All privately-let homes must have electrical installations checked every five years under new rules announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Housing Secretary James Brokenshire says there will also be a comprehensive review of guidelines covering fire safety, beginning this autumn.
“There’s nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their own homes. That is why I am announcing a package of measures focused on improving building safety, having listened carefully to the concerns which have been raised” says Brokenshire, who initiatives follow the review led by Dame Judith Hackitt, after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
“Dame Judith’s report sets out the right framework to improve safety, but I will not hesitate to go further than the recommendations where I deem it necessary. That is why I am going further than my original commitment to simply clarify the guidelines, by commencing an end-to-end technical review of the fire safety aspects of building regulations in the autumn” continues Brokenshire.
Electrical Safety First, a safety charity, says over 18,000 house fires in England each year are caused by electricity, and claims private rental sector properties are most at risk.
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More rent increases coming,I just cannot absorb any more costs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) has ALWAYS been the only way to show due diligence towards electrical safety, the only difference is that they're now becoming mandatory. So either you weren't carrying out your due dilligence all along, or there aren't any additional costs as you should always have factored them into your business model. You can't have your cake and eat it.
Again dont know what the government Muppets are talking about.
If its an HMO property it has Elec test On Everything every year.
On " normal" accommodation we witness on our 2 or 3 monthly Property Inspection that some tenants will put 3 or 4 Elec items out of one socket, they will trail and extension lead throughout the property. What the government Muppets should be insisting on is that tenants do not overload a socket and Inspect their own electrical items every 6 months, simples? And confirm they have. No,too simples.
Let all us "Professional Landlords" start selling up and leave the council's to house and apply their rules on themselves.
I have a 3 bed ex council flat with an HMO licence, in a block of 50 odd similar flats. The council asked me to put a Glass break box with door key in it and write on the wall above it Only to be used in an Emergency. They own the 3 bed next door along with most of the other 50, next door had a family of 6 living, I asked them if they had a break Glass box next to their front door and was told No! They checked my Fire blanket and extinguisher in kitchen and again when I asked if their next door council owned property had same she didn't know because they dont Inspect like us professional landlords do!!! The council is the biggest landlord in Great Britain!!!!. All my flat doors had to be kept closed with no wedges holding them open!! I went one step further and put a sticker on all doors saying Fire Door keep closed.
The council Muppet asked me if my tenant who was there knew how to open any door in a fire situation, I showed him saying open door using any hand pull or push door open and walk through.!!! Can you really believe these clowns get paid to do their job.
You're getting mixed up between PAT and fixed wire EICR testing. They are two very different things with different obligations to different people. Also, an EICR has ALWAYS been the only way to show due diligence towards electrical safety, the only difference is that they're now becoming mandatory. As a 'professional' landlord you should have been carrying them out all along.
Its about time they put a set framework in place rather than guidelines- so everyone is clear. The average 'fixed wire test' costs around £120 and for a 5 year cover that's just £24 a year so not all that bad. They should also put set laws in place regarding PAT tests also- however lets make properties completely safe and, where tenants bring electrical items, they should have to undertake PATs also to ensure both they and the landlord's property are safe. Sensible rules, applied unilaterally and effectively enforced are all good. 18k house fires, and events like Grenfell, cant be ignored.
not quite that price. in Bath, John Hill despite being asked not to do niceic check on current fusebox as will fail but need to upgrade then do checks, they went on to charge 2 x 185 for 2 fusebox check, even tho they had been told to change to one fuse box which their employee didnt. He change 2 into 2 new ones and then charged another 260x2 for the certificate. Electrician all over are a real rogue tradesman. They often double charge first for failing it, then fix the problems and then charge again to re do the niceic.
Totally agree with you Kristjan. There are far more accidents and injuries involving electrics than there are gas so both tenants and landlords should be taking responsibility for electrical safety where they can. In my view this is welcome news as, let's face it, if there aren't specific requirements in place then we know that in the majority of cases it won't be happening.
