When owning a rental property there are a number of responsibilities the landlord is required to maintain and be accountable for. The private rental sector has increased in size by 63% in the last decade in England, and landlords are expected to take full responsibility of their rental property.
One area that seems to be overlooked are the electrical installation checks. To ensure this is regulated, The Electrical Safety Standards Working Group recommended a survey should be held to gain opinions from various organisations including but not restricted to, electricians, landlords, local authorities and the fire and rescue services regarding electrical safety in the private sector. (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government 2019)
“The working group had recommended introducing five yearly mandatory electrical installation checks for the private rented property and that other safety measures be encouraged as good practice and set out in guidance. It also made recommendations about the introduction of a new competent person scheme and how the new regulations should be implemented.” (Ministry of Housing 2019).
Landlords are required by law to ensure:
1. That the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout its duration.
2. That a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has a periodic inspection carried out on the property every five years. If your property is not an HMO, you are not legally obliged to do this. However, we recommend that a periodic inspection and test is carried out by a registered electrician on your rental properties at least every five years.
3. That any appliance provided is safe and has at least the CE marking (which is the manufacturer’s claim that it meets all the requirements of European law). To meet these requirements a landlord will need to regularly carry out basic safety checks to ensure that the electrical installation and appliances are safe and working.
We recommend;
1. That a visual inspection of the property is conducted between tenancies. Making sure that your property has adequate RCD protection.
2. Using a registered electrician for any work on your property, PRW Group Ltd are listed as a registered electrician.
3. Carrying out regular safety checks on the electrical appliances provided as part of the rental agreement.