The
electrical industry received the unfortunate news from the powers
that be within Parliament that the eagerly awaited Tenancy (Reform)
Bill has failed to get through to it's next reading. This is despite
Governmental and cross party support.
What
changes would the bill have implemented?
The
bill would have introduced changes that would force unscrupulous
landlords to make their properties electrically safe, and the lives
of tenants easier in making requests for repairs and maintenance to
be carried out.
It
would have been a legal requirement for landlords to have had an
electrical installation condition report (EICR) every 5 years.
Additionally tenants who were afraid to report problems in their
property to the landlord for fear of eviction, would have been
protected by the Tenancy (Reform) Bill meaning the landlord would
have been forced to carry out the repairs and the tenant would not
have had to worry about eviction.
Electrical
safety currently
As
it stands, electrical safety within rental properties is not covered
by any kind of law. In simple terms this means that landlords can
get away with having no electrical checks carried out on their
properties leaving tenants at risk of fatal electrical shock and
injuries. People who privately rent their property are more likely
to be a victim of electrical shock and electrical fire than any other
housing sector. Worryingly, half of all domestic fires in the UK
(around 20,000) are caused by dodgy electricity.
As
electricians in South East London we work with many reputable
landlords and letting agents within the area. We see first hand the
condition of rental properties which are purchased by the 'good guys'
which were once owned by a landlord which had no regard for tenant
safety. We worked on a house recently which had not been rewired
since the house was built back in the 1960's. Old metal sockets and
switches and wiring which was not anywhere near the current
electrical standards. It was worrying to realise that just a few
weeks prior to Fulcher Edwards updating the electrics, there were
tenants living in danger of electrical shock and injury every day.
This
is far from a rare occurrence, we see rental homes regularly in dire
need of electrical updating. From old wiring to ancient fuse boxes –
many of which have been tampering with and 'added to' over the years.
We have even seen brand new flats with switches and sockets not
screwed to the walls.
We
support the need for electrical safety in rented properties
Seeing first hand the dangerous electrical conditions that tenants
live in – and chances are there will be a tenant in your road
living dangerously – we fully support the need to raise electrical
safety standards in rented properties.
It is not difficult to ensure a property is up to rental standards.
The current recommendation is to have an EICR carried out every 5
years or with every change of tenancy. If there are any electrical
appliances supplied with the property, then they need to be PAT
tested regularly. We also highly recommend that rental properties
have an RCD fitted.
We also support the need for better home security for tenants. It is
unacceptable that tenants are in fear of losing their home by
reporting dangerous problems with their property. As NICEIC electricians in London we find it very concerning that tenants are
compromising their electrical safety and feel they cannot report it.
Electricity kills 7 people per week and injures 1000's more so this
issue really does need addressing.
Here at Fulcher Edwards, we have a team of London electricians who
work with landlords and letting agents across London to ensure that
properties are maintained to rental standards. If you are a landlord
who needs some electrical advice please get in touch with us today to
talk.
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