Safe, Clean and Legal

This accreditation is designed for entry level hospitality accommodation products offering confidence and reassurance to your customers when making buying decisions. The accreditation is suitable for entry level hospitality products, when quality (star) ratings may not be relevant or applicable. The accreditation works for home stay type of accommodation and the private rental sector, the object being to reassure potential guests that simple checks ensuring the viability of your product (and reliability of the information provided) has been carried out by an independent 3rd party.

Safe and Legal Requirements

Do you comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order October 2005?

 • Fire Risk Assessments are required to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. We recommended this is written and reviewed annually.

 • Does all your furniture and furnishings comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations?

Have you undertaken a Health & Safety Assessment of your property?

 • Health & Safety, relating to your guests, staff and general practices, including electrical safety from initial safe wiring through to small appliance testing (PAT).

• Check the small print on your mortgage and insurance documents, many insurers may state that if there is a fire as a result of an electrical fault your policy is null and void if this has not been carried out.

 • Has your mortgage lender approved the change of use for the property?

 • Provide a carbon monoxide detector in every room where gas or oil burn, in rooms where there is an open fire or wood burner. A detector should always be placed in a kitchen, when used by the guest, unless all appliances are electric and in rooms where central heating boilers are housed. Gas safety certificates will also be required where applicable.

Do you have Public Liability Insurance?

Please note prior to assessment you will be asked to upload a copy of your certificate of insurance as evidence.

Furniture, Facilities and Equipment

 • Are garden ponds fenced, if you take children and pets?

 • Any additional equipment offered for children including cots, highchairs, bunk beds and temporary beds should comply with British Safety Standards.

 • Do you have a handrail fitted to staircases?

Cleanliness and Hygiene

Guests will forgive a little wear and tear, but poor cleanliness is unacceptable.

Attention must be given to all areas and items involving direct contact with guests, such as bedding, linen, towels, baths, showers, washbasins, WCs, flooring, seating, crockery, cutlery and glassware. All should be cleaned and checked thoroughly between lets. Guests don’t want any reminders of other guests!

Ensure that all properties are thoroughly cleaned throughout, before each new let, irrespective of whether the previous guests have left it looking spotless prior to departure. Broken or damaged items should be replaced.

The assessor will thoroughly check all areas that a guest may use and subsequent complaints from guests could result in a (paid) revisit for reassessment or a withdrawal of accreditation.

Communication with Guests

All advertising and pre-booking information must make clear to guests exactly what is included in the prices quoted for the property including service charge, taxes and other surcharges, e.g. electricity, fuel, towels, cots, pets etc.

Full details of accommodation, including sleeping arrangements (double, twin, bunk beds, sofa beds) and bathrooms (bath or shower, shared, private, en-suite) provided in all communications.

Any in-house policies, e.g. no smoking, no pets etc. must be communicated at the time of booking.

Inform guests prior to booking, of charges for additional services or facilities available, including cancellation terms, housekeeping and/or breakage deposits.

Scoring for Safe, Clean and Legal™ Assessment

Safe, Clean and Legal is a pass or fail scheme. Operators can subscribe online or over the telephone. You will be asked to upload your Fire Risk assessment and Public Liability insurance certification on application in order to qualify for a visit. Once certification has been uploaded, an assessor will arrange to visit in order to accredit the property.

A Checklist to work through before applying for Assessment

 • Do you have public liability insurance?

 • Do you have building and contents insurance that covers damage by paying guests?

 • Do you comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?

 • Have you undertaken a Health and Safety Assessment of your property?

 • If you have gas, has the boiler, and all gas appliances, been checked by a registered “Gas Safe” engineer within the last 12 months?

 • Do all Furniture and Furnishings comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations?

StayZo – Review of the year

With 2020 just around the corner, we want to reflect on the many achievements of this year and highlight what we’ll deliver in the months ahead.

At the start of 2019, we opened the year with our one property in Welwn Garden City and from the get go, we throughout the year we worked towards fulfilling our key goals for the year.

January 2019 – We completed the purchase of our Bradford property. Immediately works were started, to fully refurbish the property, to add another bedroom and to decorate and fit out ready for guests

March 2019 – We opened our second property in Hertfordshire. A 3 bedroom house in Hatfield.

April 2019 – We became an Airbnb superhost.

May 2019 – StayZo became a Serviced Accommodation Management company – taking on and managing its first property.

