{"id":5961,"date":"2019-11-04T10:00:20","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T10:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/?p=5961"},"modified":"2022-10-14T11:17:52","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T11:17:52","slug":"its-the-law-legislation-for-holiday-home-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/its-the-law-legislation-for-holiday-home-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s The Law: Legislation for Holiday Home Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Womens<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you are setting up a holiday home it is likely that you will be thinking paint colours, welcome hampers, booking systems and setting your rates. You might be wondering whether to add a log burner for those winter bookings or a trampoline in the garden for the kids. Or maybe you are weighing up the pros and cons of accepting dogs, installing a hot tub<\/a> or swapping the tired looking bath for a large walk-in shower. These are all exciting and important things to be thinking about! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, arguably more important, but less exciting, and certainly often overlooked in the initial stages of setting up your holiday home, are the various rules and regulations that we need to adhere to as holiday home owners. Whilst some laws might be obvious, others are less so. Either way, we can\u2019t escape the large amount of legislation that we need to abide by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article aims to provide some guidance and links to useful resources for owners who are researching legislation that relates to UK holiday homes. However, it is not an exhaustive list, and rules and regulations are frequently updated. In addition, we are not lawyers or accountants so please treat this article as a starting point to conduct your own research rather than professional advice. If you are in any doubt you should consult an expert. Finally, if you are just starting out don\u2019t be overwhelmed by the seemingly large amount of regulations. Most of them are common sense and are there to protect you, your guests and your property.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different legislation for holidays lets v long term rental properties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whilst the legislation surrounding Furnished Holiday Lets (FHL) and long-term rental properties are similar, it is important to note that there are also some key differences. Firstly, holiday letting agreements are excluded from the Housing Act 1988<\/a>. This means that guests staying in a holiday house have no right to remain and they must leave the house at the end of their holiday. The Housing Act 1988 defines holiday letting as ‘a tenancy the purpose of which is to confer on the tenant the right to occupy the dwelling house for a holiday’.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, a Furnished Holiday Let<\/a> is bound by different tax laws compared to a buy to let property.<\/a> This is because the government classifies your holiday let as \u2018business\u2019 rather than an \u2018investment\u2019. Any rental income from a holiday let is subject to income tax and will have to be declared on your annual tax return. However, unlike a buy to let property, if you own a Furnished Holiday Let you should be able to offset your full mortgage interest repayments against tax. You should also be able to deduct the cost of furnishing your property from pre-tax profits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your total annual income from your holiday let is greater than the VAT registration threshold<\/a> (which is currently \u00a385,000) you may also need to register for VAT<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, instead of paying council tax you will pay business rates<\/a> on a FHL. The rateable value of your property, worked out by the Valuation Office<\/a>, is based on its type, location, size, quality and how much income you are likely to make from it. For holiday home owners with just one holiday let you are likely to qualify for small business rate relief<\/a> where you may not pay any business rates at all. It is worth noting that as you are a \u2018business\u2019 it is likely that you will need to pay for your trade waste to be emptied each week rather than it being collected by the council. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To qualify as a \u2018Furnished Holiday Let\u2019 you must let your property commercially to the public for at least 105 days of the tax year and it needs to be available to let for at least 210 days of the year. Any single letting must not be for longer than 31 continuous days. If a guest stays for longer than 31 days, you will have to apply for an assured tenancy or assured shorthold tenancy. <\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The tax rules for holiday lets are quite complex and we\nrecommend you seek professional advice from an accountant who can advise you on\nyour tax liabilities and exactly what expenses you can claim against tax. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998<\/a> outlines legal duties of self-catering accommodation providers in relation to gas appliances. As a holiday home owner you are legally obliged to ensure all appliances, along with their fittings, flues and chimneys are safely maintained. You are also required to carry out an annual gas safety check by a registered engineer on each gas appliance. You need to keep a record of each inspection for two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst it may not be a legal requirement, it is a good idea\nto let your guests know where and how to turn the gas off in the event of an\nemergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electricity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994<\/a> <\/a>states that you have a duty of care to ensure all electrical equipment supplied for business use is \u2018safe\u2019. This applies to guests, employees and contractors in your property and to both second-hand and new equipment. Any equipment supplied after January 1995 must be marked with the appropriate CE symbol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike for gas appliances, there does not appear to be any\nspecific requirement for an annual inspection on electrical equipment. However,\nin order to demonstrate that you are complying with the electrical safety\nrequirements it is strongly recommended that a NICEIC registered electrician\nundertakes a full electrical inspection and you obtain an Electrical Safety\nCertificate. As electrical equipment will deteriorate over time it is\nrecommended that you undertake an inspection at least every five years. Your\nelectrician should be able to recommend appropriate intervals for safety checks.