The following legislation mean Landlords AND Letting Agents have a legal obligation and a duty of care to tenants to ensure that the electrical installation and the electrical equipment supplied in a property, is safe.
Landlord & Tenant Act 1985:- Requires Landlords to ensure the electrical installation in the property is safe and is maintained as such.
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 states that supplying unsafe electrical goods is an offence.
The Plugs & Sockets etc (Safety) Regulations 1994:- Supplying electrical goods without a plug & fuse link which conforms with BS 1363 & 1362, is an offence.
The Consumer Protection Act 1987:- If electrical equipment is supplied by Landlord, the property should be checked before it is offered for rent.Supply of Goods & Services Act 1982 Any supply of goods or services should be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose & free of defect i.e. safe.
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989:- Electrical installation work should be designed and installed to provide protection against the risks of electric shock, burn or injuries, and should be inspected and tested to ensure compliance.
Part P of the Building Regulations 2005 All electrical installation work must be notified to Local Authority Building Control before work commences unless it is to be carried out by a “competent person”.
The legislation mean the electrical installation, equipment and appliances in a property have to be safe when a tenancy begins and have to be maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy.
To remove the risk of danger to tenants, landlords and their property we recommend the following inspections are carried out
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Our EICR covers up to 12 circuits/5 bedrooms. We assess the fixed wiring and electrical accessories for compliance to regulations and general safety.
We then product a certificate. If the condition of the installation is unsatisfactory our certificate will state this and a quotation will be issued for the rectification works. A detailed EICR should be carried out every 5 years or change of tenant.
Portable Appliance Test (PAT). Our PAT covers up to 12 appliances and includes basic fixed wiring checks to comply with EICR annual inspection, visual inspection of the fuse board, light switches, socket plates and we carry out basic testing on at least 3 selected sockets. A PAT test is no substitute for an EICR but can often spot issues before they become a problem.
