Mandatory Electrical Safety Inspections for Rental Properties 2021
25 Mar 2021
As of April 1st, 2021, The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, became law for all new and existing tenancies. All tenancies in England must have a satisfactory and valid Domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report (DEIC Report) for the property.
What is a DEIC Report?
A Domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report is a certificate which confirms that the fixed wiring within the property meets the current safety regulations. This includes anything which is fixed to the property for example, sockets, light fittings, consumer unit (aka fuse box) etc. This ensures that tenants are safe, and properties protected.
In order to obtain this certificate, a qualified electrician is required to inspect the current wiring and complete a series of tests. Following this inspection they will either produce a Satisfactory Report or an Unsatisfactory Report.
Satisfactory Report
- This means that the wiring in the property meets the current government regulations on electrical safety.
- Currently, this report is valid for 5 years, before needed a new inspection.
Unsatisfactory Report
- This means that the wiring in the property does not meet the current government regulations on electrical safety, and the electrician will explain was works are required to bring the wiring up to the current safety regulations.
- Improvement works must be completed within 28 days of the electrician’s inspection before a new satisfactory report can be produced.
It is also a legal requirement that a copy of the satisfactory report is provided to the tenants.
See our previous blog post on electrical safety here…
https://www.open-doors.co.uk/articles/electrical-safety-regulations-to-come-into-force
Find out more here…