Private landlords

How the council works with landlords

The council works with landlords to make sure Slough residents have a good range of housing options.

We also help landlords with tenancy issues and can offer advice.

We regulate the private housing sector to make sure the homes offered are safe, free from hazards and in good repair.

Housing health and safety guidance for landlords is on the GOV.UK site.  It sets out what council officers are inspecting and how they assess the dwellings. This helps landlords to identify and action areas where necessary work is needed before the local authority carries out an inspection.

We are focused on driving up standards in houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs).

Right to rent

You must check that a tenant or lodger can legally rent your residential property in England.

Before the start of a new tenancy, you must make checks for tenants aged 18 and over, even if:

• they’re not named on the tenancy agreement
• there’s no tenancy agreement
• the tenancy agreement isn’t in writing.

If the tenant is only allowed to stay in the UK for a limited time, you need to do the check in the 28 days before the start of the tenancy.

For more information, visit the government's Checking your tenants right to rent web pages.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

When a property is occupied under a tenancy, private sector landlords must:

• equip at least one smoke alarm on each storey of a property where there is a room used as living accommodation, for example a bedroom, living room, bathroom
• equip a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation, which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers)
• repair or replace smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms once informed and found that they are faulty.

The rules apply to houses and flats.

The council enforces the law on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

If you do not have the correct number of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, we will serve you a remedial notice. This is an instruction to install the alarms your properties need.

If you do not comply with a remedial notice, we can fine you up to £5,000.

For more information, check the government's smoke and carbon monoxide alarms booklet.