Landlord Electrical Safety Certificates
To protect your tenants, and yourself as a landlord, an electrical inspection and certificate is highly recommended every three to five years. It is important to prove that you have taken reasonable steps to ensure that your tenants are safe, and not at any risk from electrical faults.
Our team of electricians work with multiple landlords across Bristol and surrounding areas to help keep their tenants safe.
If you want to book in a electrical safety inspection (EICR) contact us today!
Fill out the form and one of our team will be in touch shortly!
What Does A Electrical Inspection Show?
- Detect electrical faults which could cause shock or burns to humans or livestock.
- Check if the installation is safe to use.
- Check if there is protection against damage to property by fire or heat rising from a defective point.
- Additions to the installation which could cause overloading.
- Alterations to the installation which could cause harm or damage.
- If there has been flooding or water damage due to a leak.
How Important Is A Electrical Safety Test for Landlords?
Electrical safety certificates for landlords are a crucial part of ensuring the safety of your tenants. It is recommended that you should have a full electrical inspection carried out every three to five years depending on previous inspection advice. As a landlord, you’re obliged to ensure all electrical appliances and installations you supply are safe with the EICR.
By law, you must make sure:
- All electrical installations (e.g. sockets and light fittings) are safe when tenants move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout the duration of the tenancy
- All electrical appliances you supply, e.g. cookers and kettles, are safe and have (at a minimum) the CE marking.
- A periodic inspection and test is carried out by a registered electrician every five years (only legally required if the property is a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO))
To meet all these requirements, a landlord will need to regularly carry out basic safety checks to ensure that the electrical installation and appliances are safe and working.
Keeping hold of these EICR certificates also provide a basis for any further inspection and testing, as they can help save on costly exploratory work which might otherwise be needed in the future. Additionally, in the event of a claim that injury or fire was caused by an electrical installation, certificates are documentary evidence which help show that the installation had been installed to a satisfactory standard of safety.
Consequences To Landlords That Fail To Comply With The Electrical Safety Regulations
If electrical installations and appliances provided by the landlord, are found to be unsafe, then you could face:
- A £5,000 fine
- Six months imprisonment
- Potential criminal charges in the event of injury or death
- Invalidated property insurance
Of course, it’s in your best interests to keep your property’s electrics in the best condition. Safe tenants are happy tenants (which makes the business of letting your property much easier), and safe electrics also greatly minimize the risk of costly damage (such as fire) to your property. So in addition to the basic legal requirements mentioned above, it’s worth taking additional safety measures by the landlords.