Electrical safety checks for private rentals – new guidance released
New guidance has recently been launched, aimed at landlords, tenants, letting agents and electricians, on conducting thorough electrical safety checks in private rentals, as well as providing detailed reports of defects found in homes.
This landmark guide is the first of its kind, compiled from the work of several industry bodies and government departments, and comes from the charity Electrical Safety First.
Following a trend as the latest part of a series, it is designed to give free expert advice on technical issues. This particular guidance stems from the confusion and inaccessibility surrounding electrical safety check procedures and reporting for the inexperienced.
Despite moves to make it mandatory for landlords to carry out periodic electrical condition reports at least every 5 years, issues around a lack of reporting consistency with electrical defects, and safety risks when we misinterpret and ignore reports, continued to crop up and are addressed by the new guidance.
By providing insight into what inspections are required, and how to produce detailed reports, the guidance tackles the root of these issues and makes it more accessible for inexperienced landlords and tenants.
It also allows us to better understand what an Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) is, what to expect from an electrician, how to prepare for the checks, what testing is required and what questions to ask. Overall, the guidance eases the process. It increases awareness to counter the lack of knowledge on electrical technicalities and accompanying safety risks.
As David Powell, electrical installation safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, puts it, the essence of the guidance “is setting a bar about what is the minimum standard to expect, and what should be inspected and tested.”
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This is not legal advice; it is intended to provide information of general interest about current legal issues.
