What do the new electrical safety regulations mean for landlords?

The government has brought in the new electric safety standards that will come into force on the 1st of July 2020, and this has the potential to affect landlords across the country. The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 are set to introduce a number of changes to legislation that all private landlords in England must comply with.

It should be noted that this is not UK-wide legislation, meaning that landlords who operate only in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are unaffected. Nevertheless, for private landlords in England, this means huge changes. So here we take a look at what these regulations mean for landlords, and what needs to be done.

What tenancies are affected by the regulation?

We have already established that landlords with tenancies on properties in England are those who will be affected – but which types of tenancies do these regulations apply to? Importantly, it applies to residential tenancies in the event where the tenants have the right to occupy either all or part of the premises, are paying rent, and it is not listed as an excluded tenancy. Landlords with existing tenancies must bring these changes into effect from April 1st 2021, while landlords with new tenancies from July 1st 2020 must comply with regulations.

What do landlords need to do?

The regulations state that landlords must hire a qualified person to carry out checks on the electrical installations in their rental properties. This check must establish whether the installations are in compliance with the 2018 edition of the Institute of Engineering and Technology wiring regulations. They must then create a report with the result of the inspection as well as the date of the next inspection (within the next five years).

If the report identifies a breach with regulations, landlords have 28 days in which to arrange for remedial works, followed by a reinspection to ensure that the property is now in full compliance with the regulations. This report must be made available to existing tenants with 28 days of it being received by the landlord, and available to new tenants when they move in.

What is the penalty for not complying?

Landlords must take these regulations seriously, as a part of the legislation is that local authorities have the power to impose fines on those who do not comply. It seems that local authorities will have the power to impose a fine of up to ￡30,000 for a breach of the regulations. However, it is also important to add that landlords that are shown to have breached the regulations multiple times can receive multiple fines – and there is no suggestion of a limit to how many times a landlord can be fined for not complying. This shows just how crucial it is for all landlords to comply with these regulations on all of their properties.

Final thoughts

Landlords still have time to ensure that their properties are up to the required standards and are in full compliance with the legislation, but this is not something that you should hold back on. These regulations have come into force and they must be respected as the new rules, regardless of how your electrical safety standards were dealt with in the past.

It is a great idea for landlords to get in contact with us today! to get your report carried out on your property, This will mean that there are no painful moments of having to rush through the remedial works or holding up a Tenant moving in.