Landlords Electrical certificates and annual visual checks.

Landlord electrical certificates are another important part of ensuring the safety of your tenants and being able to prove that you have taken reasonable steps to do so.  All electrical certification should be carried out by an electrician whom is registered with a national body such as the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installers and Contractors (NICEIC), the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers (NAPIT) or ELECSA.  There are two types of electrical certificate:
•Periodic Inspection Report

It is advisable to have a full electrical inspection carried out every five years.  This examination investigates the state of the electrical wiring throughout the property and thoroughly checks the safety of the electrical installation.  These inspections can cost from £100 to £250.  The electrician should issue you with a 'Periodic Inspection Report for an Electrical Installation' at the end of the examination, which declares the electrical installation as safe.

It is important to ensure that all electrical appliances and fittings within the property are safe and in good working order. Unlike gas regulations, there is no law that says you must have a landlord electrical safety certificate. But, should any electrical fittings or appliances within your rental property cause harm to a tenant you could be held liable.

Manage your property well and the risks to you as landlord or agent are minimal, but manage it badly and your risks are high.

You are advised to make visual inspections yourself as landlord or agent in residential properties (record on a safety checklist) and have periodic checks carried out by a qualified electrician.
•Ideally, ensure that the electrical system complies with the latest wiring regulations.
•Make sure a circuit breaker (RCD) is fitted to power circuits.
•Keep supplied appliances to a minimum.
•Make sure appliances supplied are complete and in working order - keep purchase receipts.
•Pay particular attention to second hand equipment - always have these items checked.
•Ensure that operating instructions and safety warning notices are supplied with the appliances.
•Ensure that flexes are in good order and properly attached to appliances and plugs.
•Ensure that earth tags are in place.
•Ensure that plugs are of an approved type with sleeved live and neutral pins.
•Ensure that plugs and sockets conform to BS1363 or BS1363/A for heavy duty uses.
•Ensure that all fuses are of the correct type and rating.
•Make sure that tenants know the location of and have access to the main consumer unit, fuses and isolator switch.
•Make a note of all fuse ratings on the inventory.

If you are in any doubt about the wiring or the safety of any appliances consult a qualified electrician.

Regulations

There is no statutory obligation on landlords or agents to have professional checks carried out on the electrical system or appliances. However, under Common Law and various statutory regulations: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, The Housing Act 2004, The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, both of which come under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, there is an obligation to ensure that all electrical equipment is safe.

In January 2005 new legislation under Part P of the Building Regulations make it a requirement that for certain types of electrical work in dwellings, plus garages, sheds, greenhouses and outbuilding comply with the standards. This means a competent electrician must carry out the work. For DIY electrical work you must belong to one of the Government's approved Competent Person Self-Certification schemes or submit a building notice to the local authority before doing the work.

Compliance

We strongly recommend that any Landlord, regardless of whether they see themselves as running a business or not, should make absolutely sure they are complying with these regulations to ensure that all electrical equipment supplied is safe.

In order to do this we recommend:
• Annual visual Inspection