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As your duty of care applies to both installed and portable electrical appliances you should also undertake regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT<\/a>). There appears to be no laws stating how often PAT testing should be carried out but it is best practice to have your appliances checked once a year. Ensure there is a clear record of when the testing was carried out and add PAT testing stickers to the relevant items.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also important to carry out regular visual electrical\ninspections yourself. Look out for damaged cables, loose sockets, frayed\nwiring, burn marks, hot sockets or plugs, flickering lights or tripping. Keep a\nwritten record of each visual inspection. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since July 2008 the BS 7671:2008 made it a legal requirement for circuits in new or rewired homes to include a residual current device (RCD). An RCD is a safety device that automatically switches the electricity off if there is a fault. If your holiday home was re-wired or built before this time there is no legal requirement to add one. However, if you strive to achieve \u2018best practice\u2019 rather than \u2018getting by with the minimum required\u2019 then it would be a good idea to have RCD protection fitted onto the circuits in your property. It is also best practice to include operating instructions for all electrical equipment in your holiday home (the welcome folder is a good place). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon Monoxide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For holiday homes in England, The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015<\/a> states that you are legally required to fit a carbon monoxide detector in rooms containing a solid fuel burning appliance such as a log burner or an open fire. As gas appliances can also emit carbon dioxide it is strongly advisable to also install carbon monoxide detectors<\/a> in any rooms that have gas or oil appliances such as an oven or boiler.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2019 Scotland<\/a> passed new laws that require homes to be fitted with carbon monoxide detectors in all rooms that have a carbon-fuelled appliance such as fires, boilers, ovens and heaters. Whilst these laws do not come into effect until February 2021 it is a good idea to ensure you are compliant as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Northern Ireland the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 <\/a>requires carbon monoxide alarms to be mandatory when extending, renovating or building new homes with a fuel-burning appliance after 31 October 2012. In Wales, the Building Regulations 2010<\/a> requires properties to have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted when installing a new or replacing an old solid fuel heater.       <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wherever your holiday home is, carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal. To ensure you undertake your duty of care to take all necessary measures to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning you should make sure carbon monoxide detectors are fitted in all rooms where a gas, oil or solid fuel appliance is present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst not a legal requirement it is a good idea to test all alarms weekly or on each changeover. We recommend you having a log which is signed by yourself or your housekeeper every time the detectors are checked on each changeover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some holiday homes in a secluded location might have an oil\nsupply if they are not on mains gas. By law (BS 5410) holiday home owners are\nrequired to have any oil-fired equipment and appliances serviced in accordance\nwith the manufacturer\u2019s instructions, which is usually once a year. There appears\nto be no legal requirement to obtain an Oil Safety Certificate but as faults in\noil appliances can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning it is recommended that you\nhave your oil-fired appliances and equipment inspected by someone who can complete\nan OFTEC CD\/12 Landlord Oil Installation Check form. It is also a good idea to\ninspect the storage tanks and supply pipes regularly to check for any\nleaks.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Batteries<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there is no current requirement for holiday homes to have a Fire Certificate, holiday home owners are obliged under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (England and Wales)<\/a>, <\/strong>the Fire (Scotland) Act<\/a> and Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006<\/a>, and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006<\/a> and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010<\/a> to undertake a fire risk assessment. You are also required to improve any safety measures that are identified in the assessment and to keep the risks under review. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some useful guides: Do you have Paying Guests?<\/a>; Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation<\/a> (England and Wales); and Practical Fire Safety Guidance for small bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering premises (Scotland)<\/a> to help holiday home owners comply with fire safety law and carry out fire risk assessments. As the owner of your property, you are likely to be best placed to understand what the fire risks might be, and how to control them. If you are in any doubt, or have any questions, we recommend you speak to your local fire brigade who should also be able to help you. If you still don\u2019t feel confident to carry out your own fire risk assessment you can get a qualified fire consultant to do this for you. Whilst the law does not specifically state how often you should re-access your fire risk assessment, it is recommended that you review it once a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there is no legislation specifically surrounding the safety of log burners or open fires (apart from the said mentioned fitting of carbon monoxide detectors), it is worth noting that in order to comply with the safety measures identified in your fire risk assessment it will be necessary to have your chimney swept annually (this may also be a stipulation of your holiday home insurance), have an adequate hearth and ensure you have a suitable fireguard. Your risk assessment will need to take into consideration that some guests may not have real fires at home and you will therefore need to communicate with your guests how to use your fire safely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In England it is a legal requirement to install a smoke alarm on every floor that is used as a living space. The law does not state what sort of smoke alarms you should have but the most reliable are those that are mains-wired and have a separate battery back up in case there is a power cut. