Fuel tanks – responsibilities for landlords and tenant

If you lease or rent a property that has an oil tank you need to be clear who is responsible for the oil stored and any maintenance.

The lease agreement should outline the responsibilities of the land lord and tenant. This may include the following.

For the landlord

The landlord is usually responsible for the structure storing the oil, ensuring the tank, pipework and associated equipment:

• is kept in good condition
• complies with the relevant oil storage legislation and building control regulations
• has insurance for clean-up if there’s a spill and to reinstate the oil tank

For the tenant

The tenant is usually responsible for:

• informing the landlord of any spills or maintenance requirements for the tank an associated pipework/equipment
• oil deliveries, making sure you don’t order too much oil which could cause the tank to be overfilled
• insuring the value of the contents of the oil tank