There are over 5 million rented properties in the UK that house families with children, and the demand for these types of home is only set to rise in 2021. But how child-friendly is your property?

We appreciate that you may be restricted with how much customisation you can do whilst you don’t own the property, but there are plenty of things you can do to temporarily modify areas, making it much safer for small and curious hands.

First things first – know your rights!

Of course, we know that in the vast majority of cases, tenants cannot make permanent changes to a rented property. So, if you need real modifications to be made in order for the property to be suitable, it’s a good idea to speak with your landlord.

Current laws dictate that it’s a landlords responsibility to do everything in their power to take all necessary safety measures – including childproofing. With that said, we appreciate how awkward it can be to broach the subject – especially in cases where amendments may be costly.

So, to find out what easy changes you can make yourself – read on.

1. Regular ventilation

Mould and damp are two of the biggest issues tenants face and when left to manifest, these issues can quickly become harmful to the health of those living there. So, it goes without saying that if you have young children, you want to be doing what you can to prevent mould or damp from occurring in the first place.

Regular ventilation is by far the easiest and most effective preventative measure you can take to stop damp occurring as it controls how much moisture can build up inside. Other ways you can do this include:

• Covering pans when cooking
• Using extractor fans in the kitchen when cooking and in the bathroom when showering
• Closing internal doors when cooking or showering to trap moisture
• Dry clothes outside or with a vented tumble dryer

If you are finding that damp is expanding or becoming more severe, you must get in touch with your landlord or letting agents in Warrington straight away in order to get the issue professionally fixed.

2. Utilise stairgates

Stairgates have been a tried and trusted method of creating safe barriers for years – and for good reason! They’re affordable and temporary – making them perfect for families living in rented housing.

Whether it’s to keep children away from the stairs or other sharp drops, or to help keep hazardous areas out of reach – stairgates are one of the best tools in any tenants childproofing arsenal.

3. Childproof those plug sockets

Another easy and affordable thing you can do to keep your children out of harm’s way is to add plug socket covers to all outputs. This will ensure they can’t make direct contact with the electrical points, giving you much needed peace of mind.

4. Keep hazardous items secure

Magnetic locks and childproof locks are cheap and can be installed on any sort of cupboard and removed again – without any lasting damage. This is ideal where children could have potential access to cleaning chemicals or anything else that could pose a risk.

Are you looking for a child-friendly rental?

Finding the right rental property is no easy feat, but with the right support from a letting agent in Warrington – you can be matched up with suitable landlords who have a portfolio of properties suitable to meet your family’s needs.

Sound good? Get in touch with EasyLet Residential today to find out more.