Electrical Safety In Rented Properties
Rental properties are increasingly coming under the spotlight regarding electrical safety standards, there is a common myth about electrical certification for landlords in particular.
Often a landlord will say to me ‘I had it rewired 17 years ago’ or ‘its a old house what do you expect?’, ‘there is no legal requirement to have it tested’.
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.
Since July 2020 it is a legal requirement for all landlords to have a valid EICR (electrical installation condition report) and failure to have the correct certification in place could lead to severe fines.
Since the latest regualtions regarding electrical safety testing have come into place we have recieved correspondance from many landlords requesting our services.
As a landlord you have to make sure the electrical installation is ‘fit for purpose’ and regularly checked by a competent person ie an NICEIC registered electrical contractor.
What will an EICR tell me?
An EICR will provide a full summary of the condition of the electrics in your home and determine whether it complies with the current British Standard for electrical safety (BS 7671).
It will record a number of observations in line with BS 7671 and make various recommendations where improvement may be necessary or beneficial to improving safety in your home.
Once the EICR is completed the registered contractor will provide you with a certificate outlining the overall condition of the electrical installation.
Generally, an EICR will provide codings against the condition of the installation. The classification codes are as follows:
Code C1 – This code should indicates that danger exists, requiring immediate remedial action. The persons using the installation are at immediate risk.
Code C2 – This code indicates that, whilst an observed deficiency is not considered to be dangerous at the time of the inspection, it could become a real and immediate danger if a fault or other foreseeable event was to occur in the installation or connected equipment.
Code C3 – This code indicates that, whilst an observed deficiency is not considered to be a source of immediate or potential danger, improvement would contribute to a significant enhancement of the safety of the electrical installation.
Also emergency lighting has to be checked every 12 months, and fire alarms have to be checked every 6 months – this is especially important for HMO’s with communal area’s and multiple apartments
Orrell Electrics can cover your electrical testing needs across Liverpool and Merseyside and we usually send over the certificates via email the same day.
Call us now on 0151 526 9998 to arrange for one of our engineers to visit your property and put your mind at rest.
Gary Price
Orrell Electrics Electricians In Liverpool
