Are Electrical Safety Checks a Legal Requirement?
Are Electrical Safety Checks a Legal Requirement? A topic of much debate and a common question asked by Landlords! Here is our take on this ahead of new legislation surrounding Electrical Certificates coming your way!
Single-Let Property
You are legally required to ensure that the electrics are safe for all your rental properties. However at present you do not have to have an electrical safety certificate. It is not a legal requirement yet.
In spite of it not being a legal requirement, as a Managing Agent we always strongly recommend that you complete an Electrical Safety Certificate. In reality, it is a good way of proving you are compliant with your obligations to ensure that your property is electrically safe and more importantly protects your tenants.
HMO Properties
For an HMO property it is a legal requirement to have an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Moreover, the check needs to be completed by a qualified electrician. Worth noting that this requirement is irrelevant of whether the property is licensable or not. Your property is considered an HMO if it is occupied by three or more people, whereby two or more of the tenants are unrelated.
New Legislation
Currently the Government are focussing attention on driving up the standards of the Private Rental Sector. Consequently, the legislation for Electrical Checks has now been drafted and is currently going through Parliament. Finally it looks set that Electrical safety checks will become a legal requirement from July 2020. We currently await further information and confirmation.
View the draft legislation at www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2020/9780111191934
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) lasts for five years. Homemaker Properties can arrange a full Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for your property. Please e-mail Will (will@homemakerproperties.com) for more information or call our office on 02476 100 390.