Landlords have a duty of care to their tenants under The Landlords and Tenants Act 1985, which includes checking the electrics in a property are safe.

Now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has announced the introduction of new rules under which a five-year electrical installation check on any private rented housing in England will become mandatory.

While an implementation date has yet to be confirmed, MHCLG has said it intends to introduce the legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows. A transitional period will apply for two years. In year one, all new private tenancies will be affected and in year two all existing tenancies will come within scope.

Properties that already have a valid electrical installation condition report (EICR) will not need to replace it until five years have passed since it was issued.

If the 2008 introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) is anything to go by, the new legislation could prompt a rush among landlords to identify and employ suitable contractors. It’s possible that the sudden increase in demand could also lead to higher costs.

Landlords will need to ensure that the contractor they employ is suitably qualified to undertake an EICR. Only Part P Registered Electricians, who are highly qualified, can provide a valid EICR.

Our advice for landlords is to get ahead of the legislation now, providing peace of mind for all parties that the property is safe and functioning according to legislative guidelines and insurance requirements. Also, it may well be that insurance companies start to insist on an EICR being in place when a policy is taken out. A side benefit, however, is that the cost of an EICR may be lower now than when the requirement becomes law.

Not only will an EICR confirm that your electrical equipment is safe, it can also highlight areas where the system can be improved. Undertaking such measures could reduce electricity use, which reflects well on a property’s desirability to tenants, who increasingly pay attention to energy consumption for financial and environmental reasons.

Further information

Contact Savills Letting or Renting