Landlord safety checks in Dundee

Dundee landlords, especially those letting to students, usually need PAT testing for the appliances they supply, an EICR at least every 5 years and a gas safety check every 12 months, plus a legionella risk assessment, interlinked alarms and an EPC for each new tenant. Tick the checks you need on one form and we'll pass each to a local specialist who covers your postcode.

Property Safety Scotland is a matching service. We don't do the testing; an independent local firm quotes you and carries it out.

Where in Dundee we match enquiries

We take enquiries from the whole city: the city centre and the Perth Road end of the West End (DD1, DD2), Lochee (DD2), the Hilltown (DD3), Stobswell and the streets off the Arbroath Road (DD4), and Broughty Ferry (DD5). Further out, in Invergowrie, Monifieth or across the river, send the enquiry and we'll find out who travels there.

Dundee's housing and what it means for the checks

Tenements on the slopes

Dundee's older flats are mostly in stone tenements, and plenty sit on the slopes running up from the Tay. Access is worth thinking about: some flats are reached by long stairs or from a back green, and a tester carrying equipment will want to know which entrance to use. Each flat needs its own full set of interlinked alarms, on the ceiling, with a heat alarm in the kitchen. The fire alarm page lists every room.

Student flats near the universities

The University of Dundee and Abertay are both close to the city centre, and the West End and the streets around Perth Road are full of flats let to groups of students. Three or more unrelated people living together makes it an HMO, and Dundee City Council's definition specifically covers shared flats, bedsits and student residences. A student let usually comes furnished, with a full kitchen of appliances supplied by the landlord, so PAT testing is close to unavoidable.

What the HMO application asks for

Dundee is precise about the paperwork. The council's HMO page lists a current NICEIC or SELECT electrical report, a current PAT certificate, a gas safety certificate if there's gas, and an EPC. It also wants the PAT and gas certificates from the previous two years. If you're applying for the first time or renewing, look out the old certificates now; a gap in the history is harder to explain than a missing current one. The EICR has to come from an NICEIC or SELECT member for this purpose, so say so when you ask for quotes.

The summer turnaround

Student tenancies often end and start around the same time of year, so if your certificates fall due over the summer, it makes sense to book early or bring the dates forward. A gas check can be done up to two months early and keep its original deadline date, and an EICR or PAT test can be done any time before it's due.

Electrical and gas checks

EICR: needed at least every 5 years, and the new tenant gets a copy before the tenancy starts. The EICR page explains the C1, C2, C3 and FI codes and what you have to fix.

Gas: each gas appliance and flue you supply needs a gas safety check every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and the tenant gets a copy within 28 days. A boiler or gas fire means a carbon monoxide alarm in the same room too.

PAT: the tester sets the retest date. It's usually more often than every 5 years, so go by the date on your last PAT record.

Water and energy

Every let needs a legionella risk assessment before the first tenancy, reviewed at least every two years. A flat that sits empty over the summer is worth flushing before the new tenants arrive, as the guidance says water shouldn't be left to stagnate. You'll also need an EPC for each new tenant, valid for up to 10 years under the current rules.

Registering with Dundee City Council

All private landlords letting residential property in Scotland have to register. The council's private landlord registration page explains how, including for joint owners, who each register separately. For shared properties, the HMO page covers licensing and the 21-day public notice that has to be displayed at the property after you apply.

One list for everything

The landlord certificates checklist sets out every check side by side, and the renewal date calculator shows when each falls due. Managing a number of student flats? Our page for letting agents and portfolio landlords has tips on keeping dates in line. Letting elsewhere? See Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.