Best Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate Guide in 2023


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Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate, Many landlords have already taken care to make sure that electricity supplies and electrical installation are examined frequently. Since 1 June 2020 all landlords are required to adhere to an annual electrical check-up procedure, Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate.

Is it legal for me to do regular property inspections?

Inability to check regularly the electricity supply to your rental property and installation is a violation of law and could lead to the possibility of a substantial fine. It could also result in the possibility of a ban on renting in the future because of it. To make sure that this doesn’t occur to you or anyone you know, check out our Landlords Guide to Electrical Safety:

Electrical Safety Inspections for the Property:

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords to have all electrical equipment in their properties rented at least once every five years. An experienced electrician is required to conduct the inspections.

In order to comply with the Regulations to be in compliance with the Regulations, landlords who lease their private property must satisfy the following conditions:

Ensure that electrical safety standards are adhered to (to British Standard 7671). Make sure that electrical installations are checked and inspected by a licensed and experienced person at least every five years (and receive a report with the date to the date of next check).

Copy of the inspection report to any prospective tenant prior to them moving into the building and then provide an additional copy to tenant within 28 days from the date of the inspection.

Provide to the authority in charge a copy the report on electrical safety within 7 days of receiving a request to it.

In the event that remedial works are needed it must be done within 28 days from the inspection. Written acknowledgement of the job needs to be given to local authorities as well as on behalf of the tenant in 28 days after the work has been completed.

Electrical Safety Regulations: Which Rented Properties?

The Regulations are applicable to all properties in which a tenant of a private nature pays rent and is entitled to use it as the primary home (including short-hold tenancies).

The only exceptions to ensuring compliance the Electrical Safety Regulations are social housing and student residences and hostels, refuges, care homes, and accommodations for healthcare facilities. There are a variety of regulations applicable to these kinds of buildings.

The other exemptions to the Regulations are tenants who have a lease for seven years or more, and lodgers who live in the same house in the same property as the owner.

What about Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)?

The brand new Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 also apply to houses with multiple occupations and repeal previous laws that applied to HMOs.

For HMOs that have 5 or more tenants the Housing Act 2004 has been revised to include these rules by imposing a condition to issue an HMO licence if there is a guarantee that all electrical installations in the HMO is in functioning order and safe to continue use.

Do Landlords Need An Electrical Safety Certificate?

After the electrical report is completed and any remedial work has been completed, landlords will be issued a safety certification to confirm that the electrical supply and installations have passed all tests. In accordance with rules, a copy of the safety certificate has to be provided to every tenant living in the property in the period of 28 days, Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate.

Electrical Inspections and New Tenancies:

The landlord’s electrical inspection report document should also specify when the next inspection will be due. In contrast to gas inspections, which have to be performed with every beginning of a new lease, the obligation for landlord electrical checks is to ensure that they are completed each five-year period. This means that the electrical test is not mandatory every time there’s an alteration in the tenancy. Instead, the landlord could provide new tenants with the most recent updated security report on electrical hazards.

What Is The Electrical Safety Report Called?

It is recommended to request the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) when you book the test. The things that are examined include switches, lighting sockets, consumer units bonds for protection, etc.

It is the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) determines whether an electrical installation is secure by grading it as’satisfactory’ or ‘not satisfactory’. It also provides the steps that need to be taken to improve the safety of the installation, should it be necessary.

The kinds of codes that you should not see within your Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) are:

C1 means that the installation needs immediate remedial action as it poses a threat for those who use it. In this case an electrician could do a temporary fix, however, it’s up to the property owner to get it permanent fixed.

C2 – Once again it is imperative to act quickly since the installation is hazardous.

A Satisfactory code is:

C3-This is the area where improvements are recommended.

If the property is the case of a C1, C2 or FI code, the landlord is required to take the necessary steps to improve the property. If the code is C3 however, this may not be the case as it could be that the property isn’t in compliance with the current guidelines (although it did at the time it was put in place). In this instance the property would be awarded an ‘Satisfactory’ grade in the EICR.

What If My Property Gets An ‘Unsatisfactory’ Grading?

All remedial work has to be completed within 28 days from the test, and confirmed by the electrician performing the repairs by means of an electrical Installation Certificate or a Minor Work Certificate.

Why Do I Need To Inform The City Council About These Repairs?

Local authorities regularly look for rental properties that don’t satisfy their ‘fit to live in’ requirements. A property that is rented and failed an electrical installation test is bound to fall into this category.

Because it is the responsibility of the landlord for electrical testing, any non-satisfactory tests must be reported back to the authority local together with the confirmation that the repair was made. Failure to report it could lead to enforcement actions from the council. This could hinder your ability to rent homes in the future.

What Is A Competent Person?

A person who is competent is certified in accordance with the most current edition of wiring rules (BS 7671) having at minimum two years of previous experience with these types of checks.

They must be insured with at least PS2 million in public liability insurance as well as up to PS250, 000 in insured for professional liability. They must also have an accreditation that covers the regular inspection testing, certification and testing for electrical equipment.

What Happens If I Don’t Carry Out The Checks?

Inability to obtain an electrical inspection for landlords could cause your local council to issuing a fine up to PS30,000. If they give you a notice of remedial action that includes the inspections and any remedial work have to be completed in the timeframe of 28 days. If you fail to follow this the council may arrange an appointment for work completed and charge your landlord the expenses.

Can I Supply Electrical Appliances To Tenants?

As an owner, you are able to select whether to let an unfurnished or furnished property. It also allows you to choose what electrical equipment you will provide to the property.

Portable electrical appliances don’t count in the Electrical Installation Condition Report inspection. If you are supplying electric appliances for tenants to use, making arrangements to test them for PAT is a great idea, which will be covered in the following section. It is also important to ensure that tenants know how to operate these appliances safely.

Portable Appliance Testing:

Is PAT testing an obligation on landlords?’ then the simple answer is no. But, it does not make sense to. It’s true that landlords are legally responsible to ensure that tenants aren’t hurt or even injured by electrical devices.

Appliances that can be used in portable settings include tumble dryers, washing machines, and microwaves. The landlord is not accountable for the PAT testing of electrical appliances that a tenant brings into the premises. If you’re conducting PAT testing it’s probably worth to have them checked at the same time to decrease the risk of causing damage to electrical equipment or a fire.

Get In Touch:

If you’re struggling to understand the responsibilities of your landlord in relation to electrical safety, and our Landlords guide to electrical Safety did not cover every question, you can contact our Progressive Lets team for advice. We’ll be happy to assist you.


Muteeb Asim

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