Is An Electrical Safety Certificate A Legal Requirement For Landlords

Landlords need to be aware the electrical safety certificates will in law become mandatory for all new tenancies in england from july 1st 2020.

Is an electrical safety certificate a legal requirement for landlords. An electrical safety certificate is a document issued by a certified electrician to attest that all electrical circuits and appliances in a property are in working order and safe to use. While it is not a legal requirement for landlords to obtain one in england wales and northern ireland it is. The management of houses in multiple occupation england regulations 2006 previously put specific duties on landlords around electrical safety. Landlord electrical legislation 2020.

This requirement has now been repealed and hmos. Where an electrical installation safety report identifies urgent remedial work or requires further investigation the private landlord must ensure that the required work is carried out by a qualified and competent person within 28 days or the period specified in the report if it is less than 28 days starting with the date of the inspection. These changes have been brought in to keep landlord practices in line with gas safety regulations in private residential tenancies. All existing tenancies will have to comply on or before april 1st 2021.

The landlord is responsible for making sure that the person who completes the check is suitably competent.