The Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government have laid before Parliament draft proposals for lettings agents & landlords to have to complete electrical checks on all rented properties they manage for electrical safety or face fines of up to £30,000.
The proposals are outlined in the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 and look due to become law on 1st July this year. Full details of how landlords and letting agents will have to ensure that electrical installations within a property are tested by a qualified person can be seen by clicking the link below.
For new tenancies this will have to be carried out prior to the beginning of the new tenancy and then at least every five years or as recommended by a qualified person. For existing tenancies, checks will have to be carried out by 1st April 2021 and then every five years.
The rules will apply to every kind of privately rented property and failure to comply will result in fines of up to £30,000.
As with gas safety certificates, a copy of the electrical safety inspection report will have to be supplied to the tenant and letting agents and landlords will have just 28 days to fix any problem outlined by the inspection.
If your property currently does not have an electrical safety certificate we highly recommend doing this immediately before prices for these services start rising. For any clients wanting to discuss this further please do not hesitate to contact Longbow.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2020/9780111191934
Written by Jinay
