Inspection & Testing - Domestic
Landlords Electrical Safety Inspection and Certificates
Electrical installations
Landlords should ensure that the electrical installation (fixed wiring, etc) is safe to use. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords to ensure the electrical installation is safe when the tenancy begins, and that it is maintained in a safe condition throughout that tenancy. One way of ensuring safety is to undertake a regular visual inspection of the installation, looking for any obvious signs of damage such as damaged cables, socket-outlets showing scorch marks, etc. In addition, the Institution of Electrical Engineers recommends that electrical installations are formally inspected and tested by a competent person on change of occupancy, and at least once every ten years.
Formal inspection and testing should only be undertaken by someone competent to do such work, such as an Approved Contractor. Formal inspection and testing should be more frequent where the risk is found to be greater, for instance where the installation is very old, where damage is regularly found during inspections, etc.
Electrical appliances
Official guidance issued by the Department of Trade and Industry strongly advises estate agents, letting agents, landlords and anyone else who lets furnished accommodation to seek independent advice as to who is responsible for the safety electrical appliances supplied in the course of business. If landlords provide any electrical appliances (cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines, immersion heaters, etc) as part of the tenancy, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 require them to ensure the appliances are safe to use when first supplied. Each time the property is re-let, it will be classed as supplying to that tenant for the first time.
Landlords therefore needs to maintain the electrical equipment they supply, taking reasonably practicable precautions to ensure the appliances are safe. A combination of visual inspection, and formal inspection and testing by a competent person such as an NICEIC Approved Contractor, should help achieve this.
Houses of Multiple Occupation
The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 requires that every fixed electrical installation in a HMO is inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 5 years by a person qualified to undertake such inspection and testing. A certificate from the person conducting that inspection and test, specifying the results of the inspection and test must be obtained and supplied to the local housing authority within 7 days of receiving a request in writing for it from that authority.
A procedure involving periodic inspection and test reports in conjunction with interim visual condition reports may also be considered where appropriate. However, in general a visual condition report is only suitable where the installation has been inspected and tested in the last two years, and the results were reported (on an Electrical Installation Certificate or a Periodic Inspection Report, as appropriate) as being satisfactory (or where the Periodic Inspection Report contains Code 1 or Code 2 departures the defects have been rectified).
ESI: Electrical can undertake a full range of electrical and fire alarm inspections to meet the requirements or landlords, letting agents and tenants. In a single visit we can carry out electrical inspections, PAT Testing and Fire Alarm Servicing and Maintenance visits.