Who's Responsible for a Commercial Building's Roof?

When it comes to renting out a property that you own, there are many complex laws and regulations you must follow. The same applies for your tenants. One area that is often difficult to fully understand, is who is responsible for the upkeep of the building’s roof. The landlord has ultimate responsibility for the structure of the building, but it may be the tenant’s responsibility to report faults and manage existing hazards. Here’s a rough guide to the breakdown of responsibilities.  

Tenant Responsibilities 

Tenants don’t have as many important responsibilities as landlords, but they do have a few responsibilities:

• Identifying hazards – Before tenants can move into a building, its landlord needs to ensure that it is hazard free. When the tenants are in the building, they will need to keep an eye out for any problems with the building, they should then inform the building’s landlord.
  
• Asbestos – More of a problem in older buildings, asbestos will often be found around the roof of a property. A building’s tenant may be responsible for managing asbestos, if asbestos is a problem you will need an external accredited surveyor to carry out an asbestos survey.
  
• Gas safety – Tenants are responsible for maintaining equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This means an annual inspection by a registered gas safety engineer to ensure pipework and appliances are all safe.
  

Landlord Responsibilities 

Landlords are responsible for adhering to the majority of regulations when it comes to commercial buildings:

Structural details – Landlords are responsible for the upkeep of the building, including the general structure of the building, its roof and roofline and other parts of the building. Failure to maintain the building can result in prosecution, fines and even jail time. 

Fixtures and fittings – As with any electrical items in the building, all electrical fittings need to be safe for use. This includes the correct installation of fittings and safety certificates declaring the fittings and appliances are safe for use.

Maintenance and repair – If damage is found in the building by the tenant, the landlord is responsible for ensuring it is safely repaired. This includes the roof and roofline of the building and the general structural integrity of the building.

How We Can help

Here at RG Leverett, we have been in the roofing industry for over three decades now. In this time, we have learned first-hand the dangers that a poorly maintained and damaged roof can pose to a building and its inhabitants. We have a team of highly experienced experts, who are comfortable working on a wide variety of different roofs. We developed our roof asset management plan specifically to help landlords with large roofs on their commercial properties. 

Spotted a problem with the roof or roofline of your commercial property? We can help, call us on 01603 418818 or email us on enquiries@roofsuk.co.uk.

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