Landlord electrical safety duties, in general terms

The core duties

Landlords of domestic private rented property in England and Wales must ensure the fixed electrical installations are inspected and tested by a qualified and competent person at intervals of no more than five years, and must supply a copy of the report to tenants.

Reports must also be supplied to the local authority on request, and to a new tenant before occupation. Keeping a copy of the previous report is part of demonstrating the cycle has been maintained.

• Inspection and testing at least every five years
• Copy of the report to existing tenants
• Copy to new tenants before they move in
• Copy to the local authority on request
• Remedial work carried out and confirmed in writing within the required timescale

What happens if the report is unsatisfactory

Where a report identifies remedial or further investigative work, the landlord is required to have that work carried out within the timescale set out in the report or in the regulations, whichever is shorter, and to obtain written confirmation that it has been completed.

That written confirmation is what closes the loop. A verbal assurance that the work was done is not evidence, and it will not help you if the local authority asks.

HMOs and licensed property

Licensed HMOs have carried electrical inspection requirements for longer than the wider private rented sector, and licensing conditions can add further requirements on top of the general duty. Check your licence conditions as well as the general guidance.

Where a property has multiple supplies, communal areas or shared circuits, make sure the report covers all of them. A report on one flat's supply does not evidence the condition of the landlord's communal circuits.

Practical record keeping

Keep the report, the schedule of test results, the written confirmation of any remedial work and the date the next inspection is due, in one place per property. Agents managing portfolios should be diarising the five-year date at the point the report is issued, not the point it expires.

For anything specific to your tenancy, property type or local authority, use the official guidance below or speak to your council's private rented sector team.