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Scotland there is new legislation<\/a> regarding smoke alarms which comes into effect in February 2021. The new law states that all homes must be fitted with at least one smoke alarm in the room which is most frequently used (which tends to be the sitting room), a smoke alarm on every floor in spaces such as landings and hallways and a heat alarm in the kitchen. The alarms need to be ceiling mounted, either mains-connected with a backup battery or fitted with a long-life battery and interlinked with each other. All alarms must also be changed every 10 years, or sooner.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furniture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All holiday home owners are responsible for ensuring that their upholstered furniture meets the requirements set out in The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988<\/a>. The regulations state that all upholstered cushions, pillows, furniture, beds, mattresses, headboards and sofa beds meet the set fire resistance standard. This includes ensuring the upholstered furniture has a fire resistant filling material, the cover fabric passes a match resistance test and the cover fabric and filling material pass a cigarette resistance test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All furniture that meets these requirements will have a\npermanent label stating \u2018Carelessness Causes Fire\u2019 as well as information about\nthe supplier, the item and its manufacture, or a label stating that it complies\nwith the British Standards BS 7177. It is worth noting that the regulations\napply to both new and second-hand furniture but not to antique furniture made\nbefore 1950.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Armchair<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

General safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to previous legislation mentioned regarding the safety of products, the General Product Safety Regulations 2005<\/a> <\/a>makes it a legal requirement that holiday home owners only supply \u2018safe\u2019 products to their guests. A safe product is defined as ‘any product which under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use presents no risk or only the minimum risk compatible with the product\u2019s use and which is consistent with a high level of protection for consumers’. Where a product is already subject to laws then the existing regulations will still apply. However, if the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 go further than existing laws then the 2005 regulations will apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As no formal testing is required it is up to\nyou to apply common sense and check your products regularly. For example, if something\nis damaged make sure you repair it, check for trip hazards, make sure furniture\nand wall fittings are secure, any cables are tucked away and there are no\nhazardous objects such as broken glass in the garden. It is a good idea to keep\na record of these checks to show that you have carried out a risk assessment\nshould an accident occur. The regulations also require you to provide guests\nwith any relevant information, warnings and instructions for operating\nproducts.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter how many notices you put up, or whatever your booking conditions may state, you are still liable for any injuries or fatalities to your guests if they occur due to your negligence. However, you can take out insurance to cover your liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insurance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Employers\u2019 Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998 <\/a>makes it a legal requirement to have employers\u2019 liability insurance if you employ anyone at your holiday home. You will be classed as an employer if you have either a written or spoken contract with anyone who helps you maintain your holiday home. This could include cleaners, gardeners, housekeepers or any seasonal staff. The minimum legal requirement for employers\u2019 liability insurance is \u00a35 million, but a lot of insurers provide cover of \u00a310 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst there may not be a legal requirement to have public liability insurance, if any guests had an accident which could in some way be attributed to the holiday home owner, you may be considered liable and left facing a very large bill. However diligent you might be in the upkeep of your property it is impossible to be 100% sure you can prevent an accident. It is therefore strongly recommended that you take out public liability insurance. You will need to decide what level of cover you need. Most holiday home owners will take out a cover of between \u00a35 million and \u00a310 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no legal requirement to have building insurance for your holiday let. However, if you have a mortgage on your holiday home it is likely that your lender will require you to have buildings insurance. It is also important that your mortgage lender is aware that you will be renting out your property as a holiday let. