Who is legally required to order EICR tests for a property?
A landlord is obligated to provide specific standards of living to tenants under contract leasing one of their properties. One of the aspects of guaranteeing this safety is making sure all the electrical appliances are safe in the building. So the landlord is supposed to hire a qualified electrician to run an EICR test or an electric inspection condition report.
The house occupiers’ acts of 1984 and 1957 mandate such tests to be run every five years or at the start of a new contract based on the request of the tenant. Although, not everyone is eligible to carry out the EICR test and issue a certificate. Once the test is carried out, the electrician will determine the condition of each stationary electrical item, using C1, C2, C3, and F1 designations. Anything other than C3 will call for further remedial action, and F1 calls for more investigation into the electrical safety conditions of a specific item.
When the safety measures have been observed, the electrician must perform another test to finalize the condition report. Ideally, an EICR test must be carried out every five years in private rental properties, or if the tenants are eager to ensure their electrical safety, the landlord must book EICR testing at the start of a leasing contract and before the tenants move in. below we try togive answer to some of the most regularly asked questions about EICR test.
Are our electrical installations subject to the latest edition of the current Wiring Regulation?
It is unnecessary to adhere to the latest qualifications set by the wiring regulation, as the law states if your electrical installations are properly regulated and deemed safe during the observation of previous Wiring Regulations, then comply with all the new aspects of the latest edition is not obligatory.
So basically, if an electrical installation has been verified during previous EICR tests by a professional electrician, the condition report is proof of compliance with the housing authority regulations, unless it has been damaged or needs to be upgraded.
If I have an EICR certificate from less than five years ago, do I need another electrical check to comply with the latest revision of wiring Regulations?
That is entirely up to you. If you’re comfortable with the electrical safety status of your property, and the latest EICR test was carried out in the past five years, then you are not forced to book another EICR test when revisions are made to the wiring regulation. One of the factors that can determine the need for a new EICR test, and among the most frequently asked questions about EICR tests, is natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, or storms. If a recent catastrophe has rocked your property, the safety of all your exposed electrical installations is compromised. If not, your current EICR certificate is good to go until the expiry date.
Which tenants are covered by the regulation?
All private tenants in the UK who have listed the property in question as their only legal place of living can enjoy the safety requirements stated by the wiring regulation. This coverage includes short-term tenants as well.
What are the legal repercussions of ignoring the EICR test requirements?
Failure to comply with the deadlines noted in the regulations, either by refusing to carry out the EICR test or by neglecting necessary repairs as deemed by the electrician, will result in an official notice from the housing authority. If the landlord still ignores the warnings issued by the authority, the local housing authority can order remedial work for the property with the consent of the tenants. Once the maintenanceshas been completed, the authority can charge the landlord with the respective bills. If the landlord still refuses to pay the fees, they may be subject to a financial penalty. The sum of this penalty is subject to the intensity of electrical safety violations and the repairs carried out by the housing authority. Another factor that determines the final fine is the delay in payments. The amount could go as high as 30,000 pounds in some cases.
Do EICR tests check on stationary and portable electrical appliances?
While the wiring regulations don’t differentiate between stationary and portable electrical installations, the EICR test specifically examines the safety status of stationary electrical appliances such as switchboards, fuses, and others of the same category. Under these regulations, another type of certificate called PAT is considered the standard measurement for assessing the electrical safety of portable electrical implements such as fridges and TVs that come with a fully furnished house.
What if I can’t find a qualified electrician or my tenant refuses entry to the property due to covid-19 restrictions?
If you can prove that an order has been placed for an EICR test, and the only reason for the lack of certificate is lack of consent for an examination by the tenant, you cannot be held responsible for the neglect of the wiring regulations.
To prepare for such occasions, you should keep a copy of all your correspondence with the tenants and also the electrician. You can provide the latest EICR certificate to prove your compliance with the regulations, and the authorities will handle the rest with respect to your tenants.
Should I order a new EICR test when every new tenant moves in?
A frequently asked question about the EICR test is the length of its validity. On average, an EICR certificate is valid for five years unless the electrician states in the condition report that certain items must be checked before the period ends for technical reasons.
Some electrical inspection condition reports indicate the certificate is valid for 5 years or the introduction of a new tenant. This statement is incorrect, as the EICR is a periodical test that has nothing to do with a change in occupants. If you see an electrician file an EICR with such specifications, talk to them and ask for a new condition report.
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