• Electrical, Data and Security Specialist in Devon, servicing the South West
Open
Monday – Friday 08:00 – 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 12:00
01626 201 102
support@flexwire.co.uk

LANDLORDS

LANDLORDS

Did you know?

In the UK there are around 70 deaths and 350,000 injuries due to faulty electrical systems per year.

And almost half of all domestic fires in the UK are electrical in the average year.

As the person responsible for the safety of an electrical installation, you must ensure you abide by current legislation and building regulations.

REGULAR VISUAL CHECKS

From the outset, we advise that all landlords carry out regular visual checks to see if there are any obvious issues that need rectifying. Here is what to look out for:

Broken accessories (such as light switches and plug sockets).

Signs of scorching around plug sockets which indicate overloading.

Damaged light sockets or the presence of discolouration or burn marks.

Lack of RCD protection, especially for those that have equipment in the bathroom.

A strong, often fishlike smell coming from any electrical equipment; a sign of overheating.

Damaged or trailing cables to appliances.

The correct use of extension leads.

If in doubt, we strongly advise contacting us to assess the condition of the installation or rectify any faults, without delay to prevent accidents.

Every five years

Inspection and Testing

All electrical installations deteriorate with time and use. Thus, it is important that they are inspected and tested at regular intervals to ensure they are safe for continued use

As of 1st June 2020, private landlords are required to have a qualified electrician assess the safety of the electrical installation in their rental properties.

From 1st July 2020, electrical installations must be inspected and tested prior to the start of a new tenancy, whilst checks must be carried out on any existing tenancies by 1st April 2021.

A copy of the most recent electrical safety condition report (EICR) must be supplied to both new and existing tenants and the landlord then must carry out an EICR every 5 years. If requested, we can setup a reminder to ensure you don’t miss this important deadline as a penalty of up to £30,000 is enforceable by law, to those who are in breach of The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.

Our engineer will check the condition of the electrics against the UK standard for the safety of electrical installations, BS 7671 – Requirements for Electrical Installations (IET Wiring Regulations) and if the inspection reveals any required remedial work, this must be completed within 28 days.

More information on Inspection and Testing can be found here.

Legislation

Smoke & CO

As of the 1st October 2016 Landlords, when the premises are occupied under the tenancy, must ensure that:

  • a smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation;
  • a carbon monoxide alarm is equipped in any room of the premises which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a solid fuel burning combustion appliance; and
  • checks are made by or on behalf of the landlord to ensure that each prescribed alarm is in proper working order on the day the tenancy begins if it is a new tenancy.

Full legislation can be found here.

Building Regulations

Part P

At the beginning of 2005, the Building Regulations for England and Wales were amended to include Part P to cover the electrical safety of dwellings. Thus, to comply with law, all electrical work undertaken must conform to Part P. Electrical work carried out in domestic properties must:

be carried out by a qualified electrician, registered with a government-authorised Part P competent person scheme (e.g. NICEIC).

be inspected and tested by a registered certifier.

More information can be found here.

Certification

The type of report we supply, will depend on the extent and type of work or inspection carried out.

You should make sure that you retain all certification to do with any electrical work that is carried out at your property and a copy should be supplied to your tenants.

An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) or Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC), will provide you with a declaration that the electrical installation is safe to use at the time of commission. These certificates will also provide you with valuable information for any further inspection and testing and can help to save on costly exploratory work that could be necessary in the future. Furthermore, these certificates provide evidence of a safe installation should there be an injury or fire; their absence can have a significant, negative impact on your defence in any disputes.

Electrical Installations

There are a number of things to consider when assessing the suitability of your electrical installation, such as ensuring:

  • There are enough sockets for appliances to prevent the overuse of multiway adapters and extension leads.
  • That earthing arrangements are satisfactory to ensure that a fuse or circuit breaker can quickly clear an electrical fault before causing a shock or fire.
  • The protective bonding is sufficient to minimise the risk of electric shock until a fault is cleared.
  • That covers are in place and good condition to prevent contact between fingers and live wires; any defects should be fixed without delay.
  • A residual current device (RCD) is installed to provide further protection against electric shock. An RCD is designed to prevent death as a result of touching a live wire. Ordinary fuses or circuit breaker do not provide the same level of protection.
  • There are a sufficient number of circuits to avoid overloading.
  • The correct cables are installed in relation to the fuse or circuit-breaker protecting the circuit.

Copyright © 2014 Flexwire Ltd. All rights reserved. Newton Abbot Electrician. Network Installations Devon. CCTV Installations Devon. Electrician Devon. Designed by Invi Hosted by ZOOC.