From the 1st of June 2020 new regulations have been introduced to the private rental sector in England.
The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, outline new duties of care for landlords and investors.
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is now mandatory, for all new private tenancies in England.
For all existing tenancies the deadline to one, is the 1st of April 2021
The EICR must be
- Given to your tenant/s within 28 days of the inspection and testing taking place.
- Forwarded to the local authority within 7 days of receiving a written request from them.
- Retained for the contractor undertaking the next EICR. (usually 5 years)Provided to new and
- prospective tenants within 28 days of request.
What is an EICR?
An EICR is a detailed assessment of the safety
and suitability for continued service, of your properties wiring.
A series of tests are performed on the wiring and an inspection of switchgear, consumer units, socket outlets and cable containment are undertaken.
The report will highlight any immediate or potential dangers that are present.
Any defects or non compliance’s found during your inspection and test will be issued with one of the following codes.
C1 Danger Present. (Immediate Remedial Action Required)
C2 Potential Dangerous. (Urgent Remedial Action Required)
C3 Improvement Recommend.
FI Further investigation required.
To earn a pass or “satisfactory” result, your EICR must have no C1’s, C2’s or FI’s.
C3’s recommend improvement and are at your discretion to rectify.
This usually means that the problem is not dangerous but doesn’t fall into line with the current regulations in BS:7671.
For more information regarding EICR’s please take a look here.
What happens if my property fails an EICR?
If your property receives an unsatisfactory ECIR, it’s important to understand the extent of the work needed to reach a satisfactory result.
Your electrical contractor should offer explanations of all non compliances he finds.
In the majority of cases they will be able to explain what needs to be done to rectify the issues.
FI would mean further investigation as the results were non conclusive or operational limitations hindered the test and inspection.
Where remedial or further investigation is required, you must ensure that this work is carried out
– Within 28 days.
or
– Less if stated by the report. (from date of test)
Your electrician will need to provide written confirmation that all remedial work has been undertaken and complies with electrical safety standards.
or
Further investigation is still required.
A copy of the EICR along with this letter will need to be provided to your tenant/s within 28 days if completion of the remedial or investigative work. The local authority will also need copies within 28 days of completion. If further investigation is still needed these steps will need to be repeated.
How long is an EICR valid for?
Most domestic properties require a test and inspect period of 5 years.
The new regulations state, “At intervals of no more than 5 years.”
It makes no mention of change of tenancy requirements.
Assuming little to no work has been carried out, or the tenant hasn’t damaged the electrical components of the property, the existing EICR should be good for the duration.
Some insurers however, may have different opinions, so its worth checking with them to be sure.
What are the penalties for not having an EICR?
Heavy civil penalties issued under the Housing Act 2004 and the Planning Act 2016, are to be issued for anyone trying to bypass their obligations.
These fines are at the discretion of the local authority, but must not exceed £30,000.
Exclusions.
There are some exclusions from the recent regulations.
- Private, registered, providers of Social Housing.
- Tenant who co habit with landlords family.
- Long leases (over 7 years)
- Halls of Residence
- Refuge centres and Hostels
- Care homes.
For a full list please review the legislation here.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2020/9780111191934
If you need an electrical test on your property please email us or call via the options below.
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Mob – 07807867354