Rent Act to cover fire safety

There is currently an extremely high demand for accommodation, but very few terms and conditions apply to rental accommodation.

This means that many rental properties are in a poor condition, and in some cases even unsafe.

The new Rent Act seeks to ensure that people do not rent accommodation that is not covered by fire insurance.

Standards and requirements for accommodation lie within the remit of the municipalities. The new Rent Act authorises municipalities to make a register of rental properties that meet current accommodation standards and requirements. This mainly applies to rules regarding fire insurance and fire prevention.

The Rent Committee has singled out a number of rental properties which do not meet the criteria for fire safety and escape routes.

The amendments to the Rent Act authorise the Rent Committee to initiate proceedings if, when processing complaints about other issues in a property, it finds that a rental property does not meet the minimum statutory accommodation requirements.

Eyðgunn Samuelsen, the Minister of Social Affairs, says she hopes the local councils will make use of their new authority to create a register of approved rental properties.

Translated by Prosa.