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005<\/a> requires holiday home owners to have a written Accessibility Statement for their property. An Accessibility Statement explains who your property is suitable for. Find out more about how to write your Accessibility Statement here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Equality Act 2010<\/a> (for England, Scotland and Wales) and Disability Discrimination Act 1995<\/a> (for Northern Ireland) makes it illegal to discriminate against guests on the basis of gender, race or disability. In order to ensure people with disabilities are not treated any less favourably as a result of their disability, the Equality Act 2010 states that \u2018reasonable adjustments\u2019 need to be put in place. What might constitute a \u2018reasonable adjustment\u2019 for one holiday home owner might be different for another. However, there are a few \u2018reasonable adjustments\u2019 that all holiday home owners should adhere to. For example, apart from the most exceptional circumstances, it would be against the law to refuse access to a disabled person who needs an assistance dog regardless of whether you usually accept dogs or not in your property. You can read more about the laws regarding accepting assistance dogs here<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming pools <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently there does not seem to be any specific legislation for holiday home owners regarding swimming pool safety. However, you will need to make sure that you comply with general health and safety regulations that are outlined in legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974<\/a> and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.<\/a> You will need to undertake a thorough risk assessment and ensure any risks are eliminate or reduced as far as reasonably practicable. You can find detailed guidance about the relevant legislation and best practice as well as guidance on managing the risks for yourself and your guests in the Health and Safety Executive\u2019s Managing Health and Safety in Swimming Pools<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Side<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hot tubs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The question of whether to install a hot tub or not in your holiday home is one that is asked by many owners. For many, it is a desirable addition to their property and there has certainly been an increase in the number of holiday homes that can offer their guests a warm bubbly experience! In response to this increase, the Health and Safety Executive has published guidance for anyone responsible for managing hot tubs as part of a business. Whilst following the Health and Safety Guidance 282 <\/a>(HSE282) is not compulsory, every holiday house owner has a \u2018general duty of care\u2019 to assess the risks associated with a hot tub and to ensure these are minimised as much as reasonably practical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the main risks associated with hot tubs is Legionnaires\u2019 disease. As a holiday house owner your \u2018general duty of care\u2019 means you are obliged to take the right precautions to reduce the risks of guests\u2019 exposure to bacteria such as legionella. In order to ensure that water quality is strictly maintained it is essential that hot tubs are disinfected and pH and sanitiser levels are tested and recorded on a regular basis. The Health and Safety Executive has produced useful guidelines<\/a> on Legionnaires\u2019 disease and you can find out more about what your responsibilities are as a holiday home owner here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to protect yourself against the potential cost of any accidents\nthat might occur it is a good idea to ensure your insurance includes the\nguests\u2019 use of a hot tub as well a swimming pool should you have one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children\u2019s outdoor play areas <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Again, there appears to be no specific legislation surrounding the responsibility of holiday home owners regarding the safety of kids\u2019 playground equipment. However, as the General Product Safety Regulations 2005<\/a> legally obliges you to only provide \u2018safe\u2019 products and you have a \u2018general duty of care\u2019 to ensure guests are not put in any danger you should undertake a thorough risk assessment on all playground equipment. For example, make sure all equipment is well maintained and kept in good working order, ensure the play area is in a suitable and safe location for children, is kept clean and ideally is fenced off. If you supply a trampoline at your holiday home make sure you set clear safety guidelines<\/a> for its use and check that your public liability insurance covers you for such activities.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TV, DVD and music licences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

TV and DVD licences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whilst on holiday, guests are not covered by their TV licence at home. Therefore, if you provide a device on which guests can view TV programmes you will need a Hotel and Mobile Televisions Licence<\/a>. A licence is required if TV programmes are viewed through any device, including computers, mobile phones, games consoles, as well as TVs. The cost of a Hotel and Mobile Televisions Licence is the same price as a regular TV licence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you provide DVDs for your guests, in order to ensure you are not infringing UK copyright law as set out in Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988<\/a> you will need a DVD licence. Different licences are available depending on the type and size of accommodation you have and how long you want the licence for. Most holiday home owners require the DVD Concierge Licence<\/a> (DVDCL) which is supplied by Filmbankmedia<\/a>. This annual licence enables holiday home owners to lawfully provide guests with films on DVDs or Blu-Ray. It is worth noting that whilst a DVDCL will enable your guests to watch most films, there will be some that are not included. If you do not provide DVDs at your holiday home, but guests bring their own DVDs, you do not need a licence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music licences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988<\/a> holiday home owners are required to seek permission from the copyright holder if they provide guests with a device on which they can play music. This might include playing music through a radio, music centre, TV or alarm clock. You can obtain a music licence that fulfils your legal copyright obligations and allows your guests to play music in your holiday house from the PRS<\/a> (Performing Rights Society) for Music. At the time of writing certain holiday homes were exempt from needing a licence so we recommend you speak to the PRS team to check whether you need one or not.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Little<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In additional, if you play music or have a TV in public areas such as a games or breakfast room you might also need a Public Performance Licence<\/a> (PPL). You can find more information about music, TV and DVD licences here<\/a>.