The first part deals with the safety of items which may be provided as part of an agreement to let furnished accommodation to which you may be a party. The second part deals with the safety of the property itself and of its occupants. Details are given in brackets after each heading of the most appropriate service to offer you further guidance on that subject. At the end of these guidance notes you will find contact numbers for each service. Practically all goods are covered, both new and second-hand.
All goods have to satisfy general safety provisions.
Certain ' high risk' goods, including electrical equipment, upholstered furniture, gas cooking appliances etc, are covered by requirements contained in specific safety regulations. The supply of such goods in rented accommodation, in the course of a business, is considered to be a hire transaction and as such is covered by consumer safety legislation. The following notes are intended as a guide to the law. Those letting accommodation in the course of a business, where the supply of the accommodation includes the supply of goods, eg furniture and domestic appliances, must comply with the law. Those acting as accommodation agents would appear to be liable where they enter into a contract with a tenant, under which an agreement is made to let a furnished property on behalf of a landlord, or where they purport to act as the landlord for the purposes of such an agreement.