What is a tenant responsible for in a dwelling with solid fuel heating.

Although a landlord cannot make a tenants responsible for the entire solid fuel system by putting clauses in a tenancy agreement. a tenants must help to look after a fire & appliance if they are using it.

A tenant is responsible for using a solid fuel heating system in line with the manufactures instructions. (landlords must provide literature for the relevant appliance)

Using only appropriate fuels for the fire / appliance.

Informing the landlord / agent as and when defects arise with the fire & appliance.

Although most respectable landlords / agents now take their responsibilities seriously and maintain solid fuel systems many landlords / agents may still try to enforce a tenants to maintain fires & appliances for them.

> Landlord and Tenant obligations   (PDF taken from the Consumer Direct website)

> Landlord and Tenant obligations   (Original web page)

If you are one of these tenants you can inform the office of fair trading via the consumer direct website here and report this unfair and illegal practice.

Chimneys servicing gas appliances need to be cleaned annually

As well as making sure that all gas appliances are serviced annually it is also the landlords responsibility to make sure that the flue ways are cleaned annually by a qualified chimney sweep

To help stop the amount of people dying each year from carbon monoxide poisoning the health and safety executive has documentation stating that all gas flues need to be swept annually by qualified chimney sweeps and that this responsibility cannot be passed on to the tenant.

Beware of the silent killer, HSE's reminder during CO Awareness week

Carbon monoxide awareness

Law and HSE enforcement