Why is a property inspection necessary?
The inspection will ascertain that the dwelling(s) meet the building conditions and health and safety requirements of the Code of Standards.
Do all of my properties have to be inspected?
For Landlords’ owning 60 properties or more in the Darlington Borough, a random 10% sample of the stock will be inspected, while for landlords’ with fewer properties we will inspect a random sample of up to six properties.
What if one or more of my properties does not meet the standards required for Accreditation?
If a minority of a landlord’s dwellings are not fully compliant with the Code of Standards, the landlord can apply to the LAS for a concession and agree a Dwelling Upgrade Plan to upgrade the dwelling(s) within a reasonable timescale.
What is a Dwelling Upgrade Plan?
A Dwelling Upgrade Plan is a plan of action, which has been agreed by the LAS and the landlord, to upgrade any properties that don’t meet the minimum accreditation standards required, as stated in the Code of Standards. This Plan will include the building works required together with a timescale that has been agreed jointly. This allows the landlord to become Accredited as long as he undertakes the works required in the Dwelling Upgrade Plan within the agreed timescale.
Where landlords have a number of properties requiring work to reach the accreditation standards, then a rolling programme can be specified in the Dwelling Upgrade Plan and will prioritise works that have health and safety risks to tenants.