The new electricity standards

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 come into force for existing tenancies next week. From 1 April, all private landlords must ensure that electrical installations in their rental properties are inspected and tested by a qualified electrician every five years. If any additional repairs or other works are recommended following an inspection, these must be carried out within 28 days. This must be confirmed in writing both to the tenant and your local authority.

What needs to be done to comply

These regulations have been in place for new tenancies since June last year and we don’t regard them as being particularly onerous. Responsible landlords will be doing these checks regularly anyway but it's now vital to ensure that you keep a record - and don’t try and game the system by doing them yourself. You must be able to prove that electrical checks have been carried out by a competent person and you are legally required to provide your tenants with a copy of the Electrical Inspection Condition Report to show that this is the case. A copy may also be requested by your local authority. If you don’t comply with the new regime, you could face a huge fine – potentially up to £30,000.

Useful guidance online

Electrical Safety First has useful Best Practice Guides on this, which you can download free from their website and they also list registered electricians, so it is easy to find someone in your area to carry out the checks you need. And if keeping up with the myriad regulations that landlords now have to abide by is getting you down, at Ringley we’ve simplified compliance for you and your tenants. Our automated lettings platform PlanetRent makes compliance really simple by delivering checklists and reminders direct to your mobile or other devices and ensuring you never miss an important date. So why not take a look at PlanetRent - it could help you meet your obligations as a landlord more quickly and easily. Just a couple of clicks and we’ve got compliance sorted.