Important Things You Should Know About White Goods as A Landlord

If you currently have a property on the rental market or are considering the possibility of doing so, one aspect of your role as a landlord that you need to think about is white goods.In the following post, we will look at many of the hot topics surrounding white goods, such as whether you need to supply them and who is responsible for maintaining and repairing them. Although this may not be the most exciting subject in the world, it is an area where many new and inexperienced landlords can make costly mistakes.

It might sound like an obvious question, but it is worth clarifying for anyone who doesn’t know what white goods are. Particularly, we guess, if you are coming from somewhere outside of the UK and don’t understand the language. White goods are any large home appliances that are powered by electricity and made from white enamel – hence the name ‘white goods’. When it comes to rented properties, white goods often encompass items such as dishwashers, machines, fridges and tumble dryers

There are no regulations or rules that stipulate that you must offer white goods to your tenants in your properties. It really is up to you. IT is worth noting though that most rented properties do include white goods. So, even though it is up to you whether you offer these, you could be scaring away countless tenants by not including these electrical appliances in your building. Therefore, it may be worth putting more money into your property and kitting it out with some of the most basic white goods, if it means you will attract a greater number of interested tenants.

This area is one that many landlords misunderstand, because they figure if landlords supply the appliances, they are also, by default responsible for getting them repaired when they break down. On the contrary, as outlined by the Landlord & Tenants Act of 1985, section 11, white goods do not fall under the repairs and maintenance obligations of landlords.

There will be a statement regarding white good repairs in the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. If you do decide that the responsibility of repairing the white goods will be the tenants and you have included it in your AST, it is wise to discuss it with potential tenants before they sign any contracts.

This is another thing that many people misunderstand, but no; a property having white goods would still be being unfurnished. Whether a property is furnished or not, is determined by whether it comes with any pieces of furniture.

Although there are no statutory obligations for letting agents or landlords to provide white goods that are in good working order, there are a few legally binding rulings that ensure all landlords offering white goods in their property make sure they are in sound working condition. All electric and gas appliances should also be safe to use.

If you need any further advice about white goods and your rental property, please speak to one of the team at Newington Estates. They have several years combined experience working in the property market and have been serving the London sector of the market for several years.