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfair trading practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All businesses have a duty to undertake \u2018fair\u2019 trading practices under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 <\/a>(CPRs). If it can be proved that guests booked a holiday that they otherwise wouldn\u2019t have if they had known the full facts then as a holiday home owner you would have engaged in \u2018unfair practices\u2019. It is therefore essential that you accurately advertise where your holiday let is, what amenities are close by and what services and facilities you provide. For example, if your property is a half hour drive to the beach then don\u2019t advertise it as being a few minutes from the sea! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst much of what constitutes \u2018unfair practice\u2019 isn\u2019t always black and white, the legislation does specifically state that falsely claiming your property has been approved by a public body or has gained a quality mark, or falsely stating that an offer will only be available for a limited time is a breach of the regulation. It is therefore important to make sure tourist board ratings are correctly advertised and up to date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008<\/a> also states that you must not unfairly compare products or take advantage of the reputation of competitor trademarks and trade names whilst marketing your property. For example, you cannot compare the cost of staying at a five star luxury hotel down the road to staying in your two star holiday cottage, or describe your cottage as \u2018the Ritz of St Ives\u2019.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008<\/a> states that you must not publish misleading reviews. For example, you cannot write, ask friends to write, or offer incentives to guests to write positive reviews. In addition, if you publish reviews, you must publish all<\/em> reviews, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. You must either invite all, or none, of your guests to write a review rather than just selecting certain guests. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provide a useful summary<\/a> of the dos and don\u2019ts of reviews. The CMA have also published guidance<\/a> on endorsements. Whilst it is not illegal to pay a publication or blogger to promote your business, potential guests need to know that the endorsement has been paid for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media <\/a>is a very useful marketing tool for any holiday home owner. However, it is important to remember that whilst you might use a more informal tone on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter, everything that you post must comply with the same regulations as any other adverting channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All holiday home owners collect personal data. The Data Protection Act 2018<\/a> (DPA) and General Data Protection Regulations<\/a> (GDPR) regulates the way that you hold and use this information to ensure you handle the data responsibility. Again, most of the regulations are common sense but there are a few important points to note.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, if you send marketing emails to past guests you need to make sure that everyone on your list has specifically opted in to receive such emails (and you give them the option to opt out) and that they are \u2018current customers\u2019. There is no specific definition of what a \u2018current customer\u2019 is, but it is probably safe to say that if you have not heard from someone for over a year it would be a good idea to remove them from your database. Similarly, if you run a competition which involves collecting email address from potential guests you need to ensure that guests have opted in to receive email communication from you.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are also required to have a privacy policy that is easily accessible to anyone who is thinking of giving you their personal details. Most people will display a privacy policy on their website. The policy needs to clearly state what, how and why data is being collected, if any of the data will be shared with third parties, how long you will store their information for and what their rights are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find more information about complying with data protection laws on the Information Commission Office\u2019s<\/a> website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have got this far and you are still reading this article you are doing well! Understanding the relevant rules and regulations surrounding holiday letting is not exciting or glamorous, but it is<\/em> important. Legislation surrounding holiday lets is there to protect you, your property, your guests and your employees against injury or harm. Whilst you might be focused on maximising your profit and occupancy levels, it is essential that you don\u2019t overlook your duty of care to your guests and you comply with the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the aim of this article is not to send you into a panic. A lot of the rules and regulations are open to interpretation and in most cases you just need to use your common sense. If you are unsure about something there is no harm in being over cautious. On the whole, if you strive to achieve \u2018best practice\u2019 you will find that you comply with most laws. If in doubt ask other holiday home owners to see what they do or better still seek advice from a lawyer. This ensures guests enjoy their holiday in the safest possible environment and you can relax knowing you have undertaken your duty of care to ensure your holiday home is as safe as reasonably practical.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you are setting up a holiday home it is likely that you will be thinking paint colours, welcome hampers, booking systems and setting your rates. You might be wondering whether to add a log burner for those winter bookings or a trampoline in the garden for the kids. Or maybe you are weighing up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":6049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[63,4],"tags":[95],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5961"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5961"}],"version-history":[{"count":90,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7226,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5961\/revisions\/7226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.independentcottages.co.uk\/holiday-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}