It’s raining heavily. You’re inside, the fire’s lit, the heating’s on, you’re happy. Until, you hear dripping water above your head. You run upstairs and there’s a telltale damp patch on the ceiling. Water’s leaking from somewhere. Is it from pipes in the roof? You turn the water off. Half an hour later, the damp patch is getting bigger? It looks like you’ve got a leaking roof. So what do you do?

Your home is one of the most valuable possessions you’ll ever own, holding both financial and sentimental value. It’s the place that houses all of your belongings, the place where you make memories and the place that keeps your family safe and warm. It is therefore worth going that extra mile to ensure it’s protected.

If you’ve ever been unlucky enough to lose your keys or have them stolen, you’ll know just how stressful it can be. Not only are you unable to get back into your home but you’ve got to then spend time and money hiring a locksmith to carry out a lock change and provide key replacement.

A broken washing machine can be expensive to repair or replace, not to mention inconvenient. The good news is you can take out specialist washing machine insurance to protect you from unforeseen costs and get the expert help you need quickly.

Are you uncertain of your repair and maintenance responsibilities as a landlord? Perhaps you’re a tenant with a landlord that’s not meeting their obligations? Either way, we’re pleased to say you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find a quick guide to landlord responsibilities regarding repair and maintenance and how to comply with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987.

Landlords who rent out their property are legally required (The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985) to have any gas appliances, such as a boiler, serviced in line with manufacturer guidance. In this guide you’ll find legal information for landlords, including how often a boiler should be serviced and how much it could cost.

Safety at home is the responsibility of everyone, whether you are a private homeowner, landlord or tenant. Gas safety is of primary importance. It is the responsibility of the property owner (landlord), to keep the gas appliances, efficient and safe in their property. It is common sense for tenants who live in the property, to ensure they are aware that gas appliances in their accommodation comply with gas safety regulations and that they’re safe and running at their optimum level.

As a landlord, you are legally required to get all of the gas appliances and flues in your residential properties inspected each year. A qualified gas engineer, who is on the Gas Safe register, must carry out this work. Upon inspection, you will receive a gas safety certificate, often referred to as an LGSR (Landlord Gas Safety Record) or a CP12 certificate. This is essential if you want to let out a property to prospective tenants.

An annual gas safety check is a yearly inspection of all gas appliances in a home. If you use gas appliances – which most of us do – it’s a good idea to get them checked by a Gas Safe engineer (an engineer vetted by the Gas Safe Registry). After the check, you’ll receive a Gas Safe certificate that lasts for a year.