Landlords and Estate Agents
As industry experts in their field, SCR Electrical are trusted by Landlords & Letting Agents across Gloucestershire with their electrical needs.
Approximately 4.4 million households in the UK are currently living in privately rented accommodation according to figures from the .gov website published in may 2022. With increasing house prices and the current economic crisis, this figure is expected to rise over the next 5 years. This means an increased demand on Landlords and Letting Agents.
Your Responsibilities
As a landlord, it is your legal responsibility to keep your rental property safe. You must ensure that the electrical installation in the property is safe and maintained throughout the tenancy.
As of April 2021, private landlords in England must hire a qualified electrician to carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) in their rental property every five years. There is a penalty of up to £30,000 for a failure to comply, this includes failing to complete any necessary remedial works highlighted in the report.
We also recommend Landlords undertake a regular PAT Test. Landlords have a legal obligation to ensure electrical equipment is safe for its intended use. Failure to uphold your duty of care to the tenant could result in a negligence claim if they were harmed.
Electrical Safety First have put together a helpful guide outlining your electrical safety responsibilities as a landlord.
Landlords of privately rented accomodation must:
Ensure national standards for electrical safety are met. These are set out in the 18th edition of the ‘Wiring Regulations’, which are published as British Standard 7671.
Ensure the electrical installations in their rented properties are inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at an interval of at least every 5 years.
Obtain a report from the person conducting the inspection and test which gives the results and sets a date for the next inspection and test.
Supply a copy of this report to the existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection and test.
Supply a copy of this report to a new tenant before they occupy the premises.
Supply a copy of this report to any prospective tenant within 28 days of receiving a request for the report.
Supply the local authority with a copy of this report within 7 days of receiving a request for a copy.
Retain a copy of the report to give to the inspector and tester who will undertake the next inspection and test.
Where the report shows that remedial or further investigative work is necessary, complete this work within 28 days or any shorter period if specified as necessary in the report.
Supply written confirmation of the completion of the remedial works from the electrician to the tenant and the local authority within 28 days of completion of the works.
What is an RCD?
An RCD (Residual Current Device) is designed to automatically switch off electricity if it detects a fault. It protects against the risk of electrocution and fire in the fraction of a second.
An RCD is constantly monitoring the flow of electrical currents. If it detects an unintended pathway, such as a person touching a live wire, the circuit will switch off quickly, reducing the risk of death and significant injury.
Information from the Electrical Safety Council revealed that almost ALL electrocutions in the home and 20% of fires with an electrical origin could have been prevented by having RCD protection.
Old style fuse boards do not have RCD protection built-in so it’s a sensible safety precaution to upgrade if you have not already done so
Fire Alarms
As a landlord you have a legal responsibility to ensure a functioning smoke alarm is installed on each storey of your property and a carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance. Additionally, you must test the alarms at the start of every new tenancy.
A fine of up to £5000 can be imposed for failure to comply with these regulations.
You can read more about The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015 on the UK government’s website.