Importance of landlords using qualified electricians
Calling all Landlords – There are many things to consider when deciding to rent a property to tenants but one of the things at the top of the list is safety. As a fully NICEIC approved electrician, the team at Barton
Electrical understand the dangers of substandard electrical work.
Every year around 70 deaths and 350,000 injuries happen in UK homes which are caused by faulty electrics and electrical equipment and electricity is the cause of almost half of all domestic fires.
The following is a guide to your responsibilities as a landlord when it comes to electrics.
The Law
As a landlord, you have certain responsibilities that are required by law:
- All electrical appliances and installations in the property must be safe when tenants move in and must be kept in a safe condition throughout the whole tenancy.
- All appliances provided by the landlord in the property must be safe and at the minimum must show the CE marking.
- If you are renting your house to multiple occupants rather than just one tenant, you are legally required to ensure that an inspection is carried out on the property by a qualified electrician at least every 3-5 years. Although this is not a legal requirement for a single tenant, it is still considered best practice to do so. It is also recommended that landlords ensure that annual Portable Appliance Tests (PAT) are carried out.
It is possible that your local authority may have additional regulations that apply so before renting out your property, contact them to check whether this is the case. If you belong to any accreditation scheme, it is also possible that they may have their own regulations which you will need to adhere to.
If you don’t meet with your legal requirements and something happens, your tenants could take legal action against you.
The Responsible Landlord
You will need to carry out regular basic safety checks to make sure that all electrical appliances and installations are safe and in good working order. If you are in any doubt over the condition of an appliance or installation, call in a qualified electrician straight away – don’t leave it to chance.
Make sure that your tenants understand that you take your role as a landlord seriously and don’t ignore any concerns they have around the electrical installations or appliances. It is better that they are extra vigilant than if they ignore some faulty wiring which then causes a fire.
Barton Electrical are qualified to carry out electrical safety inspections as well as PAT testing so get in touch and we will be happy to help.