Are you familiar with the Electrical Safety Standards being introduced in the PRS?

Buy-to-let landlords in England will soon need to ensure electrical installation inspections and testing are carried out for all new tenancies in England from 1 July 2020 or from 1 April 2021 for existing tenancies, under the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020. 

The new regulations will mean that landlords must ensure every fixed electrical installation is inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified person. The regulations also state that a landlord is required to obtain a report of the results of the inspection and test, supply it to each tenant within 28 days and retain a copy until the next inspection is due. 

To help you understand the Electrical Safety Standards, NAPIT has launched fresh guidance for landlords on the new Electrical Safety Standards in England’s Private Rented Sector. 

Despite these challenging and uncertain times, the regulations will still be introduced as planned, with the government issuing guidance making it clear that Landlords are still responsible for providing safe homes during the pandemic, but that if they can show that they have taken all reasonable steps to comply with their duties under the regulations, they are not in breach of the duty if they cannot comply.

Mike Andrews, chief executive officer of NAPIT, said: “As the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers, we see it as our duty to provide accurate, consistent and easy to understand Guidance for landlords on these new Regulations. Electrical Safety is at the forefront of everything we do, and we have worked hard on this guidance to make it easy for Landlords to understand their requirements. 

“We have also launched a dedicated online search facility on our website helping landlords search for competent and qualified tradespeople that they can trust to carry out their electrical inspections. As well as this we have created a new Landlord Electrical Installation Safety Record for our members to use which provides a summary of the often lengthy Electrical Installation Condition Report. We will continue to support both our members and Landlords during this period of adjustment.”

For a detailed breakdown of the new regulations and for more information on the issue of compliance during the lockdown, click here. 

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