22 Feb Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 were introduced in June last year (2020) and, as the compliance deadline approaches, we take a look at how being proactive could save landlords from a hefty fine.
Our Lettings Department have been working hard with our private landlords in order to stay ahead of the deadline and get all our privately rented properties compliant.
If you are a landlord and need to speak to a member of our team, call us on 01344 843000 or email us. If you are thinking of moving to the area, we are always adding to our amazing catalogue of properties to let in Virginia Water and the surrounding areas so, visit our award-winning website.
The Regulations
The new Regulations have been brought in to ensure the safety of tenants in the private rental sector in England. While the regulations came into force in June 2020 and have applied to all new tenancies (including renewals) since 1st of June, tenancies whose fixed terms have ended and are now periodic fell into this band from 1st July 2020 and all other existing tenancies have until 1st April 2021 to comply with the regulations.
Private landlords will not be able to let their properties unless they have provided a valid copy of the Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR) to the tenant before they move in to the property. Landlords are required to provide a copy of the EICR within 28 days if requested by the tenants.
All existing tenancies in the Private Rented Sector need to comply with the new Electrical Safety Standards by 1st April 2021 to avoid fines.
Existing Reports
If you are a landlord who currently has a valid Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) obtained within the last couple of years, you may think that you are covered. However, you might be wrong – you will need to check when your inspection was completed. The new regulations state that the property’s electrical wiring must specifically comply with the 18th edition of the Wiring Regulations.
Any report completed before the 1st July 2018 will only have been tested against the 17th edition, any report dated before January 1st 2019 may not meet the current standard. EICs are valid for five years. As a landlord you will not be required to carry out further checks or provide a report for 5 years after the EIC has been issued, as long as your inspection falls within the dates above.
If your property is a new home or has been entirely rewired, an EIC will already have been issued on completion.
Failing
If your property happens to fail the electrical safety check you, as a landlord will be required to bring it up to standard within a short timeframe. This timeframe depends on the severity of the fault; serious faults are likely to require immediate attention, however, any non-urgent work must be completed within 28 days.
If the property is occupied, the landlord is required to provide a copy of both the failure and pass certificates within 28 days. Copies of the certificates will also need to be submitted to the local authority within the same timeframe.
Our advice to private landlords is to always keep meticulous records regarding their property’s EICR. All information on failures, remedial work undertaken and start/completion dates. You can never be too prepared for an enquiry.
If you need to speak to our Lettings Department about your property, you can email us and a member of our team will be with you as soon as possible.
Get in Touch
If you’d like to speak to someone about properties to let in Virginia Water, a member of our expert team would be happy to help. You can call us on 01344 843000 or email us. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.