Electrics in a rented property

[EddieB]

Does anybody know if a house is put on the rental market do the electrics have to be to the latest regulations, ie split RCD consumer unit 10mm equipotential bonding.I was asked this question and I dont know

 

[acvc]

Def Periodic Inspection for change of occupancy for domestic and commercial properties.

I'm not 100% on this, but if the PIR is good, and there's an Electrical Installation Cert for the 16th Ed, then no need to change it.

But, then if any work does need to be done on any circuits, that would be the point at which the installation would have to be brought up to 17th Ed.

 

[TPES]

From the many topics ive read and from my reply from Elecsa technical help, there is no right or wrong answer. Its Down to the individual electrician to how dangerous they think the installation is.
If one electrician says "Sorry mate, you got an old rewireable CU, thats got to come out and be changed".. What would be your reasons for recommending this?

And for those electricans that would say, old rewireable boards are perfectly acceptable.. again, what are your reasons for this?

 

[Des 56]

As far as I understand there is no requirement in law for landlords to have an inspection report satisfactory or otherwise
They have a duty of care to the tennant for things such as gas and electrics,but how they comply with that duty of care is pretty much up to them
Their insurers may stipulate a PIR and/or pat testing but that is their requirement not the powers that be
I may be wrong if there has been recent changes, but not as far as I am aware has any changes been made

There are so many useless bits of paper being issued to landlords that they are happy to accept, that very often the PIRs are a waste of time,visual inspections and the like being used by the nic for these landlords to bypass a proper inspection,

 

[acvc]

See table 3.2 of Guidance Notes3 Inspection and Testing.

 

[EddieB]

A mixed bag of replies, thank you all, There is no RCD protection on any Ring main would that point it towards an upgrade?

 

[roukel01]

A mixed bag of replies, thank you all, There is no RCD protection on any Ring main would that point it towards an upgrade?

Yes, sockets that could reasonably be used for outdoor use must be RCD protected at minimum.

 

[Des 56]

Guidance note 3 table 3.2 is the recomended intervals and not anything regulatory



You must also ensure that the electrical system and any electrical appliances that you supply such as cookers, kettles, toasters, washing machines and immersion heater are safe to use. However, you are not responsible for any appliances that the tenant is entitled to take with him or her at the tend of the tenancy.







The lanlords responsibilities are

These regulations apply to anyone landlord who lets accommodation which contains electrical equipment. It covers any electrical equipment between 50 and 1000 volts a/c and requires that the apparatus to be safe and tested regularly by a competent person. The regulations do not, however, give any clear indications as to how often checks need to be made in order to be 'regular', nor stipulate any criteria that make a person competent.
The main things that you need to ensure are that the electrical equipment is:

• Adequately protect against dangers such as overloading, through insulation and earthing.
• Constructed in accordance with good engineering practice.
• Accompanied by instruction booklets or clear instructions.

There are some simple checks that you can perform yourself to ensure that any equipment is compliant with the regulations:
Heating appliances should be in good working order, as should other domestic appliances such as washing machines, tumble dryers, microwaves, fridges, freezers and cookers.

• Leads should not be worn or frayed.
• Live and moving parts should be guarded and not easily accessible.
• No wiring should be accessible or visible.
• All plugs should be fused and BS1363 compliant.

There still seems to be no requirement for any certification whatsoever unless as I stated if the insurance companies or local authority requested or demanded one

 

[Doomed]

Landlords are bound by legal responsibilities to ensure their tenants are kept safe. Failure to comply can lead to severe penalties or even a jail sentence. If there is a liability case, landlords need to be able to demonstrate 'due diligence', meaning they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure tenant safety.

One of the most important landlord's responsibilities is the Gas Safety Inspection, because breakdown of a gas appliance such as a boiler or cooker can lead to carbon monoxide leaks, which are easily lethal. A further important check, although not legally necessary, is an Electricity Safety Inspection - this can protect a landlord against legal responsibility if a tenant is harmed by an electrical appliance in the property.

The National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC) is an independent regulatory organisation in the UK which maintains a register of electrical contractors that have been assessed for safe electrical repairs. These contractors are then qualified to carry out an official electrical inspection, and issue an NICEIC Certificate proving safety.

It is not currently a legal responsibility to have an Electrical Safety Inspection and NICEIC Certificate as with gas. The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994 and the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, however, enforce the obligation of a landlord to ensure all electrical appliances and wiring in their rented property are safe.

To demonstrate due diligence, it's important for a landlord to:

• Regularly check that appliances supplied are in good working order.
• Ensure plug earth tags are in place and that plugs are of an approved type.
• Ensure all fuses are of the correct type and rating.
• Supply operating instructions and safety warning notices with appliances.
• Make sure your tenants know the location of and have access to the main consumer unit, fuses and isolator switch.

So in other words, No, they don't have to be up to the latest standards.

 

[TPES]

Yes, sockets that could reasonably be used for outdoor use must be RCD protected at minimum.

Is this not down to individual electrician, And is NOT a must do thing.. As there are many electricians
that would leave a non RCD protected RFC (bs3036) and not be recomended a CU Change and give it a satisfactory.

The Zs values are in the book and on our charts for BS3036 Rewireable fuses, But how often do any of us write these values down on our test sheet? as anywork we do would 90% of the time be RCD protected and be on MCB, If its not already, then we have to replace it this way.