Landlords Electrical Certificate - Penalties for Non Compliance
There are penalties in place for not obtaining a landlords electrical safety certificate. Local authorities can fine you up to £30,000 for non compliance, so make sure to obtain your EICR for rented properties as per legislation.
If you don’t complete remedial work stipulated in your landlords electrical certificate documentation, your local authority has the right to issue you with an immediate notice to have the work done. Non compliance may result in authorities arranging for the work to be completed themselves, costs recovered from you at a later date.
What's Involved in an EICR for rented properties?
At present, electrical reports for landlords are carried out in accordance with the 18th edition of the wiring regulations.
If you’re issued with a landlords electrical safety certificate, it means that the electrical installation meets requirements for safe continued use.
Fixed parts of your electrical system will be tested such as wiring, fuse box, sockets and light fittings, including permanently connected equipment, for example showers.
Your EICR for landlords will inspect systems to check for any of the following:
- Electrical overload
- Shock and fire hazards
- Electrical defects
- Earthing & bonding
Portable appliances will not be checked, they fall under the remit of the responsibility of tenants. However, portable appliance testing for any appliances issued by landlords is recommended.
Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate
A landlord Electrical Safety Certificate, also referred to as an EICR for landlords, refers to is a document that verifies the safety and compliance of the electrical installations within a rented property.
The purpose of a electrical reports for landlords is to check for potential hazards within various components of a properties electric systems, to ensure safety for occupiers.
Laws Surrounding a Landlord Electrical Safety Certificate
New electrical safety standards came in to effect in 2020 for all properties in the private rented sector in the UK. Obtaining an EICR for rented properties is mandatory every 5 years.
It’s important to note, you have a duty of care to your tenants, for older properties, we recommend that electrical reports for landlords are conducted more frequently. This is due to the fact that older electrical systems present a higher risk.
An EICR for rented properties must be supplied to the existing tenant within 28 days and to your local authority within 7 days of receiving a request. Any remedial or further investigative work deemed necessary as a result of your EICR must be complete within 28 days.
If you own a business that’s not a rental property, the laws stipulating whether you need a commercial EICR certificate are different.
If you’d like more information on your duties as a landlord, further information can be found on the government web page for landlords electrical safety standards.
Who Can Issue a Landlords Electrical Certificate?
A landlord electrical safety certificate must be issued by a competent individual. All of our engineers are NICEIC accredited experts in their field with years of experiencing in EICR for rented properties.
If you’re looking for an EICR for landlords, get in touch today and arrange your inspection. We look forward to hearing from you.
