Electrical Safety Regulations to Come into Force
Electrical Safety Checks to Become a Legal Requirement for Tenanted Properties
It might feel as if the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has been bombarded with new regulation and legislation in recent years, but there is more set to come in 2020. This January, the Government has proposed detailed regulations for enforcing mandatory five-year electrical safety checks in the private rented sector from July this year.
As with current law, which stipulates letting a property without a valid gas safety certificate illegal, electrical tests will be no exception. The good news is, unlike gas safety checks which need to be conducted yearly, electrical certificates last for five years.
With no irony lost, electrical safety tests are projected to come into force on June 1st 2020, a year’s anniversary from the Tenant Fee ban (which saw costs previously borne by tenants shouldered by landlords). The new proposed legislation is titled ‘The Electrical Safety Standards' and applies in England only to (a) all new specified tenancies from 1st July 2020 and (b)all existing specified tenancies from 1st April 2021. You can find out more at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2020/9780111191934
While the new regulation is yet to be passed by the House of Commons and the Lords, resistance is unlikely, due to the majority government and the general housing agenda.
Landlords will need to ensure that the electrical safety standards are met and that every electrical installation is inspected and tested at regular intervals of no more than 5 years by a qualified person.
First inspection and testing must be carried out before the tenancy commences or by 1st April 2021 in relation to existing tenancies. Copies of certificates will need to be sent to each tenant within 28 days of the inspection. Any remedial action or further investigation required (if appliances are deemed unsafe or subpar) must be carried out within 28 days or the period specified in the report if less than 28 days, starting with the date of inspection and testing.
While the carrot in this case is ensuring the safety of your tenants, financial penalties faced by landlords for a breach will be a maximum of £30,000.
We have booked numerous electrical certificates for our managed as well as let only properties and can recommend trustworthy contractors at a reasonable rate. As always, we are here to help make the process easier!
