The effects of Hurricane Ophelia saw the sky over SELF’s offices in Kent turn a Martian orange. This unusual hue was caused when dust from the Sahara Desert, together with particles from the forest fires in Spain and Portugal, travelled across the UK. Here in the South East we were very fortunate and didn’t experience any of the winds that battered parts of the UK and Ireland, but for many landlords, the storm meant safety concerns for tenants and properties.
Earlier this week the Residential Landlords Association encouraged landlords, in the event of extreme weather warnings, to contact their tenants to see if there were any immediate issues that would need dealing with – problems such as loose roof tiles or guttering – and to secure any loose items around the property (wheelie bins, garden furniture and fence panelling for example).
Once the weather has settled down and it’s safe to do so, the RLA suggest landlords check their properties for any structural damage that might pose risks to their tenants. For a handy guide to taking care of property during winter and periods of bad weather check out this RLA publication.