Electrical Safety: What Landlords Need to Know
The landlord advice team frequently receive questions from landlords and letting agents on electrical safety. The topic has also made headlines recently. The RLA has updated its electrical safety guidance for landlords and anyone needing advice on their rented properties when it comes to electrical safety should be able to find it within the updated web pages.
Last month, the topic of electrical safety inspections made headlines when the Government announced that it intends to press ahead with plans first announced last year to introduce regulations requiring landlords to undertake five yearly safety checks of electrical installations in their properties.
While no date has been announced for this, the Government has announced that it intends to introduce this new legislation on a phased basis, starting with new tenancies, as soon as Parliamentary time allows. You can read more recent announcements on electrical safety here.
Electrical Safety Inspections guidance
The guides outline landlords’ responsibilities when it comes to electrical safety inspections. The new guidance covers:
*** How often landlords are legally required to inspect their properties, and looks at this when it comes to HMO landlords.
*** It also covers what is a competent person
*** Penalties for not complying with the regulations
*** What landlords should look for on a visual inspection
