25
March
Landlord Electrical Safety Certificates
By JR | Blog
New Landlord Electrical Safety Standards
Are you a landlord renting out your house or flat in the private sector? If so, the new electrical safety regulations require regular checks on your property. Here’s what this means for you.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) require compulsory 5-year electrical safety checks on privately rented properties. This is in addition to the Gas Safety Regulations already in place for rented properties.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 applied to new tenancies from July 2020 and from 1 April 2021 they apply to existing tenancies too.
Landlord Responsibilities under the new Electrical Safety Standards
As a landlord, it is your responsibility to supply safe electrical installations for your tenants. You will also need to arrange for regular testing by a qualified electrician:
New tenancies – came into force 1 July 2020:
– Before each new tenancy begins, and at every change in tenancy
– And then at least every five years throughout the duration of the tenancy
– More regularly than every five years if the safety report requires it.
Existing tenancies – from 1 April 2021:
– First inspection to be carried out before 1 April 2021
– And at least every five years throughout the duration of the tenancy
– More regularly than every five years if the safety report requires it.
Electrical safety reports
Your electrician will provide you with a written report after the inspection. This will include the results and any remedial action you need to take to repair/improve your installations.
You must keep a copy of the report and give your tenants a copy within 28 days of the inspection.
What happens if there are electrical faults or I fail the inspection?
If your electrical safety report identifies a fault or potential fault, you must ensure it is rectified within 28 days or less, depending on what the report says.
Once the problems are sorted, you will get written confirmation that the installation is now to standard or that further work is required. And again, you need to send this confirmation to your tenants within 28 days.
A qualified, registered electrician, such as those approved by the NICEIC, must carry out the remedial works. All of Stevenson Heating’s electricians are suitably qualified to carry out the inspections and remedial work.
Why do I have to do this?
If you don’t comply with the new electrical safety standards, your Local Authority will have a duty to act. Depending on the nature of the breach, this could be in the form of a ‘remedial notice’, enforced remedial works and even fines of up to £30,000 and cost recovery measures.
As such, ignoring the new legislation really could cost you greatly!
How Stevenson Heating can help
Here at Stevenson Heating, we can carry out the required electrical inspection and provide you with all of the necessary electrical safety certification. We can also carry out any remedial work, if needed.
We are NICEIC registered and can make sure your property checks are conducted in accordance with the new legislation when it is passed.
If you also provide gas appliances for your tenants, we can carry out your gas safety inspections too.
Choose us for both electrical and gas safety checks at the same time and we will give you a 10% discount.
To book your safety checks in preparation for July contact us on 020 8462 8822 or request a call back.
18
February
New Landlord Electrical Safety Regulations
By JR | Blog
Proposed Landlord Electrical Safety Standards
Are you a landlord renting out your house or flat in the private sector? If so, proposed new electrical safety regulations will require regular checks on your property from July 2020. Here’s what this might mean for you.
In January 2020, the Government proposed detailed regulations for compulsory 5-year electrical safety checks in the private rented sector. These will operate alongside the current Gas Safety Regulations already in place for rented properties.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 still need to be approved (at the time of writing) by the House of Commons and the House of Lords before they take effect. But this is likely just a formality. When approved, the regulations will apply to new tenancies from July 2020 and from April 2021 for existing tenancies.
Landlord Responsibilities under the new Electrical Safety Standards
As a landlord, it will be your responsibility to supply safe electrical installations for your tenants. You will also need to arrange for regular testing by a qualified electrician:
New tenancies – from 1 July 2020:
– Before each new tenancy begins, and at every change in tenancy
– And then at least every five years throughout the duration of the tenancy
– More regularly than every five years if the safety report requires it.
Existing tenancies – from 1 April 2021:
– First inspection to be carried out before 1 April 2021
– And at least every five years throughout the duration of the tenancy
– More regularly than every five years if the safety report requires it.
Electrical safety reports
Your electrician will provide you with a written report after the inspection. This will include the results and any remedial action you need to take to repair/improve your installations.
You must keep a copy of the report and give your tenants a copy within 28 days of the inspection.
What happens if there are electrical faults or I fail the inspection?
If your electrical safety report identifies a fault or potential fault, you must ensure it is rectified within 28 days or less, depending on what the report says.
Once the problems are sorted, you will get written confirmation that the installation is now to standard or that further work is required. And again, you need to send this confirmation to your tenants within 28 days.
A qualified, registered electrician, such as those approved by the NICEIC, must carry out the remedial works. All of Stevenson Heating’s electricians are suitably qualified to carry out the inspections and remedial work.
Why do I have to do this?
If you don’t comply with the new electrical safety standards, your Local Authority will have a duty to act. Depending on the nature of the breach, this could be in the form of a ‘remedial notice’, enforced remedial works and even fines of up to £30,000 and cost recovery measures.
As such, ignoring the new legislation really could cost you greatly!
How Stevenson Heating can help
Here at Stevenson Heating, we can carry out the required electrical inspection and provide you with all of the necessary electrical safety certification. We can also carry out any remedial work, if needed.
We are NICEIC registered and can make sure your property checks are conducted in accordance with the new legislation when it is passed.
If you also provide gas appliances for your tenants, we can carry out your gas safety inspections too.
Choose us for both electrical and gas safety checks at the same time and we will give you a 10% discount.
To book your safety checks in preparation for July contact us on 020 8462 8822 or request a call back.