August 2019 – we welcomed our first guest to Bradford. All went very well and we were left with another fantastic 5 star review.

October 2019 – We retained our Airbnb superhost status – ensuring our high standards have been maintained

November 2019 – Work was started on applying for ‘Quality in Tourism’ accreditation. Bradford was quickly awarded but we needed to wait for the assessors to visit the other properties

December 2019 – Welwyn, Winchester and Hatfield were finally assessed and awarded the Quality in Tourism accreditation.  

It’s been a very busy year and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our key suppliers and partners – without them much of this would not have been possible

Cleaning : Clean of Herts and weclean.x

Photography and Tours : Keith and Zoe Mcmahon at venue view.

Nilanjana Chakraborty for her support

And all the other tradesmen, heating and plumbing engineers, marketeers, gardeners and every one of our very important guests.

Looking forward to 2020

Moving forward into a new decade brings with it new challenges for the year ahead. StayZo is starting off January with a well filled calendar so that we can hit the new year running. The key aims for 2020 are to continue to build the brand by:

1. Gaining more units to manage on behalf of owners
2. To grow the number of StayZo’s own units
3. Maintain our valuable Airbnb and Quality in Tourism accreditations
4. Work more closely with local firms to achieve longer term direct bookings.

We hope everybody has a great Christmas and Happy New Year

Backed by your trust, we are hard at work on the new and expanded activities and services requested by our network: the first of which will launch in early 2020.

Superhost status – This is the icing on the cake of Airbnb hosting pinned only to the most deserving of hosts. Once this achievement has been awarded, you are awarded a badge and enhanced Airbnb listings.
To be awarded a ‘Superhost’ status, these 4 criteria mist be met…..
1: Host at Least 10 Guests Each Year
These must be booked through Airbnb to count. What helps the bookings is excellent reviews and great photography, clean properties and great pricing.
2: Respond to Guests Quickly
The best way to remember this rule is:
Treat your guests the way you would a fire alarm – respond immediately. Once a year, Airbnb pulls out its calculator and works out the average amount of time it takes you to respond to each new message. To pass the test, you need a response rate of at least 90%.
3: Receive 5-Star Reviews, at Least 80% of the Time
A great deal of effort is required to provide our customers with a 5-tar review and I’m please to say that we have many.

4: Don’t Cancel
Our guests have planned their visit to our location and as soon as they receive confirmation of their stay from StayZo, you owe them a responsibility to provide them with your 5-star accommodation – so cancellation is a no-no.

5: Maintain at Least a 4.8 Rating
Once you achieve your superhost status, then it is just as much effort to maintain your accreditation. If your rating drops below 4.8, you’ll lose your recognition and have to start all over again to retrieve it.
Below are Stayzo’s statistics and achievements.
The best bit of news is that the level of service that is required to maintain these statistics doesn’t only to apply to my guests that opt to stay in a StayZo property through Airbnb – but for every guest that stays with us. The main advantage of booking directly enables direct access to me without going through a third party portal and your requirements, such as an earlier check in (if available), airport pickups, drop offs or any other special requests can be discussed directly

Here, I’m sharing some things that I needed to consider when thinking about furnishing our lovely StayZo properties when we came to the setup.

Furniture and Its Functions

We know that our furniture is going to be used by many different people and we aim to ensure that every guest has a comfortable bed and comfortable seating downstairs in the lounge and dining room.

Each piece of furniture was reviewed on the basis that it will perform its function perfectly, looks good and is well made so that it provides longevity.

To add flexibility, many of StayZo’s properties come with Zip and Link beds. These enable a quick switch from 2 singles to a comfortable double.

Size & Shape of furniture

Much thought went into considering the right size of furniture. Every room was measured with the view to purchasing the correct shape and size of the furniture to ensure a clean and clutter-free look.

As a result, the furniture fits well into the available space well and still leave free space for a walk around. By making sure that this looks right, it ensures the rooms look welcoming and well thought out. 

Not over done

We didn’t put excessive amounts of furniture pieces in our properties as too many pieces will crowd the space, blocking walkways and leaving no room for our guests to leave their suitcases etc.

Health and Safety

All of our furniture meet the current Health and safety standards, being fully compliant with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (amended 1989, 1993 and 2010) legislation, which looks to ensure that upholstery components and composites used for furniture supplied in the UK meet specified ignition resistance levels.

