Landlords Electrical Certificates
Landlords are required, by law to ensure that the electrical installation in a rental property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout the duration of any tenancy.
It is therefore a legal requirement to protect your tenants and your property which comes in the form of periodic electrical inspections.
It is also good practice to have an electrical maintenance contract in place to ensure that you have access to professional, fully qualified electricians at all times, including for emergency situations.
A periodic inspection checks the condition of an existing electrical installation against BS 7671, the UK Standard for the safety of electrical installations. A periodic inspection should:
Discover if electrical circuits or equipment are overloaded
Identify potential electrical shock risks and fire hazards
Find any defective electrical work
Highlight any lack of earthing or bonding
Rental properties including HMO's (House of Multiple Occupations) will need an inspection carried out on the property every five years.
EICR's can also be required more often, please refer to your Local Authorities Requirements.
There are two main Acts of Parliament that impose a statutory duty on landlords with respect to the safety of electrical equipment:
1. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 landlords electrical testing obligations.
2. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
The Consumer Protection Act affects all persons who let property in the course of their business because it defines them as "suppliers", i.e. they are supplying goods to the tenant.
There are several items of secondary legislation under the umbrella of the Consumer protection Act which are directly relevant to the supply of electrical goods, including:
1. The Low Voltage Electrical Equipment Regulations 1989
2. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994
3. The General Product Safety Regulations 1994
4. The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994
All appliances need to be safe and have at least the CE marking as a minimum standard.
Periodical Testing is a legal requirement for all rental accommodation!
The good news is that Arbours Electrical can handle all of this work for you so that you don't have to worry about it, protecting you, your tenants and your property. We are not only NICEIC Approved Contractors, but are also NICEIC Trustmark Approved (Landlords)
If you would like to know more simply call us now on
Arbours Electrical - Local, Friendly and Reliable Electricians