If you are unsure of the health and safety responsibilities for residential landlords, you’re not alone. Understanding what you and your property manager need to take care of can prevent you both from huge fines and even legal costs. Learn more now.
Yes, there are health and safety responsibilities for residential landlords under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. This applies whether you engage the services of a property manager or not. Though if you do, they will be able to explain how they can assist you to fulfil these responsibilities. Today we discuss what your main duties are as a landlord.
What Are the Health and Safety Responsibilities for Residential Landlords?
Asa residential landlord, you are classed as a PCUB or Person in Charge of a Business or Undertaking. While you have less responsibility than a commercial landlord, there are still two things you must do. They include:
- Ensure your premises do not pose risks to the health and safety of any person
- You take steps to ensure that any work which is done on your property does not pose any risks to the health and safety of workers on site
This means that if any renovation work is happening, you must ensure it is undertaken safely. To do this, you must identify the hazards on site and take steps to eliminate and minimise these hazards.
Meeting Your Responsibilities Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
As a landlord, you are not responsible for any activities which your tenant undertakes, unless they are performing work for you. However, you still have a duty of care in which you must:
- Hire competent tradespeople to do work on the property. They then have the responsibility of ensuring that while they work, they keep those around them safe.
- Contact WorkSafe should any serious injury or illness happen from work done on your property.
- Identifying any hazards which could cause harm on your property.
- Assess the risk of the identified hazards.
- Implement control measures to reduce those risks.
- Review your control measures to check they are still working.
If you hire a property manager to care for your property, it’s important that together you are on the same page. This involves learning:
- How they are going to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA)
- The way in which they will ensure all hired contractors comply with the HSWA
- How they will share with you any health and safety matters identified
- How you will be notified if Notifiable Events occur
It can be tricky to get your head around the health and safety responsibilities for residential landlords, but we’re here to help! Get in touch with our team of professional North Shore and Rodney district property managers today.
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