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Question Title: Electrical Safety
| Question: 79 |
| My electrical contractor is insisting that I get a safety certificate for my electrical appliances. Whilst with most landlords this has been okay, I do have one landlord who says that it is not a legal requirement and is refusing to authorise me to perform an annual electrical safety check. Who is right ? What are my legal responsibilities ?
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| Answer: |
| The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 govern the safety requirements of electrical appliances that are provided in property which is let. The general requirement is that all such equipment is supplied in a safe condition. Unlike the gas safety regulations there is no mandatory checking period and no requirement for a safety certificate to be issued. Despite the lack of specific requirement for regular testing, it is difficult to ascertain whether or not an appliance complies with current UK electrical safety standards and it is strongly recommended that second-hand electrical appliances are checked at the time of installation and that all electrical appliances are checked on an annual basis to ensure compliance. The regulations provide for a defence of due diligence, which means that providing the landlord or agent can show that they took all reasonable measures to ensure compliance and safety, they would not be guilty of an offence. It is therefore in the interests of the landlord and the tenant that ongoing checks are scheduled. Further information is provided in Letting Factsheet 4 - The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994. Leaflets summarising the information for landlords are also available.
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References:
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Pages:
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Hyperlinks:
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Letting Update Journal |
Jan 2004 page 26 |
letting-update-journal.html
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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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For more information, discuss on the Forum
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