According to Electrical Safety First, the leading charity campaigning on electrical safety matters
Landlords are required by law to ensure:
- That the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout its duration.
- That a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) has a periodic inspection carried out on the property every five years.
If your property is not an HMO, you are not legally obliged to do this. However, we recommend that a periodic inspection and test is carried out by a registered electrician on your rental properties at least every five years. - That any appliance provided is safe and has at least the CE marking (which is the manufacturer’s claim that it meets all the requirements of European law).
To meet these requirements a landlord will need to regularly carry out basic safety checks to ensure that the electrical installation and appliances are safe and working.
Electrical Safety First recommends ...
- That a visual inspection of the property is conducted between tenancies
- Making sure that your property has adequate RCD protection
- Using a registered electrician for any work on your property
- Carrying out regular safety checks on the electrical appliances provided as part of the rental agreement
- Downloading the 'Home Electrical Safety Check' smartphone app
For more information, please visit https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/for-landlords/
Let Me Properties recommends:
We recommend that when you start letting your property out you hire a qualified electrician to carry out an Electrical Condition Inspection Report to ascertain that the electrics within your property are safe and that a repeat inspection is carried out at least every 10 years or sooner if the electrician recommends.
We recommend that wherever possible, you do not leave any portable electrical appliances for tenants. If you do, you are legally required to have these appliances tested every single year. This is called PAT Testing.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at support@letmeproperties.co.uk
Our advice is provided in good faith, without any liability accepted by us.