Landlords must comply with electrical safety regulations or risk receiving a fine.

Fines would be up to £ 30,000 for failure to meet electrical safety standards.

Existing private tenancies must meet the electrical safety standards in the private rented sector (England) 2020 regulations by April 1, 2021, or face fines of up to £ 30,000.

The regulations, which were first introduced in June 2020, aim to ensure that all electrical wiring and fixed electrical installations are approved by a qualified electrician, including wiring, plugs, fuse box, and other electrical parts fixed.

Research led by ARLA Propertymark found that half (50%) of the leasing agents surveyed in September 2020 had more than 60 leases that will require every fixed electrical installation on the property to be inspected and tested in April of this year.

“Landlords must be committed to the safety of their tenants.”

Helen Hollingsworth, a partner at Bramleys, said: “Suppose a private tenant has the right to occupy his property as his sole or primary residence and pays the rent; in that case, the new regulations apply to you, including secured short-term leases and licenses to occupy.”

“Exceptions include those with a long-term lease of seven years or more, social housing, guest houses, student residences, shelters, nursing homes, hospitals and hospices, and other accommodations related to health care.”

“If a report highlights a problem, the owner will have to fix the problem within 28 days, or possibly face a fine of up to £ 30,000.”

Landlords must provide a copy of all reports and documentation of any additional investigation or repair work to the tenant and local authorities.

In addition to ensuring national standards, established in the 18th edition of the ‘Wiring Regulations’, for electrical safety to be met, owners of private rental homes must ensure that all electrical installations on their properties are inspected and tested every five years.

With the above in mind, Bramleys is implementing EICR reporting for all of its managed properties.

Electrical accidents cause 20% of property damage.

At least 20% of all property damage is caused by electricity, with faulty electrical installations being the most common electrical problem. It is essential to frequently check the state of the electrical installations, and in case of any fault immediately call a specialized technician.

Under no circumstances should you manipulate faulty electrical installations if you don’t know how to do it.

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