NRLA call for extension to safety certificates

NRLA call for extension to safety certificates

8:35 AM, 20th April 2020, About 4 years ago 12

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The NRLA are calling for a six month extension to the validity of all gas and electrical safety certificates to cover for the impact of the coronavirus. This comes in response to a survey showing that 38% of landlords are struggling to source maintenance contractors to undertake required work and just over a third are having difficulties undertaking work in their properties because of either themselves, or their tenants, self-isolating.

With tenants also concerned about letting people into their rental properties, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is calling for gas and electrical safety certificates expiring over the six month period from 1st April to be extended for six months. This would be in line with the Government’s approach to MOT certificates.

This would provide the time that landlords need to ensure routine, but legally binding checks, can take place at a point when the danger of spreading the virus in rental properties is at least reduced.

The NRLA is also calling on the Government to delay until next year the introduction of new routine Electrical Installation Condition Reports which are due to come into force from 1st July. These will involve inspectors checking the wiring in all rooms of a property, possibly taking a number of hours, making it impossible for tenants to properly isolate.

Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the NRLA, said:

“Whilst landlords should ensure that urgent work to ensure properties are safe for tenants is carried out, routine maintenance and checks need to be delayed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

“Extending the life of gas and electrical safety certificates will protect landlords and tenants from unnecessary contact and provide landlords with legal protection from enforcement action where they are simply unable to get such work undertaken through no fault of their own.”


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Comments

Jan Martin

11:36 AM, 24th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by WP at 20/04/2020 - 19:42
I would like to add the fact that if you needed to serve notice on a tenant you would need an up to date EPC Therefore I would suggest that you keep your certs updated as you never know when you may need to use a section 21. I am told by my clerk its a grey area and grey areas are not good when wanting to get back your property .

Seething Landlord

20:50 PM, 24th April 2020, About 4 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Jan Martin at 24/04/2020 - 11:36It does seem to be something of a grey area but I decided to get new epcs for all our properties where the original had expired in anticipation of the minimum rating requirements applying to existing tenancies from 1st of April this year. There has been publicity about the ratings having changed for some properties and without a current certificate you cannot be certain that your property still meets the required standard.

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