This is a much debated question for which there are many answers. Well, this week we discovered that the answer is...it depends who you ask!

For many years as an organisation we have always insisted on a PAT (portable appliance test) and a Visual Electrical inspection as a minimum requirement before letting a single occupancy property. This helps us to get an idea of any problems which need looking into or sorting and for two decades, this has managed to keep us and our tenants safe, and it has identified some lethal problems in our properties; but is it enough?

We decided to go into a consultation and over the last few weeks we have been looking into what is 'actually' required by legislation and I must admit, it's more confusing than even I first thought.

Firstly, we looked at our own industry specific legislation for guidance, the HHSRS (the housing health and safety rating system) - which is the property safety regulations under the Housing act 2004. While it sets minimum standards for rental property it merely says the property must be 'safe'. This is also echoed by the Consumer Protection Act 1987, section 19 and 39, which states that you must take all reasonable steps to ensure that a property is safe, and that it can be a defence in court to show that you have taken all reasonable steps to avoid committing an offence.