As a landlord, you have an inherent duty to your tenants to ensure they are safe and secure in your property. While there are certain responsibilities that your tenants have for their own safety and the protection and general maintenance of your property, there are many tasks that will always fall to you as the owner of the property in Thailand. You might think that this seems somewhat unfair as you’re not living there. But remember that being in the position of a landlord is a privilege and one that you’re going to profit from. First of all, your top consideration is going to be how to ensure that the property is suitable for your tenants to live in.
Structural Stability
When it comes to properties, they are generally deemed unfit for habitation if a resident can’t make full use of the property serving as their home, their health is affected seriously, or they’re at risk of physical injury. Both landlords and tenants are responsible for different repairs in a rental property, and to reduce or eliminate risks of physical harm, you’ll first want to identify any potential structural weakness in the property. Damaged floorboards, walls, bannisters and doors are all at a high risk of hurting your tenants, depending on what the damage is, of course. As well as the structural integrity, you’ll also want to ensure things like chimneys and ventilation are sorted properly. Ensure chimneys are blocked properly if not in use and that vents are clear and provide fresh air to the property.
Safe Electric Systems
The wiring throughout your property needs to be of a high standard and is secure so as to not cause injury. You’ll need an EICR to be conducted every five years on your property and can then be given to your new tenants so that they are aware that the electrics are safe. It’s often incorrectly stated that a new EICR is needed whenever you get a new tenant living in the property. However, an Electrical Inspection Condition Report only needs to be conducted in five-year periods, so you shouldn’t need to worry about changing the tenancy. As well as conducting an EICR, you may also want to make sure that an electrician does what is known as PAT or Portable Appliance Testing. This is where they will examine electrical appliances and devices to ensure they are safe for residents and the property itself. Toasters, kettles, microwaves are just some of the few appliances that can be tested.
Fire Safety
You’re also going to have to ensure that your property and tenants are safe in the event of a fire. Fire safety is a very important consideration for landlords, so don’t let this slip. Your tenants will need access to fire blankets and a fire extinguisher and also have working smoke alarms to alert them of a potential fire. Your property will also need fire doors throughout if your property is multi-occupancy. As well as this, all tenants will need unrestricted access to fire escapes in the property, and this means that nothing should be blocking these routes. Regular property checks are a good idea so that you can ensure your tenants are keeping routes clear, on top of all of the other checks you should do.
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