If you’re a landlord or you’re just simply interested in the electrical safety of your own home, having a regular electrical safety certificate inspection carried out can provide you with the peace of mind that your property is safe.
In this post, we consider:
- why landlords should take note of the new law on electrical installation condition reports (previously called Periodic Inspection Reports)
- why the law came into force
- what an electrical installation condition report is
- how much does an electrical safety certificate cost
- whether you can legally perform electrical installation condition reports yourself
- other types of work done on behalf of landlords and homeowners by electricians
- what qualifications and memberships you should insist on with an electrician?
- how to go about getting the lowest quotes for electrical safety certificates and other domestic electrical work
Landlords – take note of new electrical safety certificate requirements
Just below half of all UK household fires are accidental and are caused by faulty wiring. 70 people a year are killed and just over 750,000 are injured because of them.
In Scotland, private landlords were made legally responsible for ensuring that their properties electrics are up to standard. Every 5 years, landlords are required to carry to have an electrical condition report for each home and property they owned. England has followed Scotland’s lead and it is now mandatory to have an electrical condition report for every new tenant that enters their property. This brings all residential properties in line with the current laws on the electrical safety certificate requirements for houses in multiple occupation. You can read more about this by visiting Electrical Safety First
These new laws are in addition to the existing laws that cover your common law duty of care to your tenants, including the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987. East Kent Electrical can carry out all your Landlord electrical services.
What is an electrical installation condition report?
An electrical installation condition report provides you and your tenants with the peace of mind that the electrical equipment (including accessories, sockets, switches, and cables) are in a safe condition and functioning properly.
The report will also contain any information on the works required to get the property up to the required standard. It will also check for any electrical issues in your home which could present a risk of burning, fires and electric shocks.
The Electrical Safety Council recommends that electrical installation condition reports are performed at least once every ten years meaning that the new legal requirement now placed on landlords is even more precautionary than the standard accepted professional advice.
East Kent Electrical will test the following for their electrical installation condition report:
- fuse board or consumer unit
- switches, sockets, and fixtures including light fittings (a sample section thereof)
- installation polarity checks
- protective device testing to ensure that they still work
How much does it cost?
The electrical safety certificate can vary in cost, this depends on multiple different factors such as the size of the property that you would like tested. To budget for the cost of an electrical inspection on your property that you let out to tenants, you should set aside the following amounts (this is a guide only and cost may vary):
- 1 bedroom flat – £100 to £150
- 2 bedroom flat – £120 to £170
- 3 bedroom flat – £180 to £230
- 1 to 2 bedroom house – £150 to £200
- 3 to 4 bedroom house – £200 to £250
- 5 bedroom house and larger – £300 and higher
The prices quoted to us are based on a 10-circuit-or-less fuse board – most residential properties have fuse boards of this type. The prices quoted above exclude VAT.
Can I do electrical safety inspections myself?
Landlords are required to ensure, with the force of law, the following:
- when rented, all electrical installations in that property are safe
- any appliance provide in the property meets CE marking standards and is safe
The registered charity Electrical Safety First recommends that any electrical work that is required in your property should be carried out by a professional electrician
Whether your rental property is a standard type of property or a Home In Multiple Occupation, all checks must be carried out by a “competent person” (someone with the necessary qualifications to carry out the work) and you must keep the report given to you by that competent person. Your local authority has a right to request this documentation from you and you must provide it to them within seven days.
If you haven’t yet had an electrical inspection for your property or you just require an electrician in Thanet then please contact us on 01843 290107 or Book an Appointment using our online booking system.
