Government backs mandatory EICR's every 5 years for landlords.

[Michaelwgroves]

Long overdue............................

The Government has backed introducing a mandatory requirement on landlords with properties in England to ensure that electrical installations in their property are inspected every five years.

However, it has not provided a start date.

Such a proposal has been recommended by several working groups of industry bodies, the most recent at the end of last year.

Housing Secretary James Brokenshire yesterday announced plans for the mandatory checks to be introduced alongside the launch of a separate consultation on building regulations following a review by Dame Judith Hackitt in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire tragedy.

Brokenshire said: “There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their own homes.

“That is why I am announcing a package of measures focused on improving building safety, having listened carefully to the concerns which have been raised.”

Responding to the announcement, Phil Buckle, director general of charity Electrical Safety First, said: “We are delighted the Government has finally recognised the importance of regular electrical checks in the private rental sector which protects both tenants and landlords.

“Electrical Safety First has led the charge for this to be made a legal requirement for UK homes and successfully lobbied for these to be introduced in the PRS in Scotland – with Wales and Northern Ireland set to follow suit.

“Our campaign for the introduction of these checks has been supported by 71% of MPs, from all parties.”

Fire safety: clarification of statutory guidance (Approved Document B) - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety-clarification-of-statutory-guidance-approved-document-b

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Our local mp (lib dems) is trying to team up with labour to bring a law in where every rented property has a designated person / licence holder who is responsible for repairs, ensuring compliance ie gas safe/ electrics etc and is listed on a public register as point of contact in event of problems. they would be the person responsible for obtaining and acting on an eicr. much like the hmo system around here. i think it will come in after the grenfell tower report as when i spoke to her she said this will be when things become more regulated.
So if the responsible person doesnt not get a eicr or does not put things right when highlighted then they would be prosecuted.

 

[Octopus]

^^ wouldn't it be better if they started with a register of rental properties .... Per council

 

[Squid]

Maybe all houses need to have periodic checks carried out, like a car needs an MOT so just not in rentals, if you don't have the certs they treble your council tax, should be popular.

 

[Squid]

Our local mp (lib dems) is trying to team up with labour to bring a law in where every rented property has a designated person / licence holder who is responsible for repairs, ensuring compliance ie gas safe/ electrics etc and is listed on a public register as point of contact in event of problems. they would be the person responsible for obtaining and acting on an eicr. much like the hmo system around here. i think it will come in after the grenfell tower report as when i spoke to her she said this will be when things become more regulated.
So if the responsible person doesnt not get a eicr or does not put things right when highlighted then they would be prosecuted.

I remember when the rent control act came in and a load of people dumped rental properties on to the market, house prices went down rents went up and what was bought in, short term lets on a 6 month contract to protect the LL.

If landlords costs are increased then it just gets passed on to the renter as I have seen this in the past, as a lot of properties in the private sector are now rented out to the council to house the poor/peasants then at the end of the day it will come out of your taxes/council tax and whilst you are at work they will be breaking in to your van to steal your tools.

 

[Deleted account]

I did an EICR on a rental. To say the least it was shocking.

The tenants only concern was if the required works got remedied at high expence.then her rent would go up.

It justified a nearly full rewire.

Her rent was rediculiusly low because the place was a dump, but the tennant was happy with that.

 

[ferg]

Unfortunately it's near on impossible to make sure EICRs are not drive by affairs.

Just about everything that can be done is being done.

The EICR is already about 100 pages long with tick boxes for what you've got in your lunch box.

It's up to the contractors to make sure that it's done correctly.

Just about the only way to enforce it is to have a council bod follow you round while you are doing it.

If carrying out EICR's very frequently with a team of 2 guys you can get the time and cost right down. It's then less than what it's worth me charging for it .

I don't mind a race to get costs down as long as it's legitimately done.

 

[Toneyz]

The EICR is already about 100 pages long with tick boxes for what you've got in your lunch box.

That's because of the inspection not being done properly.

 

[ferg]

That's because of the inspection not being done properly.

That was precisely my point.

 

[StephenRowley]

Tenants have to speak out, you can't do nothing and expect something to happen.

Problem is that if you speak up as tenant, LL issues you notice at your next renewal and then you have the expense of finding a new house. Estate agent fee's are ££££.

 

[Michaelwgroves]

Problem is that if you speak up as tenant, LL issues you notice at your next renewal and then you have the expense of finding a new house. Estate agent fee's are ££££.

Agents fee's will be banned from Sprint 2019.
Tenants are protected from retaliatory evictions, there's usually another hidden reason for eviction. But most landlord evict using section 21 (no fault) as it's easier and just swallow lost rent and damage.
Evicting tenants cost the landlord a lot of money, so they try not to do it unless forced. So you had to spend a few hundred quid on a repair. It's a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of evicting a tenant. You have void costs, repair costs and agent fee's. Way better to keep the tenant unless they are not paying rent.

 

[littlespark]

In Scotland, landlords need to be on a register, as I am as I have a second home (up for sale now, dodgy tenant put us off)
The property had an EICR done, its insured properly and any tenancy agreement is done properly.

There are however still unregistered landlords undercutting the legit ones by not spending the money and having lower rents.
A 5 yearly EICR as well as a change of tenancy EICR is another cost to add to the rental income. The unregistered landlords simply will not comply.

 

[Octopus]

Agents fee's will be banned from Sprint 2019.
Tenants are protected from retaliatory evictions, there's usually another hidden reason for eviction. But most landlord evict using section 21 (no fault) as it's easier and just swallow lost rent and damage.

As you are a landlord, out of interest and assuming you are happy to share this information, how much, as a percentage of gross income per year, per property, do you budget for repairs and testing like this?

 

[Michaelwgroves]

I'm happy to share my experience but there is no hard and fast rule. But to reinforce what I said previously I try very hard to keep my tenants as it's much more cost effective to keep them than evict. If they accidentally break something I just fix and swallow cost.
In the grand scale of things maintenance is only slightly higher than owner occupier, generally you only do maintenance on change over, so like I said above, best to keep them.
There is a lot more regulation today, but I see this as a good thing as it helps push out the rogue landlords which makes room for the good ones. Unfortunately it's also pushing out many greylords who are good people, they just can't keep up with the regulations and get caught by the no win no fee solicitors chasing landlords who give good accommodation and look after their tenants, but might forget to cross the T's.
The industry is moving away from single lets to portfolio landlords, which I think is a shame.

 

[JK-Electrical]

EICRs for private lets in Scotland have been compulsory since December 2015. Although the Scottish Government's statutory guidance decrees that only SELECT or NICEIC members should be carrying-out EICRs, the guidance is generally ignored by many landlords and letting agents who hire solely on cost rather than competence.

In Scotland, landlords need to be on a register, as I am as I have a second home (up for sale now, dodgy tenant put us off)
The property had an EICR done, its insured properly and any tenancy agreement is done properly.

There are however still unregistered landlords undercutting the legit ones by not spending the money and having lower rents.
A 5 yearly EICR as well as a change of tenancy EICR is another cost to add to the rental income. The unregistered landlords simply will not comply.

SELECT calls for more stringent controls on electrical safety in privately rented accommodation.

 

[Squid]

Better off renting rooms out in a house off the grid in this day and age.

Small LL's are getting screwed over the and the deposit the tenant pays should be a lot higher, just look at how car hire companies work when it comes to the damage to a car should be same as with your property, in my time I have seen what nasty tenants can do to a property costing £1000's to put right with no compensation to the LL.

I prefer Rachman's way of dealing with tenants, bounce them down the stairs.