Holiday lettings and the law...

We have years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the industry…

We’ll tell you all you need to know, when you need to know

Letting out your property means you have a duty of care to visitors whose health, safety and welfare is essential. If you’re new to the holiday lettings business, it can all seem a bit daunting, but our years of experience and indepth knowledge of the industry mean we can keep you abreast of all the latest requirements and legislation, and explain in simple terms what it all means for you and your property.

In summary, you need to know that:

•  The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 require that all electrical equipment you supply in your property must be safe and any risk associated with electrical equipment reduced to a minimum. An advisory leaflet is published by the Health & Safety Executive called Maintaining Portable Electrical Equipment in Hotels and Tourist Accommodation. We insist that all our properties are PAT tested annually – we can arrange this for you.

• Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1994 as Amended 1996 require that if you have either gas or LPG installed in your property for cooking, heating or lighting you must ensure that any work done on the installation or on appliances is carried out by registered personnel recognised by the Health & Safety Executive. There is a responsibility to ensure that gas cookers in holiday accommodation are safe. The regulations are complex but you are required to have a safety check carried out annually by a fitter who is a Gas Safe registered engineer approved – we can arrange this for you. We also recommend fitting a carbon monoxide detector where appropriate.

• The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 makes it more important than ever that the proprietors of accommodation businesses recognise the importance of accessibility. It is unlawful to discriminate against a disabled person and you may not refuse to serve or accommodate him/her, offer less favourable terms or offer a lower standard than would usually apply. You must accept a guide or hearing dog even if you do not normally accept pets. The Act states that you must take reasonable steps to ensure your property is accessible to all. Some properties that are suitable or equipped for disabled persons can apply for an accessibility rating from the Tourist Board.When you decide to join us, Marsdens Holiday Cottages will provide you with an Access Statement to complete.

Make sure you’re covered...

In addition, the provision of suitable insurance cover for your holiday property is paramount. It is a specific requirement of our Letting Agreement that you insure the property and its contents to their full value, and notify your insurance company that it is let for holiday use. It is wise to insure against loss of income in case your property requires work or repairs which render it unsuitable for letting. And we also ask that you have Public Liability insurance cover of no less than £2 million, or not less than £5 million for a property with an occupancy of eight or more people. We have links with local companies Ravensdale in Braunton and Boshers in Bideford, both of whom offer excellent rates for our homeowners.

Our team will give you more details of all the legal and insurance requirements you need to consider.

Long-term lettings...

North Devon is well known as an all-year round holiday location, and we under take additional PR and marketing activity to boost bookings out of the peak season. We also offer a long-term lettings service through our sister company Marsdens Property Management – if you’d like more information then please ring the team on 01271 813711 or visit www.northdevonlets.co.uk.