A reminder has gone to landlords about new electrical safety standards that come into effect for existing tenancies in a week’s time, on April 1.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, require private landlords to have the electrical installations in properties inspected and tested - by a qualified electrician - every five years.
Landlords that fail to comply, or fail to undertake necessary repairs, could face fines up to £30,000. Landlords will also have to provide a copy of the Electrical Inspection Condition Report to tenants and, if requested, to the local authority.
The regulations officially came into force back on June 1 last year and applied to new tenancies from July 1 - but it is only at the beginning of this April that they will apply to existing tenancies.
“Good private rental sector landlords have always undertaken regular electrical checks” explains Lesley Rudd, chief executive of the charity Electrical Safety First.
“But making these checks a legal requirement, with a significant penalty if landlords fail to comply, brings clarity and reduces electrical risk for people and property. And, of course, it is essential that these mandatory electrical checks are undertaken by a suitably qualified and competent person – a point we continue to highlight in all our campaigns.”
Electrical Safety First’s Best Practice Guide on this, is available as a free download from here.
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I've got the last 3 to do today and tomorrow, they shouldn't be too much of a problem as they have been tested in the past and have had new consumer units fitted a few yrs ago
Well that's gone t*ts up, the tenant we were going to do this afternoon has just phoned up and cancelled as his wife is very ill, so that one will now be going past the deadline , nothing I can do about that.
Hundreds of thousands of tenancies won't have them done by next week, but with covid and everything else going on, I cant see any appetite or resource to enforce the legislation unless someone hangs a blatant piece of non compliance under their nose. Time for many to catch up before they do.
It's funny how rented properties have to have an electrical test but owner occupied don't. Anyone would think the PRS is being targeted.
Nooo? Can that possibly be?
Had the same tenant for over 2 years and my electrician says I do NOT need to do any updates of inspection as it was done when they took occupation. He further said that there is no need to carry out an inspection until either the 5th anniversary of the test OR if a new tenant takes occupation.
Shame that this is not very clearly stated in with article.
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