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Question Title: Electrical Safety checks
| Question: 391 |
| I have just received a report from the firm of electrical contractors that I use on a property which requires over £500 worth of work to a student property that I manage. I sent the report of to the landlord and he was not at all pleased. He wanted to know why the property passed inspection last year and not this year. Has anything changed? What should I tell him?
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| Answer: |
| The Electrical Equipment (Safety) regs. apply to rented property (see Factsheet 4). There have been no changes to this legislation since it was introduced in 1995 although new building regulations introduced earlier this year mean that many minor repairs and alternations to electrical circuits now have to be carried out by a qualified electrician. Some electrical engineers are milking the situation and 'gold plating' the regulations. If in doubt, then ask another contractor for a second opinion. The 1995 safety regulations require that all electrical equipment is "safe". This will include carrying out regular electrical safety checks using a competent tradesman or a qualified engineer, and buying any new appliances to comply with currently safety standard. Records of inspections should be maintained as this will provide evidence of "due diligence". Fixed wiring should be tested every 5-10 years. Appliances should be checked annually. See our Letting Factsheets Nos. 4 & 37 for more information on electrical safety.
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References:
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Hyperlinks:
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Letting Handbook |
Chapter 8 |
letting-handbook-and-factsheets.html
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Letting Factsheet No 4 |
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factsheet-4
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Letting Factsheet No 37 |
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factsheet-37
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For more information, discuss on the Forum
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