Landlord electrical safety certificate

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Electrical testing for landlords and their properties

Landlords are legally bound to provide a safe environment for their tenants. This includes the property’s electrical system and any electric appliances included as part of the rental.
Since July 1st 2020, the law now demands each property must hold an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICE) before a new tenancy can begin. This report is considered the electrical safety certificate, standard to the industry.
JW Warren Electrical are happy to provide electrical certificate testing and reports for all landlords offering single occupancy properties or Houses in Multiple Occupancy. Our testing procedure is designed to meet all the obligations of the Government regulations.

Why electrical testing is important for landlords and tenants

Defects in electrical systems and appliances are responsible for over 20,000 fires in homes throughout the UK each year. To keep tenants safe from house fires, electric shocks and burns, government legislation is in place to minimise accidents and protect occupants.

Regular monitoring and testing will help to protect tenants from the items that are responsible for many of the electrical accidents to happen in our homes.

Deterioration of electrical installations, wiring, and equipment

Damage to switches, sockets, cables, and electrical equipment and appliances

Misuse and overloading of the installation and its equipment

Insufficient, or lack of maintenance

Vandalism

Where a tenant suffers an injury due to faulty or neglected electrical appliances or supply, the landlord will likely face serious court action, fines, or even a prison sentence. With that in mind, it’s imperative to carry out regular testing to protect your tenants and yourself, making sure you hold the appropriate electrical safety certification.

Legal requirements of electrical safety for landlords

Landlords are bound by law to carry out electrical testing on their properties every 5 years and hold a successful report stating them fit for purpose.
This applies for all new tenancy contracts signed after July 1st 2020 and pre-existing tenancy contracts from April 1st 2021.
A copy of the written report (that acts as the electrical certificate) must be provided to each tenant before they move into the property. For existing tenants, a copy of the report has to be provided within 28 days of the inspection.
Where the report dictates further investigation, or that repairs and upgrades are required, they must be completed within 28 days of the initial inspection and carried out by a qualified technician.
Local authorities can request a copy of the report, and if they do, the landlord must supply them with a copy within 7 days of their request. A landlord failing to meet the regulations or break the law in accordance with them can be fined up to £30,000 for each breach.
Landlords stand to face multiple penalties for each issue that isn’t resolved. You can see just how important it is to hold the correct certificate of electrical safety, not only for the safety of your tenants but to run your business legally and avoid excessive and unnecessary fines.

All JW Warren Electrical testing is carried out in accordance with:

BS 7671 requirements for electrical installations

IEE wiring regulations – 18th Edition

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

Health & Safety at Work regulations 1999

Provisions and Use of Work Equipment regulations 1998

Electricity at Work regulations 1989

Testing completed by fully qualified City & Guilds engineers

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) for landlords

JW Warren Electrical are specialists when it comes to handling inspections and reports. We are here to offer landlords expert advice on their properties, assisting them with all the regulations and certification they require.
Our testing procedure covers all areas of the legal requirements, including:

Testing fuses and circuit breakers and their ratings

Fuse board testing

In-built and fixed appliance testing

Possible overloads, shock risks, and fire hazards

All installation circuitry

Lighting, switch, and socket systems

Earthing and bonding

24/7 Emergency call-out commercial electrical services

You can call us at any time during the day or night—as JW Warren Electrical offers a one-hour emergency service for all of our commercial clients in the Bury St. Edmonds area.

We offer advice and recommendations where any areas of the report result in a classification that demands remedial work

Code C1 (C1): Danger present. Risk of injury.

Code C2 (C2): Potentially dangerous.

Code C3 (C3): Improvement recommended. A C3 issue doesn’t necessarily need to be resolved for the report to be deemed satisfactory—it’s merely a recommendation that will improve the electrical safety of the property.

Further Investigation (FI): Further investigation into the property is required immediately.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) for landlords

As well as the electrical supply and internal circuitry of the property, landlords are responsible for the safety of electrical appliances included with the rental of the property.
Typically, this covers white goods such as fridges, freezers, washing machines, and cookers. It also includes less obvious items like TVs, kettles, microwaves, and coffee machines, or plug-in heaters and air-conditioning.
Items belonging to the tenants are their own responsibility, and won’t necessarily be included in any PAT testing carried out under the landlord’s request. For their safety, they should organise PAT testing to hold the correct electrical safety certification for their own electrical appliances.

Landlord testing for Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)

Up until July 2020, Houses in Multiple Occupancy operated on slightly different legislation to sole occupancy properties. Since the introduction of the latest regulations, all rental properties must now hold a successful Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
A House in Multiple Occupancy is one that is rented by at least 3 people who are not part of the same household (for example, a family). However, these tenants share facilities within the property, such as a kitchen or bathrooms.

What happens if your property requires remedial work after testing?

Where a report shows problems with the electrical installation or any of the equipment and appliances we test, the landlord must rectify those issues within 28 days of the report’s delivery.
You are under no obligation to choose us to carry out the work, but in many instances we can carry out the work while we’re there, saving on additional call-out charges.
If you would prefer to source an alternative electrician, they must provide written confirmation that the work has been carried out, appropriate to the electric certificate. This confirmation must be supplied by an electrician who is qualified to do the work and to certify its safety.

Which types of property are exempt from the Electrical Safety Regulations?

Some properties are exempt from this type of electrical safety testing. The safety of those properties is managed by alternative organisations, providing an appropriate electricity certificate.
These include social housing, a home with a lodger, student halls of residence, hostels and refuges, care homes, hospitals and hospices, alternative healthcare accommodation, and tenants with long-term leases of 7 years or more.
Full details of these exceptions can be found in Schedule 1 of the Regulations.