMO licence training course (both accreditation schemes offer an approved course)
  • fire safety regulations
  • kitchen facilities requirements
  • property heating requirements
  • bathroom facilities requirements

You should read the conditions supplied with your licence to make sure that you comply with them within the timescales. If you do not comply with your licence conditions, you will be breaking the law.

Members should read and comply with the LCC HMO advisory notes.

Damp and Mould

Reasonable steps must be taken to comply with the government’s guidance on Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)

The property and boundary should be maintained, as reasonably practicable, free of any avoidable or unnecessary hazards as defined in the Housing Health & Safety Rating System.

The housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) is a risk-based evaluation tool to help local authorities identify and protect against potential risks and hazards to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. It was introduced under the Housing Act 2004 and applies to residential properties in England and Wales.

Leeds City Council (‘the Council’), being the Local Housing Authority, attaches the following conditions to the house subject to selective licensing by virtue of the provisions of Section 90 of the Housing Act 2004.

Gas

Members will ensure that all gas installations and appliances are in a gas safe condition and that an annual gas safety check is carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Electrical Safety

Members to ensure that every electrical installation in the house is in proper working order and safe for continued use. A valid and current Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) dated within 5 years should be issued to tenants and on request to the relevant accreditation scheme.

Antisocial Behaviour and Illegal Activity

Members agree:

  1. To take all reasonable and practicable steps to prevent or reduce antisocial behaviour (ASB) by persons occupying or visiting the house, including, but not exclusively -
    1. To put in place a written procedure that indicates how complaints relating to ASB will be dealt with.
    2. To keep a written record of complaints received relating to ASB.
    3. Where ASB is sustained, regular or more than one occurrence (even if months apart), members must take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure it is effectively dealt with, up to and including eviction.
  2. To take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure that the property is not used and/or occupied in any manner which is contrary to the terms of the tenancy agreement and that no illegal activity occurs at the property.

General Management of the Property

Members are to ensure that the internal structure of the house and every window and other means of ventilation is maintained in good repair and that any fixtures and fittings and appliances made available are maintained in good repair and working order.

As far as is reasonably practicable, the exterior of the property (including any boundary walls, gates and yards) will be maintained in reasonable decorative order and in a good state of repair; free from graffiti and fly posters and that gardens are maintained in a reasonably clean and tidy condition.

Property Inspections

Members are expected to undertake regular inspections of the property and to record the findings of these inspections and any follow up actions required and the date upon which such action was taken.

Household Waste

Members are to ensure that the house has suitable and sufficient provision for the storage and collection of waste arising from the household occupying the property, including the correct type and number of waste bins.

Property managers should ensure that all waste collected from the premises complies with the Council’s requirements for the disposal and recycling of waste from domestic premises. Details of the Council’s requirements can be found at the Council’s webpage: www.leeds.gov.uk/bins