A ‘Home from Home’ experience

All our properties are fully furnished and provide a ‘home from home’ experience. In addition to furniture, we provide:

⊗   Tv / Entertainment units,

⊗   Dining sets to seat 2 to 10 people.

⊗   Rugs, soft furnishings and lighting packs.

⊗   Fitted bedroom cabinet as well as loose items.

⊗   Zip and Link beds.

⊗   Bedding,

⊗   Fully equipped kitchen

⊗   Dishwasher, washing machine, clothes horse

⊗   Vacuum Cleaner,

⊗   First Aid kit

⊗   Sewing kit

ARTS

Victorian museums hosting modern artists, 21st century performances surrounded by Edwardian architecture alongside innovative festivals.  If you want to become immersed in culture then Bradford district is the place to choose.

Bradford was awarded the title of the world’s first UNESCO City of Film due to the city’s rich film heritage and its inspirational movie locations. Bradford has been a film location since the beginning of cinema, with its indigenous film industry being traced back to the years around the First World War. To this day Bradford district is still chosen and featured in top films and TV series.

Bradford is proud of its cultural heritage. This city was the birthplace of the famous artist David Hockney, and you can be enthralled by his works at Salts Mill and Cartwright Hall.

Salts Mill

Salts Mill is set in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Saltaire. The Grade II Listed historic mill building was built in 1853 by Sir Titus Salt along with the village to house his workers. The whole area is of architectural and historical interest.

1853 Gallery David Hockney

Salts Mill is home to one of the largest collections of David Hockney’s art. On the ground floor you will find the 1853 Gallery which houses a permanent exhibition of works by David Hockney.

Gallery 2 and the Saltaire Exhibition

On the second floor beyond Salts Book and Poster Shop is Gallery 2 and the Saltaire Exhibition. Gallery 2 has a collection of work by Henry Marvell Carr R.A entitled “The Textile Process” and Simon Palmer’s collection of Saltaire paintings and drawings. At the rear of the gallery is the Saltaire Exhibition which is a fascinating exhibition which explores Saltaire’s history from 1853 to the present day.

Shopping

If you enjoy shopping then take time to explore the many independent shops in the mill which include everything from bikes to antiques. Stroll around the Salts Book and Poster shop and browse in The Home a luxury home ware and furniture shop.

Cafes and Restaurants

A popular choice with locals and visitors alike is Salts Diner, found on the second floor. If you just fancy a coffee visit The Espresso Bar (go through the Diner and turn left). On the third floor is Salts Mill’s excellent fish restaurant, Café in the Opera (open Wed – Sun 10am – 5pm).

Cartwright Hall

Cartwright Hall is Bradford’s civic art gallery and offers an exciting programme of contemporary exhibitions, with four permanent galleries displaying works from its art collections. The collections consist mainly of 19th and 20th century British art, with strong collections of international contemporary prints and contemporary South Asian art and crafts.

THE HOCKNEY GALLERY

This gallery dedicated to the work of Bradford born artist David Hockney, showcases Bradford’s unrivalled public collection. It includes early work and provides an introduction to his life and art with a particular focus on Yorkshire and Bradford.

LISTER PARK

Cartwright Hall is set in the magnificent, Green Flag-awarded grounds of Lister Park, with a boating lake, adventure playground and Mughal Gardens.

Stroll around Lister Park to view sculpture and public artwork, some on loan by the artists, others from Bradford’s own collections.

There is also a privately run cafe in the Lister Park boat house that serves hot and cold drinks, food and ice-cream. Open April – September, 12 noon -7pm; October 11am – 5pm (weekend only). If the weather is good you may find the cafe open outside the usual hours!

Family Days Out

If you are looking to experience live entertainment, you won’t be disappointed. There are always have new festivals being introduced such as the Bradford Family Film Festival, or the long established ones such as Ilkley Literature Festival and Saltaire Festival.

Spend time together as a family and enjoy a day out in Bradford district. Bradford offers great value for money with its many free attractions and activities.

When the sun is shining, burn off some energy at one of the districts many parks; with a boating lake at Lister Park, the Totem and Play Trail around Peel Park or adventure playground in Bingley St Ives. You can enjoy splashing around in the outdoor pool at Ilkley Lido or simply play by the river in Roberts Park, Saltaire.

There is still plenty to do on those rainy days as well.  There are many free attractions such as the National Science and Media Museum, Cartwright Hall and Cliffe Castle Museum. Look out for the activities for children run by Bradford museums and galleries during the school holidays.  For something a bit different try the Bradford IMAX or travel by steam train on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.

