Letting a house with a woodstove - is a lined chimney essential for a let property?

[inthelandlordzone]

Hi,
I'm considering letting a house out that has a woodstove used for heating (alongside another conventional heating system).

Apparently the chimney isn't lined...though it has been used fine for years in it's current setup.

but i'm not clear whether the requirement for a lined chimney is essential for any let property

OR if it is only a building regs requirement for a newly built house, and therefore is ok for a building that is older and already has one installed.

Is compliance with building regs all that is required (and therefore may not be needed in this case), or is it always essential for a let property?

Thanks very much if you know the rules re: woodstove for a let property?

with kind regards

[JK0]

Maybe tell them the woodstove is just for decoration. Otherwise you'll get ingenious fools poisoning themselves.

https://forums.landlordzone.co.uk/fo...28#post1179128

[islandgirl]

Putting in a woodburner allowed me to rent a difficult property to fill because we have no mains gas...as for the regs why not call a local company which specializes in fitting them and ask their advice?

[royw]

Whether it's legally required or not I would either put one in or (preferably) remove the stove. Less likely to get a chimney fire with a liner and you don't know how clueless your T will be. Assume you know you need a CO alarm?

[jpucng62]

Installing a wood burner requires building regs - if you don't have this letting it out might cause problems.

[DPT57]

I would also remove the stove before letting.

[islandgirl]

Installing a wood burner requires building regs - if you don't have this letting it out might cause problems.

really? Can you give us legislation please (provided it is professionally fitted)

[scampicat]

https://www.hetas.co.uk/consumer/cer...of-compliance/

We got one of these with our woodburner installation in 2015, which says it complies with relevant buiding regulations. I don't know whether it is compulsory.

We also had one when the stove was installed in our previous house and had to provide it when the house was sold.

[jpucng62]

really? Can you give us legislation please (provided it is professionally fitted)

https://www.hetas.co.uk/consumer/regulations/

[inthelandlordzone]

Hi, Thanks for your responses....

in terms of strict legal compliance, it seems that yes, we need compliance with building regs....but if you look at the rules on building regs, it seems that they only apply to newly built properties, and arent' retrospective.

If there were further strict regs on this, someone would probably have encountered them, or been able to google them, i presume.

Having said all of the above, i'm going to get it done anyway, because it reduces risk of a chimney fire


thanks very much

[1600e]

Not just chimney fires but gasses leaking through porus brick joints into bedrooms above can be another issue.
I did a smoke test on my own property before fitting a liner and it poured out in the attic space.

[banner257]

If anyone is thinking of installing a stove, I would say install a multi fuel stove not just a wood stove. Timber can be expensive in comparison to coal, also consider getting a stove which draughts away the smoke from the glass door.

[islandgirl]

I agree - multi fuel stoves are wonderful things. Just ensure it is safe and your property will be much more attractive to tenants.