Landlords urged to promote tenant safety this winter

Landlords have been urged to ensure tenants are aware of how to prepare their home's heating and water systems for the winter.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has made a number of suggestions to get tenants prepared, which could prove key to reducing their risk of suffering an accident injury and avoiding costly repair bills.

Tenants need to be told how to shut off water systems completely, especially if it will be vacant over Christmas. Failure to do so could result in a burst pipe due to water inside freezing up and expanding.

Making tenants aware of where their gas boiler is and where the emergency gas shut off valve is located will also be beneficial.

NLA chairman David Salusbury explained: "It's important that tenants know how the heating system works in their property.

"Each winter, many rented properties are damaged by burst pipes because tenants don't know how to shut off the heating system."

Published by Phil Hammond