It isn’t easy being a landlord these days, in part because of the understandable need to ensure residential and commercial tenants and their surroundings are safe. This is an area in which corners should never be cut, of course, but it’s worth noting that such matters always add to the workload of the landlord, the person or organisation which is ultimately responsible for just about everything.
Since 2015, Scottish landlords have been required by law to provide accurate electrical safety certification to tenants. These are not only legal documents to satisfy the authorities, they are also usually insisted on by insurance providers as well. If you’re a landlord, you have to make sure you do all you can to keep all sides satisfied with your property and the electrical items contained within.
Although many landlords worry about the complexity of some regulations, those in regard to safety certificates are relatively simple. Certification needs to cover any installations that provide electricity, all electrical fixtures and fittings and any appliances that the landlord has provided under the tenancy agreement. If you’re in any doubt about what needs to be covered, we can of course advise.
There are two separate certificates that can be required: an Electrical Installation Condition Report, otherwise known as an EICR, which covers the bulk of the issues, and a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) certificate, which will be in relation to appliances in the property, should you be providing them. Again, if you have any questions about your responsibilities, our friendly team can help to clear the fog of uncertainty.
So when should a test be carried out?
The regulations require you to ensure testing is done and certificates are issued every time a new tenancy agreement is implemented. If you have long-standing tenants, then testing needs to be no more than five years apart. Your tenants will also need to be given copies of any inspection reports for their own personal records.
And while inspections are legally required, they can be extremely useful for the landlord. It’s often possible to notice potential issues at a much earlier stage, bringing an opportunity to make repairs or effect replacements before the need for more expensive operations at a later date. Electrical installations and components, including wiring, can show deterioration over time, of course.
One of the requirements of the inspection is to check that the system meets the most up to date regulations and to report any damage or wear and tear that’s found. Because of this, testing should be seen as an opportunity to find possible problems early on, and to rectify them accordingly before they become major issues. The condition report highlights which items need urgent attention, as well as those that are recommended for attention soon.
A Portable Appliance Test inspection is required for landlords who provide appliances as part of the tenancy agreement. In most cases, this includes refrigerators, televisions, toasters, portable lamps and other similar equipment. As a landlord, you have to understand that by supplying such items you’re stating that they’re safe to use. Testing, therefore, is a must. If an item fails the test, it needs to be replaced or repaired at the earliest possible opportunity.
As a trusted contractor providing first-rate services to domestic, commercial and industrial clients, we know how important it is for you to have ticked the right boxes at the right times. We have all the skills, all the experience and all the knowledge to help building owners and landlords to make sure their responsibilities are met. To find out more, call us today on 01382 699 550. We hope to hear from you soon.