In 2020 new rules for Landlord Electrical Safety Standards came into force – the full regulation’s name is “The Electrical Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020”. The regulation came into force on 1st June 2020 and applied to all new tenancies from 1st July 2020 onwards and existing tenancies from 1st April 2021. 

We offer electrical courses for beginners as well as experienced electricians – if you are looking to become an electrician or would like to get qualified to carry out periodic inspections, check out our 4 Steps to Become an Electrician programme which will lead you nicely into completing the City&Guilds 2391 Inspection and Testing qualification and take advantage of the increased demand from April 2021. 

Duties of a private landlord in relation to electrical installations (Regulation 3)

As mentioned above, from April 2021 the regulations will start to apply to both new and existing tenancies – a new tenancy being a rental agreement that was granted on or after 1st June 2020.

We’ve summarised below the key points from the regulations which refer directly to electrical safety and inspection and testing of electrical installations – for more information, and for a more comprehensive guide, you can visit this Gov.uk publication:

  • To ensure national standards for electrical safety are met – these are also set out in the 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations.
  • To ensure electrical installations are inspected & tested by a competent electrician at least every 5 years.
  • To obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) and keep a record of the next inspection date.
  • Where the EICR shows the need for remedial or further investigative work, the landlord must hire a competent electrician to carry out this work within 28 days.

The Electrical Inspection

The Gov.uk website provides links to both the Electrical Safety Roundtable as well as the Registered Competent Person (Electrical) which provide more information for landlords looking to hire an electrician that is able to work safely on their rented properties.

Portable Appliance Testing (PAT Testing)

Although the 2020 Regulations only apply to fixed electrical installations, the Government recommends that landlords regularly carry out portable appliance testing (PAT) on any electrical appliance that the landlord has supplied to the tenants. This is already a legal requirement in Scotland and for more information and guidance Electrical Safety First have released their own guidance on this.

If you are looking to become a qualified PAT Tester, we offer the new Level 3 Award in the In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment (2377-77) course. For more information on the new PAT Testing qualification please read our recent blog:

https://www.tradeskills4u.co.uk/posts/new-pat-testing-electrical-equipment-maintenance-testing

Do you want to find out more about our Electrical Courses?

We offer a range of electrician courses for both new entrants, allied trades and experienced electricians.  Explore our full range of electrical qualifications and don’t forget to give our team a call on 0800 8564448 if you have any questions or need any more advice.