Where does my responsibility lie?

[Marie-Claire]

I was asked to look at a property today for an opinion, the property is owned by a landlord and has tennants currently living there, it has not had a periodic for many years. The consumer unit is an old re-wireable fuse one. I found a lot of things in the property that didn't comply, no earth bonding on the pipes, the cooker socket was spured off a double socket that wasn't easily accessible and looked bodged, there is a leak in the bathroom which runs through one of the kitchen lights, there is arking in all of the upstairs lights, the shower pull cord was hanging off and the tennant claimed she had a few mild shocks off the livingroom sockets (brass plated) and it never tripped. The re-wireable fuse box had no earth to which the tennant called out her supplier and they put in an earth. These examples were amongst other things that didnt comply I had a word with the landlord and told him a full test and inspection was needed and i'd reccommend a re-wire as the wiring was in poor condition. The landlord was not happy that i suggested this and claims that he cant afford to have the work done. The tennant has young children and insists that the landlord will not take necessary action. I fear that the tennants safety are at risk. Is there anything i need to do, i can't stop worrying about the children

 

[GLENNSPARK]

i know this, the consumer unit needs upgrading, i know all that should be done and what the regulations are, i just need to know what to do if the landlord doesn't get the work carried out and leaves the tennants at risk

Well legally you cant force him to do anything about it....just issue it with a danger notice and inform the council,...you could try the morality card with him though (his duties and responsibilities n all that) but if he wont play ball then as tel , lenny etc

 

[RexT]

Hi,
I would agree with the comments above and would suggest that you put it in writing to the landlord and the tenant.
The cost of putting it right is the landlords problem and you should consider ensuring that your views are correctly recorded so that at a later date no misunderstandings can arise on what was said.
Best wishes
Rex

 

[Marie-Claire]

Yes I'd start off with informing the Landlord, that the installation is dangerous, and that if anything happened to the tennant or her children, that he would likely to be taken to court.
If he still quibbles, then I'd issue a danger notice, and issue it to the tennant, perhaps two copies.

I told him that the electrics was dangerous and i fear it could result in a death to which he would be prosecuted for. I'm hoping he will have a consience and do the right thing. How do i issue a danger notice?

 

[Marie-Claire]

To be honest with you, all you can do is leave it in the hands of the tennant to sort out.
If you provide her with a copy of the danger notice, then she will at least have some amunition.
She may even be able to get the local Council to step in and help.

The tennant seemed to know i was going to confirm to the landlord what she had been telling him all along, she said she knew her rights and was going to get the enviromental health involved. Naturally i did not want to be in the middle of the dispute but i felt it was only right to inform the tennant that the installation didn't comply with the required safety standards

 

[Marie-Claire]

the landlord informed me it was a private tennancy agreement amonst themselves to cut out costs

 

[telectrix]

i can't get mine into here, something to do with copyright. i'm sure another member can get a generic form on here as a pdf.

 

[SW1970]

Hiya, maybe he's completely ignorant of his responsibilities.

You could print off some of these: Guidance for landlords : Electrical Safety Council
Or these: Electrical | National Landlords Association
Cheers, SW

 

[Octopus]

You have observed a property which you consider dangerous for a number of reasons.

IMHO you should issue a danger notice, get it countersigned by the Landlord, and move on to the next opportunity.

 

[SW1970]

Just saw your last post, even a private landlord has the same responsibilities re safety.

 

[electromonkey]

Buy Tysoft easycerts. All the certs you need inc danger notices.

 

[Marie-Claire]

Was it the landlord (if you could call him that) who requested you look at this install as it seems he`s happy just to sweep it all under the carpet.............

The landlord called me to have a look because the tennant refused to pay the rent untill the work got done, i feel that he was hoping it would be as simple as rectifying the fault on the socket so he could then get his rent

 

[electromonkey]

The tenant is entitled to hold back their rent payments and there is nothing the landlord can do whilst the electrical installation is dangerous. Either way, the landlord will lose money. Ignoring everything other than the financial aspect, at least the cost of the electrical work can be offset for his/her tax.

 

[Marie-Claire]

thanks for your help everyone and pointing me in the right direction. very much appreciated x

 

[Engineer54]

Like it or not, i'm afraid you are in the middle of this dispute now!! It could get very legal, very quickly, so if i were you get everything down in writing on your findings, ....not just a blanket statement saying the electrics are dangerous. Issue those findings to the landlord, he is the responsible person regarding this installation and the person that paid you a fee for your work. If you feel it necessary to issue a ''danger notice'' then do so, attaching said notice to your report.

Then for now walk away, and get on with your normal Business, ....and Wait!!

 

[Blowcat]

Its a heartlesss way to look at the situation but if its that bad I wonder why someone would pay money to live there. Try not to get emotionally attached otherwise you may find your doing a lot of work there for free. Been there done that.........
Report on what you found, listing faults in importance to be fixed.
Might be worth just to suggest a rewire at some time, but not to make a big thing of it as it is a scary big and expensive upheaval for everyone concerned.

If you really want to issue a notice do it but I guess you wont hear from him again so dont spend to much time on it.
Personally... sounds like the lanlord is a rip off merchant and I would steer well clear.