With over 30 people killed each year by faulty electrics in the UK, safety specialists First Stop Safety are urging landlords to carry out regular testing on all portable electrical devices in rented properties to ensure they are safe for tenants and meet all legal requirements.
According to government statistics released last month almost a fifth of all fires in UK homes are caused by electrical faults. In 2008 this resulted in 27 deaths and over 1000 injuries. In addition to the risk of house fires almost 14,000 people are injured each year by electrical appliances according to the latest government estimates.
As the number of portable electrical appliances in furnished rented properties continues to increase, from cookers, to TV’s, to stereos and games consoles, portable appliance testing (PAT) is becoming an increasingly important part of a landlords responsibility to ensure their properties are safe and fit for purpose.
Under UK law without regular PAT tests a landlord could be found to have failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their tenants, and leave themselves liable to fines, imprisonment and invalidation of their property insurance.
Phil Buckle, director general of the Electrical Safety Council said: “It is vital that landlords understand their legal obligations when it comes to electrical safety in their rental properties. Landlords are required to take reasonable steps to ensure that appliances provided as part of the tenancy agreement are safe. Failure to do so can put tenants in danger and can result in prosecution.”
Seggy Segaran, MD of First Stop Safety has over 30 years experience in electrical safety, and now provides half day PAT training for landlords. He is also a supplier of simple pass/fail PAT testing equipment in the North of England.
He said: “Portable appliance testing is more important than ever with the number of deaths caused by electrical faults at such a high level and more electrical appliances than ever in rented accommodation.
“Establishing a regular program of portable appliance testing not only gives landlords the peace of mind of knowing they have taken all the reasonable steps necessary to make sure any electrical equipment they are providing for tenants is safe, but it also ensures they comply with the law.
“Although there is no statutory period for completing electrical safety inspections, best practice would see PAT testing on all appliances at change of tenancy and after that on an annual basis.”
Niall McTurk, Head of York Residential Landlords Association and owner of York’s student Letting Agency, Sinclair Properties, actively encourages members of his association to undertake regular PAT tests and sees numerous benefits to landlords undertaking training to enable them to carry out the PAT tests themselves.
He said: “Electrical safety is hugely important, and regular PAT testing should form a key part of this. The advantage of PAT training is that landlords can then carry out the tests themselves, which means not only a cost saving and the flexibility to carry out the work at convenient time for them and their tenants, but it also enables landlords to offer the added service of testing any electrical equipment tenants may wish to have tested.”
Although the legislation isn’t as explicit as the Gas Safety (installations and Use) regulations 1998 which place requirements on landlords to ensure the safe operation of gas appliances under their control, there are a number of laws which cover the area of electrical appliances.
The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, mandatory since 1 January 1997, which state that all electrical appliances supplied with let accommodation must be safe.
The Consumer Protection Act 1987 affects all persons who let property in the course of their business, defining them as “suppliers”, supplying goods to the tenant.
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which now also covers “self employed persons” and “all persons affected by their operations”. This has implications for landlords who appear to fall within the definition of a self employed person as being “an individual who works for gain or reward otherwise than under a contract of employment.”
