Industry body offers guidance to help landlords meet electrical safety rules

An industry body has launched new support for landlords carrying out electrical safety checks.

The Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) has published a guidance checklist to help private landlords find a qualified and competent electrician to carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).

The support comes as the first wave of EICRs is due to expire this year, following the introduction of the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations, which came into force in 2020 for new tenancies and in 2021 for existing ones.

Help give confidence to landlords

All landlords and letting agents must make sure all electrical installations are tested every five years by a qualified electrician, and a written EICR must be provided, with a copy given to the tenant within 28 days.

If the report flags issues, repairs must be completed by a qualified person within 28 days or sooner, with written confirmation sent to the tenant and council.

However, sometimes landlords may find it difficult to find the right electrician, and the ESR has created a handy checklist to help.

Nick Hayler, chair of the Electrical Safety in the Home Group, said: “The Electrical Safety in the Home Group has created this checklist for landlords to highlight the necessary checks needed to find a qualified and competent person.

“This will give confidence to landlords, tenants and electricians that the work is being carried out correctly and safely by people with the necessary skills and experience.”

The checklist includes the certification, qualifications, insurance, and experience that demonstrate the electrical inspector and tester are a competent person to carry out electrical safety checks.

The checklist can be seen by clicking here