Landlords electrical supply testing?

Freeholders have a legal obligation in respect of H&S and there are variousm pieces of legislation that affect them.

The only way a freeholder can confirm safety is by periodic checks. We do all our blocks every five years. Buyers of flats always ask for the latest certificate.

It begs the question as to why you wouldn’t want to to the tests.

Reply to the comment left by Graham Bowcock at 10/08/2023 – 09:41
The question was not about the desirability of doing electrical checks rather the legal requirement to do such checks.

Legislation tends not to be so prescriptive. It’s a code of practice, not directly a legal requirement. At inspection, it is the electrician who determines what the recommended period to next inspection is, and that’s been the case for decades. I haven’t seen any 10 year ones now though for over 20 years. If you have access to the Consumer Unit concerned, it will have a label on with next recommended inspection date. If that date is in the past, you can argue that management is inadequate, and if you have real concerns which are not being addressed then you could report to your local environmental health officer.

The communal lighting ie the Freeholder’s (but also called The Landlord in legal terminology) has to be tested and an EICR produced.

The Leaseholder of a rented out flat is also called a Landlord, and that flat must have an EICR independent of the communal EICR to be able to be rented out. If you didn’t rent out your flat you wouldn’t have to have one.

EICRs have a “legal” life of 5 years under current regulations

IET Wiring Regulations (currently BS7671:2018) make this mandatory every 5 years or more often if so advised. It has been the case long before the requirement for individual flats. You also need a fire and safety risk assessment compliant with the new regulations. I too have a flat in a block of four and as we self-manage we had overlooked this until someone wanted to remortgage.

Its sometime a frustration for those of us who are competent with electricity and plumbing and gas fittings that we are forced to outsource these checks. I get it because to protect tenants there is no way for the authorities to know whether I am competent or not.
But personally I have much more confidence in my own abilities than in many of the certificated electrician and gas fitters out there. I usually double check their work
I can usually do this work myself for my own home and feel more confident when I have checked my property myself – but when renting I need to tick the boxes and have independent verification of safety
The frustration is that in the end my tenants end up paying for this, as all costs of renting are included in my rent calculations (including licensing inspections , certification, environmental improvements etc etc )

Reply to the comment left by Mark Smith at 10/08/2023 – 12:25
You can legally do a gas safety check on your own property as you are gas safe registered and do an eicr as you are
competent in electrical works is that what you are saying?

The IET defines competent as: Carrying out an inspection of electrical installations is a complex task, the person carrying out the inspection and testing is required to have comprehensive knowledge and experience of different types of electrical installations.

There is an extra level of qualification and competence achieved, beyond the standard four-year vocational route commonly followed by qualified inspectors and testers. The person carrying out the inspection and testing is required to have the correct qualifications, experience and knowledge.

Reply to the comment left by Simon F at 10/08/2023 – 11:26
Simon, hope you don’t mind me jumping in here and asking you another question…you sound like you are very knowledgeable.

I’m sole freeholder of a Georgian house split into 4 flats. Conversion was in the 1940’s. I own and live in one of them. The other 3 are privately owned.
Communal hallway leads down stairs to a cellar, to my front door and up stairs to a first floor flat. Only communal lighting in the hall way, no gas or heating. All the utilities, gas, electric and water, come into the whole property through the cellar then branch off.

In terms of H&S what specifically do I need to test and have checks on? Fire safety, I know, but what else? Consumer unit in cellar upgraded 4 months ago, but do all of the lights and plug sockets in the communal hallway have to be checked to?

Once again, sorry for jumping in but guidance appreciated.

Lisa