The private rented sector is growing dramatically but the array of information relating to letting can be confusing and some times key safety information can be lost in the jargon.
So a concise, user-friendly guide for landlords has been published by the Electrical Safety Council (ESC) to help them meet their legal responsibilities in relationship to electrical safety.
The guide is specifically designed to ensure all the essential information required is presented in an accessible, easy-to-read format which – covering England, Scotland and Wales – aims to help landlords protect both their tenants and their property. Also it covers communal areas.
Landlords have a legal duty to ensure that their rental property – and any electrical equipment provided with it – is safe, both before a tenancy begins and for its duration.
Time and wear and tear, however, can impact on the condition of an electrical installation and equipment. Landlords must ensure that their tenants (or anyone else entering or using the property) are not put at risk by making sure that the installation remains in a safe condition.
Cutting to the core of various legislation and regulations, the guide provides key information on a range of essential topics, covering anything from explaining the different kinds of electrical checks required, to ensuring any electrical work is properly certified.
Phil Buckle, ESC’s director general, explains: “We produced detailed landlords’ guides covering England, Scotland and Wales a few years ago that were very well received. But we felt an abridged form of the guidance would be particularly helpful, allowing landlords to find the information they need quickly and easily and with signposts to more detailed information, should they need it.
“We hope that electrical contractors, property managers and estate agents, as well as landlords and tenants, will also find this a useful source of information?”
More information: www.esc.org.uk/landlords