Safety Advice for All Landlords

Nothing stops for coronavirus and whilst we are all welcoming the next step in relaxing restrictions and making the most of the sunny days landlords need to remember that June 1st is also the day the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 come into force.

The regulations place an obligation on private landlords to ensure that electrical installations in the private rented sector are safe for continued use by checking compliance with the relevant electrical safety standards and will apply to England only.

This is important for ALL private landlords as all new specified tenancies from 1 July 2020 will need to ensure that the electrical safety standards are met during any period when the residential premises are occupied under a specified tenancy, and every electrical installation is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a suitably qualified person (regular intervals means at intervals of no more than 5 years).

There are some tenancies that are excluded from the scope of the new regulations.

These include:

• private registered providers of social housing
• shared accommodation with the landlord or landlord’s family
• long leases, i.e. longer than seven years
• student halls of residence
• hostels
• refuges
• care homes
• hospitals
• hospices
• other accommodation relating to healthcare provision

Paul McGladdery in the commercial property team added:

"The new regulations may not affect the majority of landlords as many understand the importance of safe electrics in any home, however now is a good time to ensure all checks are up to date and in place - it's always better to be safe than sorry."

Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers advise all landlords to review their paperwork and ensure the correct checks are in place to ensure they are up to date and comply with current regulations.  For advice on your property call our Commercial Property team on 0161 785 3500 and we'll advise you on what you need to know and do.  You can also email us at enquiries@pearsonlegal.co.uk

Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.

This blog was posted some time ago and its contents may now be out of date. For the latest legal position relating to these issues, get in touch with the author - or make an enquiry now.