Landlords in Northern Ireland face new fines if they fail to comply with new rules on electrical safety.

New laws introduced this week apply to over 100,000 privately rented homes in Northern Ireland.

Following a mandatory five yearly electrical inspection, a report will be issued to the landlord. If remedial work is required to ensure the property is safe, a landlord will have 28 days to ensure this is carried out.  

A spokesperson for the charity Electrical Safety First says: “Tenants and landlords can rest assured their home is safe from the hazards electrical faults can pose. Every tenant deserves to live in a safe home, and we are confident these new laws introduced by the Northern Ireland Executive will help in ensuring that is the case for thousands of renters.”  

Identical laws were introduced in England in 2022. A year later, research by the charity claimed nearly 7,000 electrical faults were uncovered through the new checks rolled out across 98 local authorities.

Hazards included exposed live wiring, badly damaged electrical sockets and severe overheating of wiring that, if left undetected, would leave the occupiers at risk from electric shock or fire. 

Under the news laws introduced in Northern Ireland all new private tenancies starting on or after April 1 must have a certified electrical safety inspection of the hardwired electrical installation. 

Existing tenancies granted before 1 April 2025 have until December 1 this year to comply. 

Where councils believe that an offence has been committed, they may take the landlord to court for non-compliance, or impose a fixed penalty notice.