Electrical safety for landlords – Landlords are being urged to pay more attention to electrical safety. A new report by the Electrical Safety Council shows that a fifth of tenants have been put at risk by faulty or damaged electrics.
Landlords are legally required to carry out gas safety checks, and get a gas safety certificate, every year. The rules on electrics are much woollier. Landlords are required to make sure that the electrics are safe, but there is no requirement for an annual check and certificate. This can mean that electrical safety gets forgotten.
Electrical dangers
Electrical safety needs to move up both landlords’ and tenants’ priority lists. The Electrical Safety Council urges landlords to make sure they carry out safety checks on their properties. It also wants tenants to make sure they keep appliances in good repair.
Dangerous electrics can lead to fires and accidents. Every year in the UK, 30 people die and 4000 are involved in accidents related to faulty electrics. The human consequences of failing to maintain electrical equipment properly are all too real.
Even if faulty electrics are fixed before they cause injury or death, there can be big financial penalties for landlords who fail to make sure that keep their wiring in good repair. Landlords insurance can be invalidated, and landlords can face big fines.
Legal requirements
Several different laws cover the need for landlords to keep their electrics safe (this is an issue that cuts across housing, consumer and electrical regulations). In particular, landlords should pay attention to the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987. Landlords who fail to comply with these laws can find themselves in serious trouble. As well as fines and invalidated insurance, they could find themselves facing prison, and possible manslaughter charges.
What to check
It’s important to make sure that the wiring and appliances in a property are given a thorough once-over by an electrician every time a new tenancy starts. If you have long-term tenants, then make sure you carry out checks every couple of years.
In addition to this, it’s important to make sure that you carry out visual checks whenever you do a general inspection. Make sure wires and sockets are in good repair. Check that sockets are not overloaded. Make sure fuses are the right rating. Take an electrician with you the first time you do a check, and they’ll help you understand what to look for. Also make sure your tenants know how to use electrical equipment safely.
Keeping your tenants safe is part of your job as a landlord. It’s easy to forget to carry out all the checks you need to, but it is vital that you do.