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17th October 2011

Are Your Electrics Safe?

Landlords, when was the last time you had the electrical installations of your rental property checked?  You must ensure that they are in a safe working order, if they are not at the very least you may find that you will have to deal with claims against your property insurance.  Also you could have extensive damage to the property which would lead to a loss of income, worse case scenario is that the tenants are injured which could mean there are liability claims.

The cause of half of domestic fires is electrical, many of these could be avoided if there was a residential current device (RCD) installed within the fuse box.

It is recommended that every 5 years a fixed wiring electrical test and PAT testing be carried out.

Legislation including The Landlord and Tenancy Act 1985 and The Electrical Safety Regulations Act 1994 requires landlords to ensure the following.

That the electrical installation in a rented property is safe when a tenancy begins and that it is maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy - Any electrical installation will degrade with the passage of time, resulting in possible danger of electric shock or fire hazard. Circuitry and installations, particularly in older properties often are
insufficient to deal with the loads now commonly being called for with the substantial increase in electrical equipment now used in everyday life.

To provide periodic safety checks and certification where portable appliances form part of any letting - This relates to all portable equipment that uses a plug, any emersion heater, shower or cooker etc.

If you would like to receive a free copy of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) guide to electrical safety then please either email tunbridgewells@martinco.com or telephone our office on 01892 543 856.