Lettings agency Clan Gordon has hit out at the latest changes to safety regulations in Scotland that private landlords must comply with or risk prosecution.
The government-issued Repairing Standard Guidance sets repair requirements for landlords in Scotland’s private sector with the latest revisions due to become law on 1st March 2024.
But Jonathan Gordon, managing director at Clan Gordon, describes the latest regulations as having ‘major flaws’.
Jonathan said that two of the requirements — to replace lead water pipes and install electrical safety equipment — have either changed with not enough time to get the work done or are unclear on precisely what work needs completing to meet the criteria.
Clan Gordon is now lobbying the Scottish government to push back the deadline so landlords can get clarity on the rules, which also include new requirements on food preparation spaces, fixed heating systems and common doors.
Jonathan said: “There are two major problems with the new guidance on lead pipework — guidance which was not even in the first iteration of the guidance when it came out in March 2023.
“They state that water supply pipes in privately rented homes need to be free of lead from the boundary stopcock to the kitchen tap. In a house, that’s something you can often easily identify and changing the pipes doesn’t cause a lot of disruption.
“However, legislation says there must be no lead solder or fittings either, which means, because lead solder continued to be used legally until 1987 and illegally after that time, you still can’t be sure it is lead-free because lead solder looks identical to lead-free solder.
“In tenement buildings built prior to 1970 the communal main risers — the vertical pipes that allow fresh water to rise from lower floors to upper floors —will invariably be made from lead.
“So, replacing these will be a logistical nightmare.
“No-one is saying these regulations are not a good idea but it’s essential that standards and guidance are clear and unambiguous.
“Although the re-issued guidance is now less ambiguous, the government must accept that the date the standard comes into effect must be moved from 1st March 2024.
“I do hope that future changes to these standards will follow a sensible consultation exercise which includes the relevant experts.
“In the meantime, we will continue to lobby government on these flawed and unworkable rules.”
