Living in a property whether student, professional or anything in-between must be just that…living. Every landlord has a duty of care to their tenants and the law to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all to live in. Keeping a property Gas safe is now coupled with the legal requirement to make it electrically safe too.
For years, landlords have had to organise gas safety checks, but new rules now mean that landlords must also organise electrical safety checks too. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations, 2020 now make it legally binding for all Landlords to ensure a safe and secure property for all electrical fittings and features. The new rules state that “the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a person who is qualified and competent, at least every five years”.
This means that all electrical installations have to be inspected by qualified individuals and a copy of the certificate must be provided to all tenants and, if requested, the Council. If you’re thinking of carrying out the inspections yourself, then remember that by law they have to be carried out by a registered individual. If you’d like to check out a list of available people take a look here: www.electricalcompetentperson.co.uk
The new guidelines cover fixed electrical fittings such as showers, lights and anything permanently fixed. They don’t apply to white goods such as kettles or fridges. The basic checks look for faults within the appliances that could produce shocks, damage to infrastructure or risk of fire. Once any fault has been exposed, it’s then the landlord’s job to get it fixed within a certain period of time and provide written evidence that said repairs have been made. As we’ve mentioned earlier, the landlord is required by law to make these changes and if not the local council can issue a remedial notice instructing the Landlord to organise the work impose a fine of up to £30,000 if said work has not been carried out.
It may seem like a frivelous bureaucratic exercise in box ticking but faulty electrical fittings can have disastrous effects in the lives of those living in the properties at the time. Recent studies tell us 51,000 home electrical fires each year. This figure alone can be responsible for up to 500 deaths and 1,400 injuries annually, as well as significant property damage.
Here at Arch Living we offer free organisation for electrical safety certification for all new landlords as part of our on board programme for investors looking to build their portfolio. Why not give us a call on 0116 270 6699 to learn more!
