NI landlords face fines under new electrical safety regulations

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 05/04/2025 – 09:58
which is why if this happens, more rentals will provide absolutely nothing than the bare minimum and certainly nothing that is not mains wired.

I do not provide any white goods at all, not even an electric cooker. Tenants can provide their own and we offer to get a fully qualified electrician to fit it into the socket at a reduced cost to them, or they get their own fitted and I get the paperwork to show this has been done by a professional.
Gas cookers the same.
I’m actually finding that these days lots of tenants don’t even want a cooker. Many are going for air fryers/slow cookers etc.

Reply to the comment left by David100 at 05/04/2025 – 10:18
we all know the reality yes. Jobs for the boys, seemingly keeps the economy going and ultimately costs tenants….but that’s what they pay for – a legally compliant property. The law says X and the LL provides X.
It is not down to tenant because they are not the owner of the property , so the provider has to do it to tick the legislative box.
On this basis rentals are, in the eyes of the law, electrically ‘safer’ than home occupiers because they have this bit of paper to prove it.

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 05/04/2025 – 10:46I dont think its so much “jobs for the boys” as it is easier to spend that old socialist dream of “other peoples money”
Legislators get to virtue signal with other peoples money.
But the thing is, it gives contractors a golden opportunity to rip landlords off. Does modern wiring degrade after 5 years? No of course not.
But now we get an expert to check it out because somebody never heard the old engineer adage “if it isn’t broke dont fix it”
Electrician checks wiring, pretends fault, fixes pretend fault.
Happened me with a gas boiler. After a “safety” check, I had nothing but trouble with the boiler, until I changed gas engineer. The new one told me the previous guy had made a mess of the whole wiring loom.

Reply to the comment left by Frank William Milligan URQUHART at 04/04/2025 – 16:30
Okay under that mandate when will council houses fall under this remit

Reluctant landlord — you CAN actually provide an electric cooker and other electrical goods (heaters etc) BUT they must be wired DIRECTLY into the electricity ring main (which a lot of cookers are). PAT means portable appliance testing, so anything that PLUGS in needs a PAT test

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 05/04/2025 – 21:51
agreed, but ultimately I don’t want the responsibility of cooker replacement/white goods either if/when it gets trashed/broken.

I make my properties as appealing to longer term tenants as possible. That means giving them the flexibility of putting their own stamp on it in terms of what cooker they want and brand of white goods etc. They can take their pick from the most energy efficient products or not. Its their energy use not mine.
Inevitably what happens if they have looked after their own goods then some years later want/need to move, they often cant be bothered to remove it – instead offering it up to the incoming tenant (they do a deal between themselves – nothing to do with me). It saves them having to remove it, and gives the incoming one a chance to not worry about getting something new straight away.
Everyone is happy.
These days I am more minded to let as they do in Europe. Providing good quality basics, like a decent kitchen, bathroom suite etc neutral unfussy decoration and curtain poles, flooring/carpeting etc. No lampshades, no curtains, no other freestanding furniture etc. The rest is down to them to provide and personalise. Makes for an easy inventory and nothing to quibble when it comes to end of tenancy issues. It really is an easy spot of any damage or anything over normal wear and tear.

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 06/04/2025 – 08:58
Having worked in Germany for many years it was common for renters to have to provide their own kitchen (yes, all of it) and you would get charged if you didn’t remove it when you left – hence I stayed in the same hotel for 10 years !

As for my own properties, all of them have hods (gas or electric) so difficult to allow the tenant to provide their own/

Were you aware of this

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 stipulate that landlords must provide tenants with the means to prepare food safely, meaning they must provide either a cooker or a separate hob and oven.