Events and festivals are run througout the year as well child friendly theatre performances and Big Screen Film and Fun Wednesdays in City Park. So you really can guarantee the children won’t get bored in Bradford district.

Rich & Varied Heritage

Bradford has a rich and fascinating history from Roman remains to Victorian grandeur. With a long industrial heritage, Bradford is proud to have once been the wool capital of the world which lead to pioneers such as Sir Titus Salt to build businesses in the area. You don’t have to go far to find out more, simply walk the streets and look up at the architecture or learn more about Bradford’s history at Bradford Cathedral and Bradford Industrial Museum or visit the magnificent Bolling Hall a 17th century mansion house.

Nearby Saltaire, a model Victorian village and a UNESCO World Heritage site is a joy to visit and make sure you join a guided walk to learn more about the village’s past. Saltaire became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to its preservation as a Victorian industrial village. Mill owner Sir Titus Salt built the village for his workers and today Saltaire attracts millions of visitors to its magnificent architecture.

Today his great mill complex is the key feature of Saltaire, but make sure you visit Saltaire United Reformed Church – one of Britain’s most precious Victorian architectural treasures.

Bradford & Beyond

Renowned for its rolling hills and rugged moorland, Bradford district is a paradise for walkers and cyclists or to simply escape and enjoy the big blue skies and inspiring views. Depending when you visit the countryside can be either tranquil and inviting or wild and windswept.

The rugged and beautiful Pennine countryside and open spaces is what makes Bradford district picturesque and inviting and home to many fantastic walks taking in spectacular views.

You can take a walk on Ilkley Moor where you’ll find breathtaking views and the Swastika Stone, one of the many carved pre-historic rocks found on the moor. You can visit Brontë Country and explore the rugged moorland once inspiration for the Brontë sisters.

So whether you want to grab your walking boots and binoculars, or jump on your bike, the decision is yours but Bradford district is the obvious choice!

Whats on

The moment you set foot in Bradford & district you’ll discover inspirational things to see and do. There’s a flourishing arts scene… fascinating exhibitions… energetic theatres… compelling events… plus stacks of live music to keep you enthralled.

Bradford Festival brings a vibrant, colourful and multicultural programme of the very best international, British and local theatre, art, music and dance right into the heart of the Bradford, in the  multi-award winning public space, City Park. The 2020 Bradford Festival will take place 10-12 July.

Haworth plays host a a wide range of themed events throughout the season, from the Haworth 1940s to the quirky Steampunk Weekend in October.

Haworth’s Steampunk Weekend – 11^th to 13^th October 2019

Come and enjoy Haworth’s Steampunk Weekend, dress up or just mingle.

Held every year since 2013 the event has gone from strength to strength, come along and enjoy the atmosphere.

The steampunk genre re imagines Victorian & Edwardian science fiction in a “retro-futuristic” style.

Events taking place over the course of the weekend include street entertainers, bands, and a very special “Steampunk Burlesque” show.

If literature is your passion, walk in the footsteps of the Brontë family at the historic Brontë Parsonage Museum.  Booklovers will be spoilt for choice at Bradford & Ilkley Literature Festivals. 

Brontë Parsonage Museum

The Brontes are the world’s most famous literary family and Haworth Parsonage was their home from 1820 to 1861. Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte were the authors of some of the best loved books in the English language.

The beautifully preserved museum has celebrated it 90th anniversary of opening its doors to visitors in 2018. Set between the unique village of Haworth, and the wild moorland beyond, this homely Georgian house still retains the atmosphere of the Brontes’ time.

The rooms they once used are filled with their furniture, clothes and personal possessions and displays are changed annually, so you can always be sure of seeing something new.

Ilkley Literature Festivals 4^th to 20^th October 2019

The North’s liveliest, most prestigious Literature Festival • Over 200 events over seventeen days • Authors’ events, Discussions, Readings, Performances, Workshops, Reader’s Events, Literary Walks, Poetry, Festival Fringe, Children’s and Young People’s Weekend.

Saltaire Festival takes place annually in September, a feast of music, theatre, comedy, heritage, art, sculpture, food and drink, and so much more.  There are numerous arts events during the year brought to you by Saltaire Inspired  – Open Houses Trail, Makers Fair, and the Saltaire Living Advent Calendar . 

