New Government Regulations  came into effect on 1st July 2020 requiring all new private tenancies to ensure that electrical installations are inspected and tested by qualified person before the tenancy begins, and at least every five years afterwards. A copy of the report must be given to the new tenant.

Existing tenancies will need to have an electrical safety test carried out by 1st April 2021, and a copy supplied to then within 28 days of the inspection.

Please note that some updating or repairs may be needed to gain a satisfactory report on your property.

Local authorities can impose a financial penalty of up to £30,000.00 for a breach of the regulations.

We are listed and approved by the NICEIC to carry out Electrical Installation Condition Reports EICRs in the Private Rented Sector PRS

Peace of mind is beyond price but can be bought by employing us to manage your electrical installation compliance. If your installations are all up to standard with current certificates you can sleep at night knowing you have done all anybody can expect of you in discharging your duty of care.

It is a sad fact that we have an increasing number of seemingly pointless regulations to fall foul of and an increasing number of people to sue us if we do. I am happy to be able to say that the electrical regulations are far from pointless, if rather complex. They are there to safeguard your property and those in it. A simple thing like having an adequate number of sockets will reduce the risk of tenants overloading extension leads and starting a fire.

Inspection and Testing of properties at change of occupancy includes schedules of inspections and tests which give you detailed information on the installation. Remember that in rented accommodation the occupants can do many things without your knowledge, and you need to be aware of any damage or unauthorized changes to the installation during a specific tenancy.

There are other benefits too. A well appointed property should command a higher price, whether in rent or to sell, and while tenants vary they are more likely to respect your property if they can see that you care for it.

When you enter the letting business you may find that your plan involves bodies such as local councils and universities as well as letting agents. If so they will also have a duty of care.

It is wise to decide at an early stage on your target market as this may well affect the requirements, especially for Houses in Multiple Occupation. Having done this consult the relevant bodies for advice.

We can help you in the following ways:

• Inspection and Testing of properties at change of occupancy (as recommended in the Guidance Notes to BS:7671) or prior to purchase.
• Remedial or upgrading work – remember that as a dwelling, Part P of the building regulations will apply and we are registered.
• Addition of new systems e.g. smoke alarms
• Full certification to British Standards *
• Service and Maintenance
• Advice on minimizing nuisance and maintaining safety levels

* There is no specific landlords’ certificate as used in the gas industry because the wiring regulations are the same whether the property is rented or owner occupied.

In short we can enable you to discharge your duty of care with respect to the electrical installation and provide the evidence to show that you have taken all reasonable steps to safeguard your tenants. As your electrical installation managers we would flag up renewal dates and ensure that current certification is maintained.

The following three documents published by the Electrical Safety Council are specifically for Landlords and are worth reading;
(they do require a portable document format reader such as Adobe’s Acrobat Reader)

1. Portable Appliances
2. Fire Alarms and Emergency Lighting Systems
3. Responsibility for Electrical Safety

If you live in the Canterbury area then you may be interested in the following links:

Canterbury County Council- http://www.canterbury.gov.uk/
Canterbury Student Housing- http://www.canterburystudenthousing.org.uk

We also offer a bespoke package for property and block management company's 

Prices for Electrical condition Report E.I.C.R start from £99

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