I have lived in two houses where appliances kept tripping the main fuse boxes. In both cases there were significant problems that could have caused death by fire or electrocution at any time. I agree with both Krisjan and Kathy. Landlords already have a responsibility to ensure that electricity provisions are safe. The only way they can really know this is to get it checked by a qualified electrician. If tenants are stupid enough to put their own lives at risk then they will have to face the consequences of their actions. As a landlord you have a legal and moral responsibility to keep the occupants of your properties safe. Why would choose not to meet those requirements and put your whole business at risk?
Well said Sue Kelly. The people moaning here due to an 'additional cost' ALWAYS had the responsibility, as you stated. The only difference is that now it's mandatory. These costs should have been factored in to their business models all along.
The trips were working! There was no safety risk and "could" does not come into it.
Trips are the ultimate safety override for when all else fails. That is why they exist and that is why they are built to a high standard. They react to a fault almost instantaneously.
All you have to do is find what is tripping the the trips and get the device fixed or throw it away. Start with the cheap electric kettle but it could be damaged wiring and so on. Sometimes failing light bulbs throw a trip when they fail. That is just a nuisance. Buy decent light bulbs next time.
@Fred Jones wrong, wrong and wrong. There are no such things as trips. There are protective devices that come in all manner of guises and BS numbers and they do different things. A residual current earth fault is not the same as an overload fault. When these devices operate they are a symptom not a cure, they are not an 'override' and certainly not the ultimate anything. The average circuit in a house has at least 3 protective devices between the incoming power and the item in use. Then there are more external to the property. These have to be installed in 'discrimination' to work properly. You think your extremely basic knowlesdge gives you some kind of authority when in relality you are extremely ignorant on the subject and don't know what you're talking about.
If there's so much concern ariind this issue then let's make it mandatory for owner-occupied homes as well. Bring them under the Gas Safety Certificate scheme too.......... Oh no, wait, there's a political cost to that so let's just bash the landlords again. Just the good ones as the rogues will ignore anyway
Do I need to point out the obvious and state that owner occupiers are living in their own properties and therefore taking the brunt of whatever risks they choose to take? That is of course their choice and prerogative if they want to live in a death trap. How is it the same scenario when you're profiting from a tenanted property, where the tenant may be at risk, through no fault of their own, and you are at none. Only an idiot would fail to see the difference.
This type of electrical testing (EICR's) has always been the standard to show due dilligence towards the electrics in the property. If you haven't been carrying out the testing as recommended by the IEE then you haven't been carrying out your duty of care. The only difference now is that it's becoming mandatory.
Too late, we will phone you. If you want building regulations sign off after any major work done in your house or if you build a house then these certificates have to be in place. Prospective house buyers will also want these certificates.
Make it law that ALL tenants have their own elec goods PAT certificated every year and give cert to landlord just like we have to give the EPC Gas Cert PAT cert to our tenants every year and ten years. SCRAPE EPC which is a waste of paper?
This is nothing to do with PAT testing
It should be mandatory on all rented properties private, housing associations, councils and commercial
Lots of LL will find they need to rewire their rental properties.
That could be £2000 or more.
LL should start saving for a rewire per property
Not sure but would such works be allowed to offset against tax!?
This combined with EPC costs could be the deciding factor for many LL to get rid of these dud properties.
Get rid of them to FTB.
Hi Paul, in Banes, rewiring a 2 story 3-4 bed house will costs £4000-5000 as standard. I update my fusebox and these rogue electricians charge 185x2 for checking old fusebox that i said not to. then another 2x260 for niceic certificate as got 2 fusebox asked to put into one but was told had to do 2 even though the two flats are now converted into one house and charge twice. from a £300 fusebox change was charge a whooping 2000. can we complaint about it and how or where to go to do so. These hmo rules are creating a whole new era of rogue tradesman out to fleece landlords. that doesnt even includes rewiring and they put trunking despite objections.
All tax deductable. Not all electricans are rogues, just got to find the right one. Certificates £50 to £200, the latter figure includes new Circuit box replacement earth plus cert.
In BANES, fusebox alone cost £400 at least and certificate is now a whopping £180 ish. Not tax deductible when its your own home tho,
No matter who i asked to quote, they are more or less around that figure or exact same price. These tradesman goes to pub and talk to each other on prices and which house they charge as i was told by one of them.
Cripes £5000
Plus EPC work to C status would mean it could take 20 years to get any payback
Time to sell these dud properties to FTB!
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