Make sure electrical safety checks are carried out
According to the Government, faulty electrics – that’s appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets – cause around 4,000 fires in homes across England every year
Landlords in England must make sure that any privately rented property’s electrical system and any electrical appliances supplied to tenants are safe throughout the tenancy.
Under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, a full electrical safety inspection and test must be carried out every five years – sooner if it was recommended on the previous Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR).
The Registered Competent Person Electrical website has a list of contractors that are registered to undertake electrical safety reports in England and Wales, or you can find a competent electrician via NAPIT, one of the UK’s leading government-approved membership schemes.
Portable appliance testing (PAT)
While there’s no specific legal requirement around testing any electrical items you’ve provided, you are obliged to make sure they’re safe. And the best way to do that is to have a portable appliance test carried out.
The first thing to note is that all electrical appliances must carry the British Safety Standard kitemark sign.
Then it’s good practice to have a PAT carried out by an electrician or certified PAT tester every one to two years.
The test itself involves a visual check for any signs of damage or wear, then a machine test to make sure it works as it should and your tenants aren’t at risk of an electric shock. Any item that fails should be removed from the property and either repaired or replaced.
Tip: Warn tenants that if they overload sockets, that will increase the risk of fire breaking out. Ideally, when you’re preparing a property to rent, have an electrician add extra sockets – certainly in the main living room, bedrooms and kitchen – reducing the need for tenants to use extension leads or multi-socket adapters.
A gas leak in your property could be hazardous to your tenants in two ways:
It could cause carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning
The risk of fire and explosion increases substantially, as natural gas is highly flammable
The law requires you to have your gas appliances checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer every year to make sure they’re working properly and there’s no risk to tenants.
In addition to the annual gas safety check, the Gas Safe Register also recommends you have a service of the gas appliances and flues every 12 months, unless one of their registered engineers advises otherwise.
For more detailed information, read our ultimate guide to gas safety and landlord gas safety certificates.
According to the London Fire Brigade, more than a quarter of fire-related deaths between 2014 and 2018 were due to fires caused by smoking.
Banning smoking indoors in your rental property by means of a clause in your agreement not only helps reduce the risk of fire, but it also means a better atmosphere for non-smoking tenants and less chance that floors, carpets and surfaces will be damaged by burn marks.
Also, remind tenants that candles should always be in a suitable holder, never put near curtains or other materials that could catch fire, and extinguished properly before they go to bed.
Because of the increased risks associated with having multiple unrelated tenants in a property, the fire safety regulations are tighter for HMOs.
Every HMO must have a written risk assessment carried out annually.
Fire alarms. Every HMO must have:
Smoke alarms that are interlinked on each storey where there is living accommodation
A smoke alarm in each individual ‘unit’ (i.e. bedroom or bedsit)
A heat alarm in high-risk rooms, such as kitchens
The alarms must be interconnected and mains powered. If the HMO is three storeys or higher, an alarm system with a central panel is required.
Landlords must also:
Make sure the alarm system is maintained in good working order
Have a competent person carry out maintenance on the fire alarm system, according to the manufacturer’s instructions
Provide evidence of the regular checking/servicing of fire alarms to the local authority on request
Additional fire safety requirements for HMOs:
Thumb-turn locks on the main exit doors
Fire doors, fitted with closers
Simple multi-purpose fire extinguishers on each floor in the common parts (e.g. hallway and landings)
A fire blanket in the kitchen
Annual PAT tests on all electrical items provided
Your local authority may impose other requirements, such as emergency lighting and escape route signage, so you must check with the housing department before letting the property.
We recommend landlords of HMOs also have a local fire safety officer visit the property to confirm the legal obligations that apply and advise you on the most appropriate steps to take.
