Tenant Compliance Forms

18th Nov 2021

Tenant Compliance Forms play a major role in helping us as Managing Agent manage the development, with regards to fire safety and compliance with the lease. At Blocsphere, for any new sites we take on, we ask all leaseholders to complete a Tenant Compliance Form.

What do we ask for in the Tenant Compliance Form?

• Name of person completing the form
• Contact details for property owners such as property address, full name(s) of property owners, contact number and email address
• Subletting – alternative correspondence address for property owner(s), full names and contact details of all tenants / known occupiers, expiry date of current tenancy agreement, name, and address of letting agent
• Number of usual occupants of the property
• Disabilities / conditions of occupiers whereby a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is needed
• If any occupiers need documents in an alternative format
• Sublet the property to tenants?
• Advertise the property on AIRBNB or similar?
• Do you or your tenants keep pets at the property?
• Does the property have its own satellite dish or tv aerial?
• Have you ever made any alterations to the property?

We ask for Tenant Compliance Forms to be updated every year, or any time details change, such as; a new property owner, a new tenant or the number of occupiers has changed etc.

The Tenant Compliance Form allows us to have up-to-date contact information of all leaseholders and occupiers so we can send out important documentation and update fire box documents.

If you rent out your property, you will need to provide the name and contact information of the head tenant and all other tenants/known occupiers. This is so we know all occupant numbers at the site and to update the firebox documents accordingly.

The Tenant Compliance Form also asks for any disabilities or conditions of occupiers, this is so a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) can be implemented for individuals who may have difficulties evacuating a building to a place of safety without support or assistance. Examples include mobility issues, sight issues, hearing issues, neurological issues, mental health issues, pregnancy, short-term injuries etc. This information is recorded at Head Office, we then liaise with our approved PEEP companies, who will draw up the PEEP accordingly.

What is a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)?

A PEEP is a plan for a person who may need assistance, for instance, a person with impaired mobility, to evacuate a building or reach a place of safety in the event of an emergency.

A PEEP is tailor-made for an individual to secure their safety. The plan will be drawn up with the individual so that the evacuation method can be agreed upon. As well as detailing the escape routes, the PEEP will identify the people who will assist in the evacuation. For example, a person with a visual impairment may need to be escorted from the premises in case of a fire and a staff member should be nominated for this activity.

A PEEP isn’t needed for everyone with a disability or an impairment. If the individual can leave the building unaided safely, and within an acceptable period, they will not need a PEEP.

There are two types of PEEPs: Permanent and temporary.

A permanent PEEP is for anyone who has:

• Mobility impairments
• Sight impairments
• Hearing impairments
• Cognitive impairments
• Other relevant circumstances

A temporary PEEP is for anyone with:

• Short-term injuries (i.e., a broken leg)
• Temporary medical conditions
• Those in the later stages of pregnancy

What is a General Emergency Evacuation Plan (GEEP)?

A GEEP is a plan that highlights a building’s layout, evacuation procedures, equipment and communication devices used in an emergency. While they are useful for all residents, GEEPs are designed to give residents with restricted mobility, or those who can’t evacuate unaided, the information they need to do so safely and effectively.

At Blocsphere, we currently have a GEEP in place at one of our schemes for people aged 60 years and over. Many of the residents living at this development, struggle with similar mobility, sight and hearing impairments and would have difficulties following the apposed fire safety action. A GEEP has been designed for the whole building taking into account the impairments of residents, the design and layout of the building and responsibilities of on-site staff.

The GEEP also covers the evacuation procedure, areas of safety, where the fire assembly points are, what the escape route signs mean and where they should be located.

What are fire box documents?

We keep fire box documents for all properties we manage. This document addresses the number of occupants in each flat and whether they need assistance or not if they needed to evacuate the building. We also keep a record of all floor plans, the number of occupied / empty flats, number of floors and any access codes to the building. We keep a copy of all fire box documents at our Head Office.

Lease compliance

In the Tenant Compliance Forms we ask whether the leaseholder sublets, has made any alterations to their property, has any pets, and if they advertise the property on AirBNB. This is because of compliance with the obligation of the lease. As Managing Agent, we have a responsibility for compliances with leases, laws and codes of practice, and it’s important that the correct procedures have been taken.

If the leaseholder has stated that they sublet their flat, or they have previously had alterations done, we will ask if they have had permission to do this, and to send over the correct permissions letters. If they haven’t had permission, we will advise that they will need to go through the formal permissions route.

It’s very important that all leaseholders comply with the lease clauses they have signed. For example, if a leaseholder has broken any clauses of their lease, and they want to sell the flat, the new buyer will be notified, and this could potentially affect the sale of their property. It is always in best practice to abide by the lease terms.