You may think your role as a landlord ends when you find a suitable tenant, but there are many ways in which you could be viewed as an employer.

As a property owner, particularly a residential landlord , you may not feel that you fall into the category of being an employer.

In fact this can occur in several ways. For example, if you own the property via a limited liability company, you are probably an employee. This will be particularly relevant if you undertake some of the maintenance or repair work yourself.

It may also be that you employ cleaners to look after the common areas of your properties, in which case, unless they are employed by a company that contracts the work for you, you will also be an employer. Of course, if you employ decorators and repairmen directly, then the legislation relating to compulsory employers' liability insurance applies to you.

Where a managing agent is involved, it may be that the employment relationship does not apply, because they are paid a commission on the rent. If they use other people to work on your premises, those people are likely to be employees of the agency, not you.