Electrical Safety And Rented Accommodation

All rented properties need to be properly maintained by landlords, however there appears to be some confusion regarding electrical work in rented properties as there is no governing body equivalent to Gas Safe (formerly CORGI) and therefore there is no explicit legislation regarding electrical safety testing for landlords. There is however legislation which puts a statutory duty of care on landlords with respect to the safety of electrical equipment within their properties which includes both fixed wiring such as mains and lighting circuits, as well as all supplied electrical appliances. These are the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

Raising awareness amongst landlords and agents for landlords throughout the rental sector is of paramount importance, as is providing information and advice as to how their obligations towards their tenants should best be met. The Consumer Protection Act defines all persons who rent property as part of their business as 'suppliers', meaning they supply goods to their customers. These regulations impose a duty of care on landlords to make sure all equipment supplied is deemed safe for use by their tenants and it is highly advised that both fixed wire testing and portable appliance testing should be undertaken by a qualified and experienced electrician.

Portable appliance testing is commonly referred to as PAT testing and involves the electrical testing of portable appliances such as kettles, toasters, microwave ovens, fridges, freezers and portable electric ovens and hobs. Each appliance is checked visually for any signs of wear and tear which could have an adverse affect on the integrity of the appliance as well as undergoing electrical testing to check earth continuity, insulation resistance and the polarity of wiring. With regards to portable appliances, it is recommended that landlords supply a bare minimum of appliances such as the kettle or microwave oven as the tenants can easily provide their own should they wish. Where the tenant supplies their own appliances the landlord is not responsible for the safe working order of them and the responsibility is passed on to the tenant.

Fixed wire testing is where both the mains and lighting circuits need to be installed and tested in compliance with British Standards. Although much of the wiring in your mains and lighting circuits is hidden behind walls, ceilings and floorboards, a visual inspection of the switches, plug sockets and any visible wiring to and from your fusebox and RCB is undertaken. This is backed up with electronic testing of the circuits where the whole system is powered down and test voltages are applied to check the integrity of the system and that it is adequately insulated and earthed.

It is highly advised that both portable appliance testing and fixed wire testing be carried out by a qualified and experienced electrical test engineer and that proper documentation be supplied and signed by the person carrying out the electrical safety testing.