About Saltaire 13th to 22nd September 2019

The Victorian mill village of Saltaire was founded in 1851 by Sir Titus Salt, a leading industrialist in the Yorkshire woollen industry. Salt relocated his five factories from Bradford, into one, bespoke textile mill on land adjacent to the Leeds Liverpool Canal, and designed a village around it to house his workers (later named Saltaire, after its creator, and the river by which it stands). Picturesque stone cottages provided homes to Salt’s employees, and the village included facilities such as a school, park, hospital and church. This exceptional village is widely regarded as a prime example of its Victorian times and was given UNESCO World Heritage Site status in December 2001

The festival programme covers two weekends and the week in between. The first weekend features the popular Open Gardens trail, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the village and its history through its current residents. Yards and gardens will host works by local sculptors, in association with Saltaire Inspired, and there will be pop-up and surprise events in homes around the village, with children’s and family activities in the village and Roberts Park. The festival concludes with food, drink and markets in Roberts Park, as well as free live music and entertainment on both days. Music is a key feature of the festival and, whatever your taste, there should be something of interest for you. Free and ticketed events take place over the course of the 10 days, offering a mix of styles and genres

You’ll find the hottest creative talent around showcased in our many galleries too.  Be sure not to miss popular festivals at the National Science + Media Museum – Yorkshire Games Festival, the Bradford Science Festival, and Widescreen Weekend.

Whenever and wherever I go travelling in the world I always make sure to find a quality restaurant locally that can provide me with the comforting food whenever I crave it. Even though StayZo has a fully equipped kitchen in each of its houses, finding somewhere nice to eat out after a day at work is very welcome. Some of the best eateries in and around Bradford are:

 For fine dining there is;

AKBAR’S

1272 – 1278 Leeds Road, Bradford, Bradford BD3 8LF

A very famous and always very good Indian and South Asian restaurant. Bradford was the first Akbar restaurant and it has since expanded into other major UK cities. Always has very good reviews on Tripadvisor etc.

Classic Persian Restaurant

368 Little Horton Ln, Bradford BD5 0NB

Described as a hidden gem, this very highly rated restaurant is not licenced – however you are welcome to bring your own drinks for no corkage fee, but not fizzy drinks.  It is great value and packed Friday and Saturday – so ensure you’ve reserved a table.

Mamma Mia’s

3 Upper Piccadilly, Braford centre BD1 3PE

Seafood, Italian, Pizza – a long standing Italian restaurant that’s been about since 1985 in the same family. Great reviews. Extensive menu. Prices ok. Service was quite quick. Good atmosphere and friendly.

Gastropub – City Vaults

33 Hustlergate, Bradford BD1 1RE

A Certificate of Excellence 2017 & 2019 Winner. A popular British pub in the centre with great food and live music at the weekend. Also sells beers from around the Yorkshire area.

Heathfield Farm – Dining & Carvery

Whitehall 26 Business Park, 2 Heathfield Ln, Birkenshaw, Bradford BD11 2DP

A great, child friendly location, especially for Sunday lunch where all the meat and vegetables are grown / natured at their own farm, on site. They have their own bakery as well, for delicious bread and cakes

Grand Cru Restaurant

559-565 Bradford Rd, Birkenshaw, Bradford BD11 2AQ

For fine dining, this recently opened restaurant is perfect. The owner has been trained at a  Michelin starred restaurant – and the prices reflect the high quality. The owners worked to converted an ex CO-OP supermarket to the fantastic eatery and the reviews show that their hard work was worth the effort. 

Whenever and wherever I go travelling in the world I always make sure to find a quality restaurant locally that can provide me with the comforting food whenever I crave it. Even though StayZo has a fully equipped kitchen in each of its houses, finding somewhere nice to eat out after a day at work is very welcome. Some of the best eateries in and around Hatfield are:

 For fine dining there is;

Red Lion

88 Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL9 5EU

For typical pub grub and local ales, the Red Lion is popular place to eat. It is one mile away from our Hatfield property, so perfect for a summers evening walk.

The place has a nice atmosphere and helpful staff.

A Taste of India

33/34 Salisbury Square, Hatfield AL9 5AF

Has been described as ‘Old Hatfield little secret’, this is a lovely Indian restaurant that has been in this location for many years.

Always fresh and tasty, this is one of my favourites.

Taste it Polish

17 Market Place, Hatfield AL10 0LJ

For great value, tasty and traditional Polish faire, try ‘Take it Polish’ The restaurant is rated highly with locals and the local Polish population and has a great atmosphere.