New legislation means landlords must have electrical installations in their home checked by an electrician at least every five years.

Old and faulty wiring is one of the major causes of house fires in the UK. Yet until now landlords were only legally obliged to provide an annual gas safety certificate, not electricity. This has changed under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 that came into force on June 1, 2020. Now all landlords must do what good landlords have always done: make sure the electrical installation in their rented properties is safe to use, so tenants are not endangered.

The rental market is rapidly growing with 4.5 million privately rented homes in England – approximately one-fifth of all households. Campaigners have welcomed the step to improve electrical safety in rental properties.  Similar measures have been in place in Scotland for a few years now.

Electrical checks

Regular testing and inspection by a qualified electrician can identity problems that need to be fixed to improve safety. The electrician will issue an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). 

An electrical installation is the fixed electrical parts of the property, such as wiring, consumer unit (or fuse box), plug sockets and light fittings. This includes permanently connected equipment like showers and extractors but not appliances, such as cookers and kettles.

The inspection will:

1. Identify potential electric shock risks and fire hazards
2. Check if electrical circuits are overloaded
3. Find any defective electrical work
4. Find any lack of earthing or bonding – there are two ways of preventing electrical shocks.

The EICR includes the date of the inspection, its outcomes and any investigative or remedial work required.

What will the report show?

The report will use the following classification codes to identify any hazards:

• Code 1 (C1): Danger present, risk of injury. The inspector may make any C1 hazards safe before leaving the property
• Code 2 (C2): Potentially dangerous
• Further investigation (FI) required without delay
• Code 3 (C3): Improvement recommended. Further remedial work is not required for the report to be considered satisfactory.

If codes C1, C2 are in the report, remedial work is required. The report will state the installation is unsafe (unsatisfactory) for continued use.

If an inspector finds that further investigative (F1) work is needed, the landlord must also ensure this is carried out.

Meanwhile the C3 classification code, indicates only that improvement is recommended, but not required. Landlords don’t have to make the improvements, but it would improve electrical safety if they did.

What do the new rules mean for landlords?

Landlords must have the electrical installation in their rental property inspected and tested at least every five years (an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR). Checks must be carried out at the start of a new tenancy from July 1, 2020 and any existing tenancies from April 1, 2021.

Landlords must then supply a copy of the report to the existing tenant within 28 days of the inspection and to a new tenant before they occupy the property. Reports of each inspection should also be supplied to the local authority within seven days of a request. In addition, a copy should be kept for the electrician who will carry out the next inspection and test.

If the report requires any remedial work or further investigation, it must be completed within 28 days of the initial inspection or any shorter period if specified in the report. Landlords must provide written confirmation that the work has been done to both the tenant and local authority within 28 days of completion.

Local authorities have been given powers to enforce the new electrical safety rules. Breaches of the regulations can result in fines of up to £30,000. The new regulations also apply to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

What standard should the electrical installation meet?

Under the new regulations, landlords must ensure national standards are met. The standards are set out in the 18th edition of the “Wiring Regulations,” which are published in British Standard 7671.

The latest Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) came into force on January 1, 2019. So, if a landlord has had an EICR carried out for a property since then and has met all the requirements of the regulations, they won’t have to have another inspection for five years, provided the report does not state that the inspection should take place sooner.

But what about electrical checks performed before 2019? Government guidelines state: “Existing installations that have been installed in accordance with earlier editions of the Wiring Regulations may not comply with the 18th edition in every respect. This does not necessarily mean that they are unsafe for continued use or require upgrading.”

The guidelines say it is “good practice” for landlords to check existing reports and decide whether the electrical installation complies with the latest standards. They might “also wish to contact the electrician who carried out the inspection” for advice.

But perhaps the only way to be sure properties with an older report meet new electricity safety standards is to have an EICR inspection performed in accordance with BS 7671.

Finding an electrician

It is the landlord’s responsibility to make sure the person performing the inspection and any remedial work is qualified and competent. The best way to ensure this is use an electrician registered with a Government-approved scheme.  This means the electrician is authorised to self-certify their work meets Building Regulations. There are strict entry criteria and their work is regularly assessed to ensure it meets the correct standards. 

What about electrical appliances like fridges, cookers and televisions?

The new rules do not cover electrical appliances, only the fixed electrical installation. Government guidelines also recommend separate regular Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). This ensures landlords are meeting their legal obligations to maintain high standards of electrical safety in their rented property.

If you are looking for help with any electrical issues, you may find some of these services useful: