Landlords Required To Meet Electrical Safety Standards

Keats Lettings in Haslemere is advising all landlords to ensure rental properties meet the required electrical safety standards. From 1st April 2021, new regulations will apply to all privately rented properties in England, as part of a government push to improve standards across the rental sector.

The regulations were introduced on 1 June 2020, applying only to new lets in England on or after 1st July 2020. This year, landlords with tenancies in place or ongoing tenancies must comply with these rules by 1 April 2021. For those who don’t comply, the local authority can step in with remedial action and a fine of up to £30,000.

Under the regulations, landlords will need to ensure that all fixed electrical installations are signed off by a qualified electrician, including wiring, sockets, fuse boxes, and all other fixed electrical parts. The electrician should supply a written confirmation that the work has been carried out, along with an Electrical Installation Condition Report.

Rita Tinney, Keats Director commented: “We are advising all our landlords to carefully follow the new regulations, ensuring all electrical installations are safe and well maintained.

“Once the initial checks are made by an electrician, landlords must supply tenants and the local housing authority with a confirmation of works letter and Electrical Installation Condition Report.

“The inspections and tests must be undertaken at least every five years after that. However, a new Electrical Installation Condition Report is not required for every new tenancy as the report is valid throughout multiple tenancies.

“We welcome the new regulations as these safety checks will provide landlords and tenants with peace of mind.”