A leading insurance firm has warned landlords, as well as their tenants, of the importance of ensuring that all fire safety measures are carried out on rented properties.,
The latest figures from Total Landlord Insurance, which specialises in providing suitable insurance products to landlords, suggest that the average claim value for a fire in a rented property is around £18,000. Fires in these properties are most commonly caused by faulty or overloaded electrics, as well as smoking indoors and cooking.
Landlords are advised to fit and check all fire detection systems such as smoke detectors and fire alarms, as well as ensuring that tenants have access to fire-fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers. Rented properties should also have properly installed and certified fire doors, as well as having their electrical systems regularly tested. To find out how to meet their responsibilities, landlords are advised to undertake fire safety training.
Tenants, and especially students, are also advised by the insurance company to make fire safety a priority. Total Landlord Insurance’s Eddie Hooker explained:
“Many fires could be prevented if tenants took simple preventative measures such as not leaving cooking unattended.”