An update on The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
There is currently legislation going through Parliament which will make it law for all rented properties in England to have compulsory electrical checks from 1st July 2020 under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
At this moment the legislation has not yet passed and it is possible for the dates to change slightly but it is simply a matter of time.
The way in which this will be actioned is very much the same as a gas safety test and the tenant must be given a copy of the report at move in, or a copy left at the property. If any tenant requests a copy, this must be supplied within 28 days. Any property due to be tenanted after 1st April 2020 must have an electrical installation conditioning report (EICR) completed as well as any remedial works required.
If your property is already tenanted, the EICR and remedial works must be completed before 1st April 2021. The EICR lasts for 5 years.
Some landlords, with newer properties should have a copy of this, and we ask that a copy is emailed to us as soon as possible so we can ensure to comply with the regulation, if a copy is not available, a new EICR will have to be completed.
Also if you have had an EICR completed without us instructing an engineer, could you also forward a copy to us?
With the properties requiring one, we ideally want to get ahead of the regulation and start our electricians attending as soon as possible so if any remedial work is required, it can be completed as soon as possible.
The cost of the EICR does depend on the amount of circuits that are within the property although we would expect an average cost of between £125.00 to £350.00 depending on the size of the property; as said, this could vary depending on the number of circuits. Any necessary remedial work will incur additional charges.
If the regulations is implemented and not followed, this can incur a fine of up to £30,000. Hence why we want to ensure we are ahead of the regulation.
Do get in touch if you're unsure about any of your obligations as we're here to guide you all the way.
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