Any house is prone to catching fire. There is no doubt about the fact that anything that is surrounded by oxygen and has the right conditions can catch fire and will suffer casualties. Applying this statement to the current situation in Scotland there have been 24,472 fires in the years 2019-2020. All of these fires included there were 27 casualties and the families suffered 1,024 non-fatal casualties.
This not only concludes to families losing their possessions but also contributed to lost lives which will have an impact on the family for the rest of their lives.
How To Avoid Such Scenarios?
To avoid such circumstances you need to be aware of your rights while living in Scotland. These situations apply to you as a tenant, your landlord has the responsibility to keep you and your home safe.
The landlord is supposed to ensure that the house has working smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors. These are the basics that the landlord must ensure are present in the house. To make sure these are working and would alert the tenant of any fire or dangerous circumstances the landlord must get a yearly check from a registered engineer. There will be a Landlord Had Safety register which will be signed by the engineer and a copy with be distributed between the landlord and the tenant.
What legal obligations does a landlord have?
Besides collecting the rent on time, the landlord has multiple responsibilities which they need to fulfil and are legally obliged to do so. Laws such as The Legal Repairing act from 2006, Letting Agent Code Of Practice which is implied on tenancies that started from 31st January make sure the house that they live in have the right and safe structure. They also need to be wind resistant as well as water-resistant.
Things that store water such as pipes, tanks, radiators, toilets boilers, and electrical cables should be in proper working order.
The landlord must make sure these are manually checked by a registered engineer to ensure the right conditions are met.
Personal belongings of the tenant are supposed to be protected by the tenant and do not fall under the protection of the landlord.
You should also be aware of the fact that high traffic and common areas of the buildings are supposed to be checked and kept in regular order by the landlord. Places such as the stairs, hallways, and lifts are all included in this list.
When and how should I make a claim?
You can not make a claim until and unless you do not suffer a causality due to the negligence of the landlord.
A landlord is not liable to pay you compensation until they have legally not fulfilled the right obligations which conclude to not having the right wiring, overcrowding, building code violations, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors which do not work. Failure to provide such basics to the tenant the landlord must compensate for the casualties which are suffered as the result of a fire.
You should also make sure you are playing your part and being careful and vigilant when living as a tenant. Moreover, make certain to inform your landlord of any apparent faults that you may find in the house. Keeping pictorial records of the faults that you may see will protect you and your house from any major losses. You would also not have to live with guilt in the case things go south and the house and people suffer both emotional and physical losses.
You should also take precautions and make sure you are keeping things tidy and not being reckless. A leak while cooking can also cause a huge fire.
Conclusive Thoughts.
With that being said, it is possible to claim against your landlord in case of any mishap or negligence. Rest assured, if you have undergone some troubles and your claim is strong, undoubtedly you will receive your deserving compensation. Not only this, but you can also benefit from our no win no fee medical negligence in Scotland solicitors. Therefore, if you want to reach out to us, feel free to contact us via phone or email. Our credentials can be found on our website.
