Landlords are no strangers to hoops that must be jumped through, and regulations that need to be upheld. It’s important to make sure that your tenants, whether residential or commercial, are always safe, happy, and taken care of. That is why the regulations regarding property safety and electricity have been updated as of June 1st 2020.
The new guidelines regarding electrical safety in private sector property have been recently released by the Ministry of Housing & Local Government. These new regulations outline a more strict testing and property safety requirement for landlords in the private property sector. As always, new regulations and requirements for landlords will come with a bit of extra paperwork on the behalf of the property owner. This can be quite a headache for landlords who are not fully prepared.
For landlords in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, these regulations don’t have to be a nightmare – we at TRS Electric are here to help.
What’s New?
The new electrical regulations for landlords in the private sector are really nothing scary so long as you continue to maintain your property as normal. They are simply updated regulations and standards for the safety of the home or property wiring and electricity. This is, of course, just to ensure that the property itself is safe for use and doesn’t pose a threat to the community or the tenants. These new regulations also serve to help uplift the private renting sector to match the standards of the existing rental and property regulations across other sectors in England.
Here’s what the new regulations detail and outline:
- Inspections on the electrical systems must be held and updated every 5 years.
- Electrical standards as laid out by the British Standard 7671 are upheld and met.
- A report on the status of the electrical systems must be obtained from a licensed professional.
- The report itself must be given to the newly occupying tenant within 28 days of the report
being issued, and before they occupy the property. - Supply additional copies of this report within 28 days of a report being requested by future tenants.
- Supply the local governing authorities with a copy of the report within 7 days of the test and inspection being held.
- Retain a copy of the report until a time which the next test must be conducted.
- Complete any remedial / investigative work that might be required as per the test within 28 days of receiving the initial inspection and testing.
What Needs To Be Tested?
The actual testing of the property itself is no different from any other property electrical systems testing in concept. The fixed electrical systems such as wiring, light fixtures, fixed-appliances, sockets, and fuse box will all be inspected and tested for safety.
The test itself is designed to investigate and determine the following:
- If the property itself poses a fire hazard to the tenants and surrounding properties.
- If the electrical systems are currently overloaded.
- If any electrical work or wiring is faulty / defective.
- If there is proper earthing or bonding.
If these articles of concern are all tested positively and pass inspection, the report of the status of the electrical wiring systems will be written and given to you as the landlord. This is the report that you will give to your private tenants, local government, and keep for your records.
Non-fixed appliances are not an area of concern for these new regulations. You as a landlord need not concern yourself with testing of refrigerators, microwaves, cookers, etc,. However, we at TRS Electric can also provide commercial and residential PAT testing of all appliances as well (which is always recommended).
How Do You Get The Test Done?
Our team at TRS Electric has been servicing the Huddersfield community for years. We know the ins and outs of local ordinances and regulations, and are certified to perform all electrical systems testing and inspections.
Once you book a testing appointment with us, we will send out an experienced and licensed member of our team. They will conduct the test in a timely manner, and have your report as fast as possible. If any further repairs or investigative work needs to be done, we can handle that as well. We will ensure that the report you need to remain within regulations in the private rental sector is in your hands in no time.
As mentioned within the regulations implemented as of June 1st 2020, this report is the primary area of concern for you as a landlord. It must be provided to your local authorities within 7 days of issue, and within your tenant within 28 days. With this in mind, we work hard to ensure that you are never left waiting for your report. As a time-sensitive issue, we guarantee that we will work within the regulation parameters as well, so that you don’t have to worry.
Get Your Inspection
If you are a private sector landlord, you most likely have to set about making sure that you have this inspection taken care of and your report in hand. We are always on call to help get you up to code, so that you don’t have to worry about these new regulations any further.
With our services, you can rest easy that your property, your tenants, and your legal status as a private landlord are all protected. To have your new electrical systems testing performed, simply contact our team at TRS Electric today, and have peace of mind moving forward.