Your Electrical Safety Obligations as a Landlord
As yet another academic year is fast approaching its end and students are preparing to head home for the summer holidays, landlords across Plymouth are about to get busy renovating their properties. But even if none of your tenants are students, you still have specific legal obligations to ensure their electrical safety.
The thing is:
Whether you have one or two properties or a huge portfolio, you’re required by law to have qualified electricians inspect all electrical installations at regular intervals.
At JAH Electrical, we have decades of experience working with landlords in Plymouth and the wider area, providing landlord checks and safety inspections to give them peace of mind and ensure they are compliant with the law.
Having said that, we’re going to take a deep dive into what your electrical safety obligations are exactly. Then, we’ll take a closer look at what you can expect from working hand in hand with reliable electrical contractors for landlords in the South West like JAH.
What is an EICR?
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 stipulate that private landlords must make sure that all electrical installations (such as switches, sockets, and fuse box) in the premises they let are inspected by a qualified electrician at least once every 5 years.
While there’s no specifically defined requirement for portable appliances like kettles and lamps provided by the landlord to be examined, we recommend that you have them checked regularly as well.
What Goes in an EICR?
Once the inspection is completed, the qualified tester will issue an Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR), also known as a landlord check. The EICR contains the following:
- The results of the inspection – unsatisfactory (codes C1 ‘danger present’, C2 ‘potentially dangerous’, or FI ‘further investigation’) or satisfactory (C3 ‘improvement recommended’)
- Necessary remedial work or further investigation, where applicable
- The date by which the next mandatory inspection is due
As a private landlord, you must also send a copy of the EICR, alongside proof that any necessary remedial work has been completed, to your local housing authority within 28 days. If you fail to comply, local authorities may issue a fine of up to £30,000 – which is no laughing matter.
While this may sound like a lot of work – and indeed it is – there’s no need to worry. When you rely on JAH Electrical for your landlord check, you’re leaving everything in the capable hands of the best electrical contractors in Plymouth.
And that’s not all…
Do I Need PAT Testing?
The EICR sums up the extent of your legal electrical safety obligations as a private landlord. However, at JAH Electrical, we also recommend regular portable appliance testing, known as PAT Testing.
Even though it’s not a legal requirement, PAT Testing can help minimise common electrical risks in your properties, such as damaged cables, overloaded sockets, faulty wiring, and improper grounding. In turn, this will ensure the safety of your tenants and your property.
When we carry out PAT testing in your residential premises, this is what we’ll do:
Firstly, we will examine all appliances for external signs of wear and tear or obvious damage.
Secondly, we will test the appliances to check for malfunctioning and/or specific defects.
Thirdly, we will put a label on each appliance indicating whether it has passed the text and when.
Finally, we will provide you with a detailed PAT report, also known as a PAT test certificate, which documents the full results of the inspection.
We cannot overestimate the importance of a good PAT score for enhanced safety, trust, and professional reputation. So, if your score leaves something to be desired, we will recommend and carry out all necessary remedial work at an affordable price.
JAH Electrical: The Best Electrical Contractors for Landlords in Plymouth
As NICEIC approved contractors, we at JAH Electrical are fully-qualified residential electrical contractors for landlords. This means we are authorised to conduct landlord checks in Plymouth and throughout the South West as well as issue EICRs.
Whether you have a large portfolio or a single property, we promise to complete our inspection and testing professionally, promptly, thoroughly, and unobtrusively.
What’s more, we can carry out any needed remedial works and offer PAT testing. So, we’ll give you peace of mind and make sure you’re fully compliant with your electrical safety obligations as a landlord.
Ready to work with the best electrical contractors in the South West? At JAH, we also offer a wide range of additional electrical services to help you keep your properties in good working order, including Interior Lighting Installation, Expert Rewiring, Bathroom & Kitchen Electrics, Sockets & Switches Installation, and much more.
The bottom line is:
Whatever electrical needs you have as a landlord, we can meet.
Contact Us
Give us a ring today on 01752 338495 to discuss your specific situation, make an enquiry online, or book an appointment. For the latest news and updates from JAH, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
